What to eat in the soft food stage?

[Happy Stylist 86]

I'm just a few days away from getting to finally eat food, 🙌. So what do y'all recommend? I know I can have scrambled eggs, can tuna, can chicken and refried Beans. I'm so over this liquid diet and I'm ready to plan a meal lol. Also, right now I can drink my weight in liquids. Will eating be different? Will I get fuller faster? I'm just trying to get a idea of how I'm might feel after actually eating.

[liveaboard15 1,293]

I started out with that exact stuff... Let me tell you one small pouch of tuna took me about an hour to eat. Just eat slow, Chew chew chew. and yes you will get full quick. 1 chicken egg scrambled is like two meals for me. I add like 2 oz of turkey sausage to my scrambled eggs.

[Vivis 40]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO POST ABOUT. I have the SAME questions as you. Here are my thoughts/questions:

I'm 1 day shy of A WHOLE MONTH of the liquid diet. Tomorrow is my 2 week post op check up and I'm ASSUMING that's where my doctor will HOPEFULLY move me to the stage 2 soft food stage.

I'm allowed to eat:

• "Chopped, ground or pureed soft moist" meats, poultry and fish (I WAS LOOKING AT GROUND TURKEY AND GROUND chicken, I HADN'T THOUGHT OF TUNA! WHAT OTHER SOFT MEATS ARE THERE? DELI MEATS?)
• Tofu
• Scrambled eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Low-fat soft cheese (IS THIS THE BAYBEL CHEESE CIRCLES? WHAT OTHER CHEESES ARE SOFT?)
• Cooked vegetables without strings, seeds or skin (WHICH VEGGIES ARE THESE? CANNED VEGGIES SEEM LIKE AN EASY IDEA. BUT WHAT FRESH VEGGIES? POTATOES? CARROTS? ZUCCHINI? CUCUMBER?)
• Canned or soft fresh fruits (WHAT FRESH FRUITS? BANANAS?)
• Cream of wheat or oatmeal

[ShoppGirl 4,739]

Looks like you guys have it mostly covered. The one thing by I will add is that pre op I only liked mahi on occasion and post op I love it. And now I like salmon too so even if you didn’t love fish pre op you may like it post op.

[Happy Stylist 86]

23 minutes ago, Vivis said:

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO POST ABOUT. I have the SAME questions as you. Here are my thoughts/questions:

I'm 1 day shy of A WHOLE MONTH of the liquid diet. Tomorrow is my 2 week post op check up and I'm ASSUMING that's where my doctor will HOPEFULLY move me to the stage 2 soft food stage.

I'm allowed to eat:

• "Chopped, ground or pureed soft moist" meats, poultry and fish (I WAS LOOKING AT GROUND TURKEY AND GROUND chicken, I HADN'T THOUGHT OF TUNA! WHAT OTHER SOFT meats ARE THERE? DELI MEATS?)
• Tofu
• Scrambled eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Low-fat soft cheese (IS THIS THE BAYBEL CHEESE CIRCLES? WHAT OTHER CHEESES ARE SOFT?)
• Cooked vegetables without strings, seeds or skin (WHICH VEGGIES ARE THESE? CANNED VEGGIES SEEM LIKE AN EASY IDEA. BUT WHAT FRESH VEGGIES? POTATOES? CARROTS? ZUCCHINI? CUCUMBER?)
• Canned or soft fresh fruits (WHAT FRESH FRUITS? BANANAS?)
• Cream of wheat or oatmeal

My soft foods start at 3 weeks. 🥺

[Happy Stylist 86]

I'm such a picky eater. This stage is going to be hard for me.
I wasn't sure if we could have ground turkey at the soft stage. I'm thinking that's around 5 weeks for me.

[Happy Stylist 86]

20 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

Looks like you guys have it mostly covered. The one thing by I will add is that pre op I only liked mahi on occasion and post op I love it. And now I like salmon too so even if you didn’t love fish pre op you may like it post op.

I like tuna but I'm not a fan of fish. Guess I'll find out if that changes for me soon.

[liveaboard15 1,293]

18 minutes ago, Happy Stylist said:

I'm such a picky eater. This stage is going to be hard for me.
I wasn't sure if we could have ground turkey at the soft stage. I'm thinking that's around 5 weeks for me.

I literally had ground turkey yesterday with scrambled eggs. and i am 3 weeks post op. Tho follow your surgeons recommendation.

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,579]

3 hours ago, Vivis said:

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO POST ABOUT. I have the SAME questions as you. Here are my thoughts/questions:

I'm 1 day shy of A WHOLE MONTH of the liquid diet. Tomorrow is my 2 week post op check up and I'm ASSUMING that's where my doctor will HOPEFULLY move me to the stage 2 soft food stage.

I'm allowed to eat:

• "Chopped, ground or pureed soft moist" meats, poultry and fish (I WAS LOOKING AT GROUND TURKEY AND GROUND chicken, I HADN'T THOUGHT OF TUNA! WHAT OTHER SOFT meats ARE THERE? DELI MEATS?)
• Tofu
• Scrambled eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Low-fat soft cheese (IS THIS THE BAYBEL CHEESE CIRCLES? WHAT OTHER CHEESES ARE SOFT?)
• Cooked vegetables without strings, seeds or skin (WHICH VEGGIES ARE THESE? CANNED VEGGIES SEEM LIKE AN EASY IDEA. BUT WHAT FRESH VEGGIES? POTATOES? CARROTS? ZUCCHINI? CUCUMBER?)
• Canned or soft fresh fruits (WHAT FRESH FRUITS? BANANAS?)
• Cream of wheat or oatmeal

What is an example of soft cheese?

