Dietary Guidance After Gastric Band Surgery

Mar 14, 2023

It is crucial to adhere to medically suggested dietary guidelines after undergoing gastric banding. These recommendations are carefully crafted by healthcare professionals with the intention of reducing the number of calories you consume while offering balanced meals that support the preservation of lean muscle mass and the prevention of nutrient deficits.

At first, this new food pattern may seem daunting, but most patients discover that after a while, the rules have subconsciously become a part of their daily routine.

General Guidelines

– Consume balanced meals in moderation.
– Consume food that is low in calories, fats, and sugar.
– Maintain a daily log of your dietary quantities, protein, and calorie intake.
– Eat slowly and thoroughly chew each bite of food.
– Steer clear of foods like rice, bread, raw vegetables, fresh fruit, and tough meats like steak.
– Do not consume carbonated beverages, eat ice, or use straws. They could make you uncomfortable by introducing air into your pouch.
– Avoid sugar, foods, and beverages, including sugar, concentrated sweets, and fruit juices.
– Your daily caloric intake should range between 300 and 600 calories for the first two months after surgery, with an emphasis on thin and thicker liquids.

Liquid

You will be limited to drinking only clear drinks for the first few days following surgery. You can begin using different liquids once you are comfortable handling clear liquids, such as meat broth, unsweetened juice, caffeinated tea or coffee, skim or 1 percent milk, sugar-free gelatin or popsicles, and unsweetened juice are all acceptable liquids during stage 1.

Protein

Consume foods high in protein to preserve muscle tissue. Eggs, meats, fish, seafood, tuna, poultry, soy milk, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products are examples of high-protein foods. Your daily protein intake should be between 65 and 75 grams.

Pureed foods

You can start eating foods that have been strained and pureed (mashed up) after about a week of coping with liquids. The combination shouldn’t contain any chunks of food and should have the consistency of a thick paste or smooth liquid. Three to six light meals each day are acceptable. There should be 4 to 6 tablespoons of food at each meal. Eat slowly; give each meal 30 minutes. Foods that purée well include lean ground meat, poultry, Cottage cheese, Soft scrambled eggs or Cooked cereal

Multivitamins

Use a daily chewable multivitamin and mineral supplement with a high potency that contains at least 18 mg of iron, 400 mcg of folic acid, selenium, copper, and zinc. After your operation, take two pills a day for at least three months, then one tablet a day for the rest of your life.

Make sure that your healthcare physician has prescribed any medications and dietary supplements you take based on your health condition.