Nutrition and Recipes

As you continue to lose weight, it's important to develop and maintain healthy eating habits. The stomach pouch created by your surgery is a tool you'll need to become accustomed to so you can meet your weight-loss goals. Our dietitians in La Crosse, Wisconsin, focus on your weight-loss success by guiding you to nutritious food choices, and teaching you how to avoid snacking between meals

This nutrition overview provides a few quick tips to keep you on the right track:

Protein

Because your body can't store protein, it needs a constant supply to repair and replace tissues that become worn out or damaged. Therefore, you need to eat protein every day to refresh your body's basic protein needs. Aim for a minimum of 60–80 grams of protein each day. Bariatric surgery procedures reduce stomach capacity to a small volume. Therefore, protein-rich foods must be eaten with each meal to ensure the body gets enough to preserve lean muscle mass. We don't advise using high-calorie protein supplements or beverages. We recommend eating high protein-containing foods at the beginning of each meal. Lean proteins, such as fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat cottage cheese, are just a few good choices.

Vitamins and minerals

After bariatric surgery, you won't be able to eat the amount or variety of foods needed to meet recommended vitamin and mineral requirements through your diet alone. A high-potency multivitamin or mineral supplement with iron must be taken every day. Daily calcium and vitamin B12 supplements also are recommended to maintain adequate vitamin and mineral stores, and prevent anemia and osteoporosis. Some people require additional supplements after surgery. Your physician will determine your individual needs based on the results of lab work.

Sugar and fats

After bariatric surgery, a condition called "dumping syndrome" will occur if you eat foods that have greater than 10 grams of sugar and fat per serving. Symptoms of dumping syndrome include profound sleepiness, light-headedness, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate, cramping abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea. Avoiding foods or liquids with high sugar and fat content will help prevent dumping syndrome. Sweets, candies, fruit juice, soda, high-fat meats and fried foods are choices that may cause problems.

Nutritious recipes

After bariatric surgery, your meal portions are much smaller. Your new diet helps you progress with weight loss in a nutritionally sound manner to reach your health goals. Eating a variety of foods will help you obtain adequate protein, vitamins and minerals.

To help increase the variety in your diet, we offer a selection of recipes for you to enjoy. Many of our recipes were shared by other patients who have undergone gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or another weight-loss surgery. All of the recipes provided have been reviewed for optimal nutritional content.

Get the recipes (PDF).

Note: Recipes may need to be modified based on your own weight-loss surgery diet stage. If you have any questions about using the recipes offered here, please consult your health care provider.