Perfect Low-Sugar Smoothies

 

I know so many new post-op patients find the fluid and soft food stages of eating after WLS really quite challenging. Although they are short, they do test the taste buds since the range of foods does seem quite limiting. Many advisors advocate drinking the odd smoothie or two during this time – it helps with hydration, nutrition, fibre and general well-being (there’s something seemingly very good about sipping a smoothie). That said, many of us also caution against the high sugars in many of these concoctions, especially the ready-made versions lurking in every supermarket chill cabinet. Many have, as their foundation, a glut of sugar-laden fruit which isn’t advised post-op in large volumes. That’s not to say that smoothies should be avoided but just carefully considered. 

 

Once of the simple answers is to make your own – that way you can monitor the levels of sugar and balance out the nutritional and consistency

to suit your needs at any particular stage. Make thin smoothies (diluted with mineral water if liked) and sieved of seeds in the early full fluid stage;  slightly thicker ones for the soft and puréed stage; and finally thin, thick or even chunky for the final ‘food for life’ stage. The other is to balance the fruits with vegetables and any dairy component.

 

The guide below from angeleshealth.com is a great instant reference to the basics and there are 5 good recipes to get started …