A Semi Solid Diet

Use a blender to puree your meals, fruits and vegetables when consuming a semi-solid diet.
 A semi-solid diet usually begins three to four weeks following a gastric bypass surgery. It is also referred as the soft/pureed foods diet and is the third stage of returning to solid foods following surgery. This diet is designed to retrain the stomach to begin eating solid foods after consuming a liquid diet.

  Advertisement
 
Basics
   
Doctor talking to patient

Image Credit: Fuse/Fuse/Getty Images After receiving the OK from your doctor, you may begin following a semi-solid diet as early as two weeks post surgery. The semi-solid diet will last about four to six weeks before progressing to a low-fat solid food diet. Following gastric bypass surgery your stomach will hold about a half cup of food at a time. Because of this you should eat five to six small meals daily of soft, pureed foods. Meals should be no more than six ounces in weight, and it is essential to chew and eat slowly. Take at least 30 minutes to consume the entire contents of the meal.

  Advertisement
 
  Video of the Day
  
Semi-Solid Diet
   
Pureed vegetables

Image Credit: Magone/iStock/Getty Images The semi-solid diet includes foods high in protein and low in fat, fiber, calories and sugar. Soft fruits and vegetables can also be pureed and included in the diet. It is essential to get enough protein right after surgery to make sure that wounds heal properly and help preserve muscle tissue, so weight can be lost via fat instead of muscle tissue, explains Frank W. Jackson, M.D., of Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroentrology. Additionally, because only a small amount of food is consumed at a time, it is essential to supplements with vitamins and minerals to avoid deficiencies.

  Advertisement
 
Types of Foods
   
Scrambled eggs in pan

Image Credit: kabVisio/iStock/Getty Images A semi-solid diet includes foods like scrambled egg, low-fat cottage cheese or blenderized lean meats like tuna or chicken. Blend foods with water, fat-free milk or broth to create a smooth consistency. Strained baby foods are a convenient option that patients often use following surgery. Additionally, soft fruits and vegetables can be pureed and included into the semi-solid diet. Additionally, avoid foods that are hard on the digestive tract such popcorn, nuts, seeds, high fat meat or gristle, breads and fibrous vegetables, recommends DukeHealth.org.

  Advertisement
 
  Advertisement
 
Semi-Solid Meal Plan
   
An opened can of tuna

Image Credit: horex/iStock/Getty Images Breakfast might consist of scrambling and blending two egg whites and one whole egg. A mid-morning snack might be a half cup of low-fat cottage cheese and quarter of a pureed banana. For lunch, 3 ounces of blended chicken breast and 1/4 cup of blended, cooked carrots. Consume 1/2 cup of low-fat, low-sugar yogurt for an afternoon snack. At dinner, have 1/2 cup of tuna, and 1/4 cup of blended, cooked green beans. An evening snack might be 1/2 cup of sugar-free, low-fat pudding.

  Advertisement
 
  Advertisement
  
  references
  
      The Recommended Diet Following Bariatric Surgery
       




  references
  
      The Recommended Diet Following Bariatric Surgery
    




Use a blender to puree your meals, fruits and vegetables when consuming a semi-solid diet.





Doctor talking to patient

Image Credit: Fuse/Fuse/Getty Images

Pureed vegetables

Image Credit: Magone/iStock/Getty Images

Scrambled eggs in pan

Image Credit: kabVisio/iStock/Getty Images

An opened can of tuna

Image Credit: horex/iStock/Getty Images

      The Recommended Diet Following Bariatric Surgery