Post-Surgery Diet Restrictions

One of the big changes after Monday's surgery will be my restrictive diet (thank goodness it's a temporary change...I am Italian after all, and food is life and love all rolled into one delicious bite).

Here is a list of foods I can eat for the 4-6 weeks following surgery. Gary is an awesome cook - so if anyone has any great recipes out there, please send them along! Everything that I am allowed to eat is listed below.

Low-Fat, Low-Fiber Diet (aka mostly boring food)

Fats = low-fat or non-fat of the following items: margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, sour cream, cream cheese

Fruits = canned fruits, applesauce, a ripe banana, fruit cocktail

Meat and Meat Substitutes = tender beef, pork and lamb that are well-cooked and trimmed of any visible fat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat tofu

Veges and Potatoes = well-cooked or canned vegetables without skin, lettuce, carrots, beets, asparagus tips, white potatoes without skin, string beans, tomato sauce

Soups = reduced-fat bouillon, broth

Beverages = coffee (THANK GOD), tea, apple or grape juice, cranberry juice

Milk Group = 1% or skim milk, low-fat peach flavored yogurt, low-fat ice cream without chocolate or nuts, low-fat cheese, low-fat pudding made with skim milk (no chocolate)

Breads = white bread or rolls without nuts, coconut or dried fruit; saltines, Oyster crackers, Graham crackers, waffles, pancakes, animal crackers, rye bread without seeds

Cereals and Grains = refined cereals such as Rice Krispies or Special K, farina, cream of wheat, white rice, grits, regular pasta, couscous

Deserts = low-fat plain cakes and cookies, gelatin, sherbet, hard candy, marshmallows, jellies or jams without seeds

Even eating from the above list of foods, I must stay under 40 grams of fat and 12 grams of fiber a day.

There are certainly some obvious meals: pancake with a ripe banana and a tablespoon of low-fat margarine; pasta and tomato sauce with asparagus tips; mashed potato with skinless chicken and string beans...but we are talking six weeks, 5 small meals a day = 210 meals to plan, so any creative recipes or snack ideas will be very, very welcome!