NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR LAP-BAND ® PATIENTS

Recommended Foods and Beverages

First week after surgery. You will be on a clear liquid diet. Clear liquids include clear broth or soup (with no vegetables or meat and not creamy, jell-o, fruit juice (no nectars). water, tea, coffee.

• Coffee, tea, diluted fruit juice
• Broth
• Blenderized soup
• Skim milk or Lactaid milk
• Jell-O, Popsicle’s
• Yogurt
• Sugar Fee pudding
• Cottage Cheese
• Applesauce, oatmeal, grits, cream of wheat
• V-8 low sodium
• Protein drinks, carnation instant breakfast, pure pro powder (no slim fast)
• Soft fruit (banana, melon)
• Cooked vegetables and fish
• Eggs
• Anything with the consistency of baby food

Certain foods MUST be avoided. These foods have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value. These empty-calorie foods should be left out of your healthy diet. Sugar and foodstuffs containing large quantities of sugar such as high calorie soft drinks, syrups, cakes, biscuits, sweets, jam, marmalade, honey. High fat foods including chocolate, chips, pies, pastries. Alcoholic drinks should also be avoided as much as possible. These are drinks such as beer, wine, liquors, port, sherry, cocktails, champagne.

Remember!

It is important to: Eat slowly. Chew food well. Don't drink during meals. Drink liquids 30 minutes before or at least 60 minutes after meals. Stop eating when you are full. Eat three meals; avoid snacking. Sip low-calorie beverages between meals. Select a balanced diet. Exercise regularly for successful weight loss after Adjustable Gastric Banding surgery, a change in your eating habits is necessary. The operation alone is not a cure--it is not magical. You will not be able to lose as much weight as you like if you eat continuously, or if you stretch your stomach by eating large amounts of food at one time. You will achieve your desired weight loss only if you are willing to control what you eat, and the way in which you eat it.