Crispy foods??? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

sbjim5755 · 11-06-2005, 05:40 PM

Hi everyone,

I was reading an article that I found on the internet about the soft diet after gastric bypass surgery. It mentioned that crispy foods are considered soft because the dissolve when they get wet. I am including as a quote the article. What do you think, I had a cracker the other day because of this article but I am not sure about this. My nutritionist is on vacation for the next 2 weeks (bad timing for me) and no one in the office seems to know anything. Thanks Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Jim

Quote:

The Soft diet after Gastric Bypass

In the first month or so following your surgery, you can eat foods which are high in protein and yet are "soft and mushy" and foods which are "crispy" Foods which are "mushy" can be put into one of four categories:

MUSHY FOODS:

- scrambled, soft boiled, and in the form of egg salad. The whites of fried eggs are usually too rubbery to be eaten this soon after surgery. Remember: egg whites have the protein, the yolks are mainly fat.
Dairy products - although these are high in saturated fats, they are also high in protein and will go down easily. Soft cheeses., low fat yogurt, (flavorings optional), low fat frozen yogurt, and skim milk are the best dairy products for weight reduction. Hard cheese may be taken in moderation. Avoid: whole milk, cream, ice cream, whipped cream, and ice milk.

As sources of protein, eggs and cheese are excellent, but they also contain a fair amount of fat. Therefore, Eggbeaters (or just egg whites), and fat-free, or low-fat cheeses will give greater weight loss, but are not 100% essential to have a decent weight-loss result.

Leaumes - this includes beans, lentils, and peas. All must be in a mushy form which will pass through the pouch easily. Good examples would be: split pea soup, bean soups, refried beans. At this time, the only form of whole cooked beans you can eat, such as ranch beans or canned baked beans, or whole pinto beans, must be mashed up well. Do not try fresh or frozen green beans yet, because they are too fibrous to digest easily. Canned green beans can be tried only if they're very soft. Peanut butter should be used only in small amounts as a substitute for butter or margarine. Peanut butter is very hiah in fat, so use sparingly. A good choice for beans would be "fat-free refried beans."

4. Animal protein - examples of this would be tuna salad, chicken salad, deviled ham, potted meats, pates, and liverwurst. Avoid any gristly meats (including Spam) at this time because gristle tends to get stuck in the pouch. Spam must be chewed very well. "Potted meats" include any soft meats that you can spread on a cracker.

You may use real mayonnaise, light mayonnaise, or non-fat mayo the only difference to you will be how quickly you want to lose weight. The same applies to your choice of tuna packed in water, or packed in oil: If you choose "in water,' you will take in less fat, and consequently, lose weight faster. It is up to you.

CRISPY FOODS:

"Crispy foods" are: foods that will disintegrate if you place them in a glass of water. Examples of crispy foods would be: Melba toast, crackers, well-toasted bread, tortilla chips, or ~ crispy bacon. You can eat tortilla chips that are baked or fried. Again, if you always choose "baked tortilla chips," you will lose weight faster because you are taking in less fat. Foods that must be chewed well in order to be swallowed are crispy. Example: very crispy bacon, or crackers.

You may put any spread on your crispy toast. However, if you put regular butter on your crispy toast, you will lose weight more slowly than if you select low-fat butter or margarine. The same principle applies to regular cream cheese vs. low fat, or non-fat cream cheese. If you want to lose weight faster, make the lower fat choices. To avoid all fat on toast, eat it very toasted and dry, or add just jam or jelly on top. There's no fat in jams. To minimize sugar intake, buy "all fruit" or "spreadable fruit" instead of regular jam.

You can combine any "mushy" food on top of any "crispy" food. Examples: tuna fish on crackers, or refried beans on tortilla chips, or egg salad on crispy toast.

On the other hand, fried salty snacks such as potato chips, Cheetos, Dorito's, etc. are ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN. If you get the urge for a salty snack, we recommend beef (or other meat) jerky. ,his fills your mouth, you get to chew it a long time, and it is high in protein, as well.

NOTE: "Crispy foods" are not the same as crunchy foods. Raw
vegetables are the best example of crunchy foods. During this soft diet, do not eat any raw vegetables because they are too fibrous and can get tangled in the outlet. Example: do not put any celery in your tuna salad or chicken salad. NO RAW VEGETABLES YET. Canned vegetables can be eaten for variety, because they are more mushy. By the second week after surgery, you may start adding more of a variety of foods to your diet, but still keeping the consistency of the foods in the "mushy" or "crispy" categories only.

LizardQueen · 11-06-2005, 06:51 PM

try some tortilla chips and salsa. This is still a staple of mine since (knock on wood) I have had no trouble tolerating it. I'd hold off on the beef jerky for awhile though. I just think it maybe too soon, just my opinion. Crackers and cheese may be okay but I'm positive about chips and salsa (try something mild or medium and not too chunky for now).

lealphachienne · 11-06-2005, 08:44 PM

Yep, the article nailed it on the head. Beef jerky was a perfect protein source. Just remember to chew everything well.

Dara · 11-06-2005, 08:49 PM

Jim:

Crackers should be okay, but be careful when you first eat them. I would try one or two, and then stop for a few minutes before you eat any more. One of my most painful episodes early post-op was when I tried to eat some deviled ham on a saltine cracker. Oh my gosh, I was in terrible pain for about 20 minutes because I had one bite too much!

Happy eating, buddy!

Blueyz · 11-06-2005, 09:11 PM

Jim,

Yes, crispy bacon and some other crsipy foods were on our list of things to eat. We were just told to chew really well and eat slowly to see how the pouch reacts.

Alleusion · 11-06-2005, 10:30 PM

pre-op my absolute favorite food was chips and salsa. I was at a mexican place the other day and had 2 1/2 chips dunked in salsa. I was in absolute heaven. My only concern about the soft / crispy stage, is I don't have much room left in my fridge. I can only eat a little at a time, what's the best way to store things?

lealphachienne · 11-07-2005, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alleusion

pre-op my absolute favorite food was chips and salsa. I was at a mexican place the other day and had 2 1/2 chips dunked in salsa. I was in absolute heaven. My only concern about the soft / crispy stage, is I don't have much room left in my fridge. I can only eat a little at a time, what's the best way to store things?

In the trash can

Alleusion · 11-07-2005, 07:47 AM

It's sad when breakfast is a popsicle, half an egg and 2 tortilla chips. But damn was it good.

Bypassingme619 · 11-07-2005, 08:17 AM

Jenny I so agree with Marie. Being post-op now so many things are running through your head but as time goes on you will figure out that you don't have to commit to eating it all, its ok to throw it away. Jenny in time it will be just routine for you.

Alleusion · 11-07-2005, 09:34 AM

It just feels like such a waste when money is tight to begin with. I'm coming up with all kinds of creative storage ideas.