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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Stocking the Pantry

Once you get your surgery date, you want to prepare your kitchen. If you live alone, give away all your white carbs--rice, pasta, bread--you won't be needing them for about a year! Next, here's my surgery kitchen prep list, along with the rationale for the item:

Hardware:
4 oz ceramic ramekins (Amazon.com): So you can make portion controlled casseroles or other foods. 4 oz is what your stomach will be able to hold.

2 oz plastic measuring cups (Tupperware): Early out, you will only be able to get in 2 to 3 oz of heavy liquid or puree--use these so that you don't overload yourself, which hurts and causes vomiting.

2 oz ice cube tray: for freezing purees to use during the mushy stage. You can't eat enough of anything to not end up with leftovers. Then when you come home, microwave a couple of cubes for 2 minutes and you have dinner.

Toddler flatware: to get you used to how radically different your portion size is and to get you used to eating less. It works.

8 oz plastic bowls with lids: for leftovers and salads

Salad plates: use instead of regular plates for portion control

FOOD

Pre-op:
Atkins Advantage Vanilla Protein Shakes

IsoPure Zero Carb Protein Powder, Vanilla (you will use this forever)

Sugar free flavored syrups (for your Isopure powdered shakes)

Clear liquid phase (right after surgery)

IsoPure Plus RTD protein: to get your liquids and your protein in at the same time for your first 2 weeks post op.

Unjury Chicken Broth Protein Powder: see above (you just need a few sample packets of this--don't buy a big tub of it. It's rather salty (about 700mg).

Gerber 4 oz apple juice containers ( pack of 4 should do it)


Full liquid phase: (3 days to 2 weeks post-surgery)

Keep using the Atkins Advantage Shakes and the Isopure Protein Powder Shakes

Creamed soups (strain them)

Sugar Free Pudding (just a few, to break the monotony)

Greek Yogurt, look at label for low carb, low fat, low sugar

Low fat yogurt with no fruit in it. You can flavor with your syrups. The Greek Yogurt is better because it has 15 grams protein/serving.


Puree/"Mushies" (Week 2-4 post-op)

Canned chili

Cottage cheese

Applesauce

Refried beans

Lowfat cheese for melting

Frozen berries (for blending with your protein shakes or mixing with Greek Yogurt)

Regular soups (you have to blend them till the chunks are gone--avoid noodle soups, think split pea with ham, beef stew)

I'll be posting some mushies recipes, but if you have these things in your kitchen, you'll always have something to eat. After the 4th week you'll be transitioning to "real food" and I'll be posting recipes for that. Feel free to hit me up with recipe requests.

1 comment:

  1. One year later, review: This is still true. The Chicken Broth is very salty; everything else came in handy.

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