Dietary advice for patients after bariatric surgery
| Eat 3 meals daily without skipping meals. |
| Portions should be ¼ to ½ cup per meal but may gradually increase. Stop eating as soon as you feel full. |
| Eat only nutrient-dense food. Avoid foods high in sugar and fat. Read labels carefully! The goal is less than 3 or 4 grams of sugar per meal. For every 100 calories, there should be no more than 3 grams of fat. Protein intake once patients reach a healthy weight is typically 0.8 to 1 g/kg per day, averaging 60 to 80 grams per day. |
| Include protein with every meal. Protein powder or nonfat dried milk can be added to foods to boost protein content. Consume 60 to 80 grams of protein each day. |
| Limit fat. For every 100 calories consumed there should be no more than 3 grams of fat. |
| Eat slowly, 1 bite every 2 minutes. Use a stopwatch or an egg timer to pace yourself. |
| Chew! Chew! Chew! Foods should be chewed until they are the consistency of applesauce. |
| Advance your diet slowly and introduce new foods in small amounts. |
| No fluids with meals. Avoid drinking liquids 15 minutes before meals and 30 to 60 minutes after meals. |
| Drink at least 64 ounces of decaffeinated fluids daily. |
| Avoid alcohol. It is dehydrating and adds calories with no nutrients. |
Based on Mechanick JI, Youdim A, Jones DB, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient—2013 update: cosponsored by American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Obesity Society, and American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis 2013; 9:159-191.