When you are discharged from the hospital, you should follow the clear liquid diet for 5 to 7 days. After that, you will be able to move on to the next stage of full liquids. You need to follow the liquid diet to protect the staple lines that created your new pouch and to prevent vomiting. A full liquid diet includes foods that you cannot see through, and you must be able to pour them off a spoon.
Guidelines
- All liquids should pour off a spoon. No lumps or bumps. The food should be able to pass through your pouch without causing discomfort or vomiting.
- Make sure your full liquids are sugar-free and low-fat to prevent nausea.
- You may not feel hungry most of the time and find it difficult to eat even three times a day.
- Your servings should be about 2 to 4 tablespoons per meal. Use standardized measuring spoons to determine portion sizes.
- Eat your meals slowly. Allow 20 to 30 minutes per meal.
- Drink water or zero calorie fluids throughout the day. Your goal is 48 fluid ounces per day, working up to 64 fluid ounces per day.
- NO straws. You can suck up too much air and cause discomfort. Sip, sip, sip!
Allowed Foods
- Fat free or 1% milk
- Smooth yogurt without pieces of fruit
- Lite soymilk, lite almond milk, lite cashew milk, etc.
- Canned creamed soups made with non-fat or 1% milk
- Thinned, drinkable mashed potatoes (thin with chicken, vegetable, or beef broth)
- Canned broth-based soups run through the blender – no lumps or bumps
- Protein supplement drinks – limit 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving
- Thinned and watery hot cereal such as Cream of Wheat, Farina, Cream of Rice, or oatmeal that went through the blender – must be drinkable
Flavoring Ideas
- Sugar substitutes
- Vanilla, strawberry, almond, coconut, or butter extract
- Crystal Light or other sugar-free flavored drink packets
- Broth
- Fat-free creamer or sugar substitute
- Tomato or vegetable juice (limit to 6 fluid ounces per day)
- Sugar-free gelatin
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice
- Thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, or onion powder
- Packaged gravy mix
- Thinned sugar-free yogurt or plain non-fat yogurt
- Light drinkable yogurt
- Sugar-free popsicles
Between Meal Liquids
These must be less than 10 calories per 8 fluid ounces:
- Water
- Diet Gatorade
- Crystal Light
- Zero calorie flavor mixes
Sample Meal Plan for Week 2 Full Liquid Diet
Breakfast
1½ teaspoons of dry Cream of Wheat made with 4 fluid ounces of fat-free, 1%, or light soymilk
Snack
4 fluid ounces of protein drink made with fat-free, 1%, or light soymilk or a protein shake
Lunch
2 to 4 tablespoons of low-fat creamed soup
Snack
4 fluid ounces of protein drink made with fat-free, 1%, or light soymilk or a protein shake
Dinner
2 to 4 tablespoons of thinned, drinkable mashed potatoes
