After the first month of weight loss surgery, most people can eat various foods and digest most items well. This period is when it is a good time to fine-tune your diet and follow a macronutrient-dense meal plan that can be sustained long-term.
We recommend a post-op diet that is high in protein and has a moderate amount of healthy fats and carbohydrates from whole foods.
Protein is the building block of muscles and taking enough protein daily is essential to maintain muscle mass.
Calorie and Macronutrient Goals
- Calories: 1000-1200
- Protein: 75g-105g (35%)
- Carbs: <100g (25%)
- Fats: 30-45g (40%)
- Sugars: <25g
- Fiber: >20g
Bariatric Surgery Foods to Focus On
Here is a list of foods you should focus on to reach your macronutrient goal and calorie intake. There is a section below with more natural foods if you have specific dietary needs.
Approved Macronutrient Dense Foods
The recommended foods that you should focus on include;
- Lean meats
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Vegetables (fresh and fermented)
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Sweet potato
- Pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, chia seeds)
- Ezekiel bread
How Much Should You Eat?
Everyone tolerates a different amount after surgery. Usually, this can range from about 2 ounces per meal up to 9 ounces per meal. It is normal to be able to eat slightly more in volume as time passes.
AVOID OVEREATING: These sample meal plans are based on 6-ounce meals. If 6 ounces feel like too much for you do not force yourself to eat more. The most important rule is to eat the amount that feels comfortable for your body.
You should not feel nauseous or uncomfortable after eating. If you do experience nausea, you are probably eating too much at one time you are eating too quickly.
Learn More: 13 Ways to Stop Nausea and Vomiting
Bariatric Macronutrient Meal Plan
You should work with a bariatric nutritionist or registered dietitian to build a personalized dietary plan that fits your lifestyle.
Sample Meal Plan #1:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 oz cooked veggies, 1TB fat (butter, oil, or 1/2 small avocado) OR 1⁄3 cup rolled oats cooked in 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk, after cooking mix in 3 TB flavored protein powder
Snack: protein shake
Lunch: 3 oz protein, 2 oz veggies, 1TB fat (such as butter or oil), or 2 TB salad dressing
Snack: 15 almonds OR 1 Triple Zero greek yogurt OR 1 cheese stick and 1/2 cup berries
Dinner: 3 oz protein, 1TB fat, 2 oz vegetables, beans OR 1/2 cup beans, 2 oz vegetables, 1TB fat
Sample Meal Plan #2:
Breakfast: Protein shake, up to 1⁄2 banana (optional)
Snack: Cheese stick
Lunch: 3 oz lean protein, 1⁄4 avocado, 2 oz cooked vegetables, beans, or whole-grain
Snack: 15 Almonds
Dinner: 3 oz lean protein, 2 oz non-starchy vegetables, 1TB oil or butter Snack: Triple Zero Greek yogurt, 1⁄4 cup berries
Sample Meal Plan #3:
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice Ezekiel bread, 2 oz vegetable, 1TB fat
Snack: Protein shake
Lunch: 3 oz protein, 2 oz vegetable, 1TB fat
Snack: 15 almonds or 1⁄2 cup berries and cheese stick
Dinner: 3 oz protein, 2 oz vegetable, beans, fruit, or whole grain, 1TB fat
Sample Meal Plan #4:
Breakfast: Protein smoothie: Blend 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1⁄2 banana, 1 handful spinach, 1⁄2 cup plain greek yogurt, 1TB almond butter, 3⁄4 cup water, ice (optional)
Lunch: 3 oz lean protein, tofu, or beans; 2 oz vegetables; 1TB oil, butter, or 1⁄4 avocado
Snack: 15 almonds
Dinner: 3 oz lean protein, tofu, or beans; 2 oz vegetables; 1TB oil, butter, or 1⁄4 avocado
Natural-Foods Macro Meal Plan
Here is another great diet for bariatric patients which is similar to the above but has an even more natural approach.
Here are the components that must be followed:
Non-starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, and peas do not fall in this category)
- Unlimited
- Must eat at least one pound each day
Pickled or fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, pickles, giardiniera, kimchi, other)
- Unlimited
- Must eat at least ½ cup a day
Lean animal protein (chicken, seafood, turkey, beef, pork):
- 2 servings of 3-4 ounces a day
- Can count eggs toward ounces (1 egg = 2 ounces)
- No sausage, bacon, hot dogs, or other processed meats
- Look for organic proteins with no hormones or antibiotics
Fruit
- Unlimited berries
- Up to 2 additional fruits a day (any variety)
Nuts and seeds (choose 1)
- ¼ cup seeds
- Up to ½ cup nuts a day (raw or dry roasted w/o oil)
- 1 medium avocado
Beans
- ½ cup or up to to 1 cup a day
Fats
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or butter a day
Optional (May choose 1 option a day only)
- Plain greek or Goat milk yogurt: up to ½ cup a day
- Sheep or goats milk cheese: feta, manchego, goat cheese, pecorino, or Roquefort: 1 ounce a day
- Sweet potato, Quinoa, buckwheat, or amaranth: ½ cup cooked(up to 3x week)
Unlimited
- Unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, water, unsweetened tea, vinegar, stevia, herbs, spices, non-starchy vegetables, fermented vegetables, berries, and shirataki noodles
Not Allowed (Forbidden Bari-Diet Foods)
- Artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, dairy milk, juice, and anything else not listed
Sample Meal Plan #1 – Natural Foods
Breakfast Smoothie: ½ cup goat milk yogurt blended with ¼ avocado strawberries and a frozen banana, spinach, 1 cup cashew milk, ice
Snack: ¼ cup roasted almonds
Lunch: Salad: 4 ounces chicken, chopped vegetable salad, ¼ avocado, 1 Tbsp EVOO/1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Snack: Soup (vegetables and ¼ cup beans in broth)
Dinner: 3 ounces salmon with giardiniera and ¼ cup white beans
Sample Meal Plan #2 – Natural Foods
Breakfast Omelet: 2 egg omelet cooked in 1 TB butte, vegetables, 1 ounces goat cheese
Snack: a bowl of mixed fruit
Lunch: Bean (½ cup) and vegetable soup in broth
Snack: ¼ cup pistachios
Dinner: lean ground beef (3 ounces) and bean (¼ cup) chili with vegetables and side of pickles
If you enjoyed these meal ideas, check out these Bariatric Dinner Recipes!
Related Resources:
What about when you workout as in intense cardio (Spinning) and weights
If you are trying to build muscle, you will need to increase your protein intake and caloric intake. If you do increase your caloric intake, but you are still trying to lose weight you need to make sure caloric output is greater than caloric intake