Common types of soft cheese are feta, Brie, ricotta, cream cheese, Camembert, Chevre, Roquefort, and gorgonzola, and – of course – cottage cheese. All these cheeses have a special tangy creaminess that no other food imparts. Soft cheese is un-ripened cheese made by coagulating casein (milk proteins) with acid.

ALSO

Which soft cheese is healthiest?

One ounce of regular mozzarella cheese contains about 80 to 90 calories, 6 to 7 grams of Protein and 5 to 7 grams of total fat. However, all types of mozzarella cheese, even whole-milk mozzarella cheese varieties, are naturally lower in fat and calories compared to cheeses such as cheddar and Colby.

Here are 5 cheeses to try next time you go grocery shopping:

1. Cottage Cheese: A white curd cheese that is a light flavor, it mixes well with both sweet and savory ingredients. Mix it with fruit in the morning or top off a bowl of Pasta and Tomato sauce for a light dinner. Cottage cheese is high in phosphorous that aids in bone health and it contains all 9 amino acids. It comes in a variety of types: regular, low fat and nonfat. Low and nonfat are recommended since they contain less fat. While it has various nutritional benefits, it is high in sodium and portion size is key. A one four-ounce serving size of low 1% milk fat cottage contains 81 calories, 1.15 grams of fat and 459 mg of sodium.

2. Goat Cheese: Most popular in France and Spain, this white creamy cheese can be found soft or hard and has a tart flavor. Easier to digest than cow products, goat cheese can be a great alternative for people who are intolerant to cow’s milk. Goat cheese is packed with flavor. Use it in moderation — a little goes a long way. Toss into salads, top off roasted vegetables or add into a fruit salad. Goat cheese is low in calories, fat and has less sodium than feta. One ounce of soft goat cheese contains 76 calories, 6 g of fat and 130 mg of sodium.

3. Swiss: A hard cheese that is full of flavor. Swiss is a great lunch alternative to higher fat sandwich cheeses like provolone and cheddar. Chop up slices to use in a Cobb salad. Swiss is high in Vitamin A and low in calories, fat and sodium. One ounce contains 112 calories, 9 g of fat and 53 mg of sodium.

4. Parmesan: Originally from Italy, Parmesan has now become a household name. A dry cheese, it is easy to grate and has a salty, nutty flavor. Toss into salads, on pasta or to top off risotto. Portion size is important. While Parmesan contains Vitamin A and is low in fat, it still contains a fair amount of sodium. One ounce of Parmesan contains 112 calories, 7 g of fat and 337 mg of sodium.

5. Part-Skim Mozzarella: Whole milk, part skim — what is the difference? Part skim has less fat in it and is the healthier choice. Another Italian favorite, mozzarella, mixes well in almost any dish. Grate it or melt it. Part skim fresh mozzarellas contain less sodium than hard mozzarellas. Mozzarella is packed with minerals and Vitamins, low in both fat and sodium. One ounce of mozzarella contains 99 calories, 5.8 g of fat and 200 mg of sodium.

What vegetables are soft?

Vegetables: (very well cooked, baked, scalloped, pureed, casseroles, soufflé)

Avocado.

Broccoli (heads only)

Potato (white or sweet)

Carrots.

Peas.

Beans.

Squash.

Turnips.

What meats are soft?

any moist, tender meats, fish, or poultry (lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, tender beef, liver stewed pork), eggs, creamy Peanut Butter

Edited May 10, 2022 by SleeveDiva2022

[Arabesque 7,193]

Soft foods are pretty easy & you have quite a wide choice. Anything that is slow cooked will work. Think, casseroles/stews, Soups. Mince dishes were an easy go to: bolognese (no spaghetti), savoury mince, meatballs, chilli, etc. Anything with a sauce or gravy. Scrambled eggs, rolled oats (instant at first then in solids you can try traditional oats), yoghurts, string cheese, omelettes. Poached/steamed white flesh fish.

I threw a lot of vegetables, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, cauliflower, etc. into the slow cooked dishes so they were a bit mushy. I avoided starchy root vegetables (except carrots) as they weren't on my list of allowed foods. As long as you don’t need to bite into them, you’ll be ok.

Many struggle with chicken breast as it’s too dry. Give thighs a go. They are more tender & tastier. Otherwise, you can give any meat a go as long as you can cook it until it is soft & break apart tender & moist. So no steak but beef mince is great.

The only issue will be what your tummy & tastebuds will tolerate.

Check your plan or with your dietician for what foods you can or can’t eat too at this stage.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Arabesque

[lizonaplane 1,612]

13 hours ago, Happy Stylist said:

I'm such a picky eater. This stage is going to be hard for me.
I wasn't sure if we could have ground turkey at the soft stage. I'm thinking that's around 5 weeks for me.

I was allowed to have ground meat at soft foods, but check with your surgery center. I am 8 months out and I still eat a lot of ground meat because it's easier for me to eat.

I ate a lot of sugar free Greek yogurt, refried Beans, cheese, eggs, chili, fish, etc.

Your nutritionist should be able to give you some ideas, but one thing I found is that I didn't like eating for the first few months after surgery, even though I was hungry. It hurt to eat and food didn't taste good. I just did it anyway.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

Ricotta Bake was a fave.

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517

[kcuster83 1,504]

I ate a lot of ground turkey taco meat with refried Beans.

[FutureSylph 377]

I ate a LOT of hummus during that stage.

[Splenda 257]

I ate a lot of avocado. Tons of healthy fats, very easy to mash up.