The diet for gastric bypass patients changes throughout the recovery period. The eating habits of gastric bypass patients will be changed forever, creating a new diet for better health.

In the first few days post-operative, a liquid diet is enforced. This helps the digestive system heal and minimizes any strain on the surgical areas. Generally, when a patient is ready to leave the hospital, they are ready to advance to a pureed diet. Eating foods that are the consistency of baby food or apple sauce will help add some variety in flavors and nutrients without over-burdening the digestive system. It is important to avoid a blockage during this time, and pureed foods will be easily absorbed.

The soft-food stage applies for several weeks as a patient’s body completes the healing process. This stage can last approximately 8 weeks, but more variety of foods can be included. Some examples of soft-foods would be mild, flaky white fish, soft cooked vegetables, ground meats and many fruits. Once you can tolerate the soft foods, you will progress to your life-long diet.

The diet for gastric bypass patients should be high in protein; especially early on as protein helps bodies to heal after surgery. Along with eating healthy foods, it is essential to take nutritional supplements as less vitamins and minerals are absorbed from food. Portions are an important thing to understand after gastric bypass surgery. Initially, the stomach pouch can only handle an ounce or two of food per meal. This will increase over time to approximately one-half cup.

Gastric bypass patients must choose their foods carefully and plan their meals to achieve the most success from surgery. Foods that are high in fat or calories can cause digestive problems and because of the small amount of food that can be eaten it is important to make wise nutritional choices. For additional information on the gastric bypass diet and expectations, the Mayo Clinic has published an informative article to help patients establish healthy eating habits.