Post Op Diet question - vegetarian options
- Thread starter akemper05
- Start date
dianeseattle
Member
These are legitimate protein sources. I was a vegetarian for almost 4 years and I literally bought a 50# bag of soybeans because they're so easy to use in recipes. I used to make a soyburger with mashed soybeans, an egg to use as binder, and various dried grains like oats or crushed seeds, whose name I can't remember. Also garlic, finely grated onion and fresh minced parsley. You can shake in some dry ranch dressing (tiny amt.) or anything else in your pantry that works.
You definitely want to soak the beans overnight because they are hard as rocks. But they're the only dried bean I've ever eaten without putting in a hamhock or salt pork or bacon and they still tasted fabulous.
This was like, 50 years ago and I was a vegetarian all through my pregnancy. My son was 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 21.5 inches long. The doctor said he looked like he was a month old when he was born, he was so big and healthy. He's now 6'2" and thin and muscular and gorgeous. He was a vegetarian too, because that's all I fed him, cereals, fruits and vegetables. He wouldn't eat eggs and still doesn't. But he loved milk so he got a lot of milk-based food.
There's a small nutritional difference between fresh green beans and dried legumes, which grow on roots rather than on stalks.
That's some of my advice, but do a lot of research online. It's really worth the time and effort. Oh, and don't forget garbanzo beans which you turn into falafel. I swear, I'd kill for a good falafel, and it doesn't even have to be in a pita pocket. You can top it with yogurt instead of sour cream, although fat-free sour cream should be just fine. Also, you can make falafel tacos. You can make adjustments using italian spices and then dump the meatballs into plain pasta sauce.
This isn't a vegetarian group, but other members here may be of help. Still, I'd look online for vegetarian support groups and I'll bet you'd find tons of delicious recipes. After I went back to eating meat, it was actually pretty icky compared to soy dishes.
Oh, and soybeans are the prominent recipe ingredient in many Asian dishes, so I'd look for those, too.
Beans are actually a great resource, found in many cuisines, and conveniently canned in many instances, so you can really put something delicious together quickly. Being a vegetarian seems extreme to a lot of people who've never tried it. There's a great cookbook, Laurel's Kitchen, with a lot of meatless recipes in it. It's kind of amazing how good food is when it's not polluted with meat.
Oh, I used to make tempura using veggies. I made a regular tempura batter but I added a little cornstarch to it, which made it super crispy.
Yeah, I could go on and on, but check the internet. Then check with your bariatric team or nutritionist to make sure these are things that are allowed for you. I was what they call and ovo-lacto vegetarian, meaning I allowed eggs and dairy. Strict vegetarians are vegan, and won't eat any animal products. Still they wear leather shoes and belts and purses, so...... who knows what a pure diet based solely on vegetables would be like? I don't.
missyinacage
Member
Off topic but .. Vegan leather is the best marketing campaign ever. Its still Pleather lol
Beans are fine. As Dianne stated to make sure you wash them and soak them to soften the skin. Makes them easier on digestion and less likely for gas which is very uncomfortable. Green leafy or stringy vegetables run through me faster than I can eat them. (Lettuce, spinach etc) cooked potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, peppers, onion, garlic, squash, eggplant etc all go through well.
dianeseattle
Member
I'd say your question sounds more like you're addressing a compulsion than a real dietary restriction. How many bananas or servings of fruit are you eating, or want to eat, in a day? Is snacking an issue for you? This would be a really good question for a dietician or nutritionist, and I don't know if you've had surgery yet or just weighing the possible results. Personally, I try to confine myself to three meals and no snacks, since snacking was a big issue for me before surgery. However, others here have shared that they eat 5 or 6 times a day, but the portions are small. It's just what they feel they need in order to feel good.
Fruit has calories, like any food, and even though this isn't a diet group, I think it's important to be aware of how many calories you consume, and the types of food, liquids or fats you get those calories from. I believe bananas are higher in calories per ounce than apples are, for instance, but sugar is sugar, whether it's sucrose or fructose or glucose. A lot of people have drastic responses to sugars.
I hope you'll get professional advice about this. It looks like you're new to this group, so I don't know anything about your journey, and would never advise you, since nutritional advice falls loosely under medical advice. This thread began as curiosity about vegetarian choices, and I responded above, if you're interested in that.
Would you mind sharing your story with the group? We are very welcoming here and I'm sure there are many ways we can offer you support. Just feel free to start a new thread and we'll go from there!
missyinacage
Member
OMG I love popcorn!! So, yes. But, I personally would await until you're at least 6 months out. Popcorn is sharp and doesn't digest completely. Those sharp bits that get caught in your teeth could theoretically be a problem until you are fully healed.
My hubs has diverticulitis and cannot eat popcorn, as it causes pain and damage.
My hubs has diverticulitis and cannot eat popcorn, as it causes pain and damage.
dianeseattle
Member
I have a popcorn hack that works for me. I spray it with PAM instead of using butter, and it's made in the microwave in a paper bag so no oil is used to pop it. It really works for me. I don't even like stovetop popcorn any more. PAM is vegetable oil in a can and sometimes it's butter-flavored, which makes me nervous about how they get it that way, but spraying it for a few seconds while tossing it to cover satisfies me.
But Missy's right. It can get stuck among the intestinal villi and that can be a huge problem, so you might try a different salty snack to munch on.