If you have just gone through a gastric sleeve surgery, you’re now set on track for a completely new way of eating and thinking about food. Calory count, protein amount and other nutritious properties, portion size, even texture, and, of course, flavor, are all factors to consider when eating after a weight loss surgery.
Let us make all this easier for you with these 10 gastric sleeve recipe ideas. These are ideal for eating during your recovery period after surgery. These recipes have been ordered according to the recovery phase of your gastric sleeve surgery.
6 to 14 days after surgery
Broccoli cheese soup
4 servings, ready in 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of broccoli
- 1 small chopped onion
- 1 small sliced carrot
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 and a half tablespoons of flour
- 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup of cream or ½ a cup of milk
- ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a medium pot with medium heat.
- Sauté the onion and the carrot for roughly 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Add the flour and cook for one minute until the flour changes its color.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to boil.
- Reduce the flame and add the broccoli. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the broccoli is fully cooked and tender.
- Add the cream or milk, and the cheese.
- Stir constantly to avoid the milk or cheese to get stuck to the pan. Once the cheese is completely melted, your soup is ready.
This soup is a great gastric sleeve recipe that can turn into a stand-alone dish for patients, but it may also be served to the entire family as a side dish.
Thai carrot soup
4 servings, ready in 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of peeled and chopped carrots
- ½ a yellow onion, chopped
- 3 diced cloves of garlic
- 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup of peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- 1. Sauté the onion and garlic with the olive oil in a large pot.
- 2. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- 3. Add the vegetable broth and the water. Stir to mix and bring to boil.
- 4. Simmer for 20 minutes or when carrots are cooked and tender.
- 5. Once cooked, blend the mix.
- 6. Add the peanut butter and chili garlic sauce and blend again. The mix should be left rich and creamy.
- 7. Before serving, add seasonings as needed. You may use herbs or basil.
Go easy on the chili garlic sauce of this gastric sleeve recipe at first. Taste it constantly while adding the sauce to avoid any discomfort.
15 to 30 days after surgery
Sweet potato & salmon puree
9 servings, ready in 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 250 gr of skinless, uncooked salmon
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 cube of low sodium vegetable broth
- Salt
Instructions:
- Fill half a pot with water, add the vegetable broth cube, and bring to boil.
- Add the sweet potato to the pot and boil for 8 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked and tender.
- Lower the flame and add the salmon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the salmon is fully cooked.
- Once cooked, blend the mix. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Your creamy puree is now ready to eat.
- This gastric sleeve recipe could be modified to contain only sweet potato, which makes a delicious side dish in other meals.
Potato & avocado puree
4 servings, ready in 20 minutes Ingredients:
- 1 small potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 small avocado
- Salt
Instructions:
- Fill half a pot with water, add the potato and bring to boil. Boil for 12 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain the water and place the potato either in a bowl or a blender, depending on the thickness you desire.
- Add the avocado and the salt. Mash or blend the mix and your puree will be ready!
- As you might have already noticed, this gastric sleeve recipe is a crazy spin for mashed potatoes. The avocado adds an extra and much needed amount of protein to the recipe.
Second month
Chicken with avocado
3 servings, ready in 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 240 gr of skinless and boneless chicken thigh
- 1 small avocado
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Place a pan over low heat, add the olive oil.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add the chicken thigh to the hot pan with the olive oil. Cover and cook for 8 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked. Don’t wait to long; you don’t want the chicken to dry.
- Serve the chicken thighs with slices of avocado as side dish.
- You may replace the avocado with other vegetable, like steamed broccoli or zucchini, for this gastric sleeve recipe.
Tuna salad
5 servings, ready in 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can of tuna
- Non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
- ½ a tablespoon of agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- ¼ tablespoon of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients together and you’re all set and ready to eat!
This gastric sleeve recipe is high on protein in comparison with any other tuna salad.
Third month
Scrambled eggs with ham
1 serving, ready in 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- The whites of 3 large eggs
- Low sodium smocked turkey ham, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt
Instructions:
- Place a pan over low heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the turkey ham and egg whites to the hot pan with the olive oil. Season with the salt.
- Stir the mix with a medium to low flame for 3 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked.
This gastric sleeve recipe makes an excellent breakfast that could be shared with the entire family.
Crab salad
4 servings, ready in 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 255 gr of crab
- ¼ of medium red onion
For the dressing:
- Non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ¼ tablespoon of celery seeds
- ¼ tablespoon of dried dill
- ¼ tablespoon of grounded paprika
- ¼ tablespoon of lemon pepper
- Salt
Instructions:
- Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the crab with the red onion. Add this to the bowl of dressing and stir evenly. This gastric sleeve recipe is just so easy!
Fourth to sixth month
Chicken & quinoa salad
- 1 serving, ready in 5 minutes, considering all the ingredients are cooked
- Ingredients:
- 42 gr of cooked and shredded skinless chicken
- 2 tablespoons of cooked quinoa
- 28 gr of chopped avocado
- 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons of cooked edamame beans
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Salt
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and enjoy!
Chicken with garlic pepper & vegetables
4 servings, ready in 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 240 gr of skinless chicken breast, cut in small cubes
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
- 1 medium garlic clove, chopped
- ½ tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Place a pan over low heat, add the olive oil.
- Add chicken to the hot pan with the olive oil. Cook for six minutes in medium heat.
- Add the bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes more. Stir on occasion so the ingredients don’t stick to the pan.
- Serve and spread the hemp seeds on top.
Use these gastric sleeve recipe ideas as inspiration to create your own too! You can add them some spins in flavor or change some ingredients for another. Just don’t go overboard! Remember to always follow your doctor and nutritionist’s instructions and dietary plans.