Healthy Recipes
For Your Pre and Post Op Weight Loss Surgery

Lentil and sausage soup

Lentil and sausage soup is a bariatric diet staple

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces fully-cooked chicken sausage, sliced into rounds (Chicken breast can be used a substitute if sausage is unavailable)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups French lentils, picked through for stones, and rinsed
  • One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.
  3. Remove the sausage to a plate.
  4. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the drippings in the pot and cook, stirring, until soft and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  7. Add the lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, 8 cups of water and the sausage.
  8. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.
  9. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Deen.

Chia seed protein pudding

Vanilla chia seed protein pudding is a sweet treat after bariatric surgery

  • Ingredients:
    • ¼ Cup of Protein powder (Vanilla, Strawberry or flavor of choice)
    • 1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds
    • ½ Cup of Milk (Milk of choice)

    Directions:

    1. Mix together non-dairy milk, chia seeds and protein powder in large bowl, pudding should be liquid at this point, as it will become a pudding like consistency while setting
    2. Cover and allow your pudding to sit overnight to allow chia seeds to expand
    3. Mix pudding, add favorite topping and enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Quinoa

Blueberry Lemon Quinoa is a filling breakfast

  • Ingredients
    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 2 cups nonfat milk
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1/2 lemon, zested
    • 1 cup blueberries
    • 2 teaspoons flax seed

    Directions

    1. Rinse quinoa in a fine strainer with cold water to remove bitterness until water runs clear and is no longer frothy.
    2. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir quinoa and salt into the milk; simmer over medium-low heat until much of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
    3. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir maple syrup and lemon zest into the quinoa mixture. Gently fold blueberries into the mixture.
    4. Divide quinoa mixture between 2 bowls; top each with 1 teaspoon flax seed to serve.

Baked Tofu

Baked Tofu can be anything you want as a bariatric patient

  • Ingredients
    • 1 pound tofu, sliced into 8 even pieces
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons agave nectar
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or to taste

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
    2. Gently press tofu pieces to release as much water as possible. Arrange tofu on the prepared baking sheet.
    3. Whisk soy sauce, agave nectar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger together in a bowl until marinade is evenly combined. Brush half of the marinade over tofu pieces.
    4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip tofu and brush remaining marinade over tofu. Sprinkle sesame seeds over tofu. Continue baking until tofu is crisp, about 30 minutes more. Transfer tofu to a wire rack using a spatula; cool.

Chickpea Patties

Chick Pea Patties are a great way to have a burger after bariatric surgery

  • Ingredients
    • 1 carrot ( medium size grated)
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 (19 ounce) cans chickpeas
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • salt & pepper
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tablespoons plain flour
    • oil (for frying)

    Directions

    1. Peel the carrots, grate them coarsely and set them aside.
    2. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
    3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them into a food processor with the garlic, ground spices, salt and pepper. Slightly process to obtain a rough paste then add the carrot, egg, and flour and process briefly until evenly mixed but slightly rugged.
    4. Heat the oil in a frying pan and divide the mixture into 8. Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden, then drain on kitchen paper.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

  • Ingredients
    • 1 cup raw cashews (we use Planters regular cashews, can substitute almonds if desired)
    • 1⁄2 cup water
    • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 8 cups fresh tomatoes, cut into eighths (Roma/Plum tomatoes work best) around 3 lb
    • 4 cups  low sodium and fat free chicken broth( you can use vegetable broth)
    • 1⁄2 cup fresh basil
    • 1/2 tea spoon dry oregano
    • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Place cashews in a bowl and add the water which should just barely cover the nuts. Let them soak for 20-30 minutes or longer.
    2. In a medium-large pot, add the olive oil and the onions over medium heat. Sprinkle with pepper, oregano, salt and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the broth into the pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, add in the basil.
    3. Pour the cashews and the water into the jar of a blender and puree on high until the cashews have turned into a thick cream. Transfer to a bowl.
    4. Working in batches, add the tomato soup mixture to the jar of a blender and puree on high. When all of the soup is pureed, transfer it back to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Using a wire whisk, whisk the cashew cream into the soup and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Healthy Snacks!

  • Low fat mozzarella cheese stick or Light Babybel cheese
  • 2 slices of deli meat rolled with 1 slice low-fat cheese
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese with 1/4 cup fruit
  • 1/4 cup hummus with veggie sticks
  • 1 hard boiled egg or a healthy deviled egg recipe (using low-fat mayo)
  • 1/4 cup dry roasted edamame or soy nuts
  • Protein bar (less than 200 calories, 15-25 grams protein, less than 15 grams sugar)
  • Beef jerky or turkey jerky
  • 1/2 Apple with 1 Tbsp of nut butter
  • 1/2 Apple with 1 oz. of cheese
  • 3 in. banana with 1 Tbsp of nut butter
  • 1/4 cup hummus with raw vegetables
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt