Dietary Guidelines: Post Gastrectomy

Following surgery to remove part of your stomach, your remaining stomach will hold less food and may empty more quickly into your small intestine. The rapid movement of food though your stomach may cause symptoms like cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness.

To minimize symptoms after stomach surgery, it is important to:

• Eat small, frequent meals
  o Eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day for a total of 6-8 meals and snacks
• Eat slowly, and chew food thoroughly
  o At first, ground or pureed foods (especially meats) and soft well cooked vegetables may be better tolerated
• Include a protein source at each meal or snack
  o Foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter are good sources of protein
• Choose whole grain products and avoid simple sugars
  o Include foods such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and cereals and limit pastries, cookies, cakes, candy, syrup, jam, ice cream and juice.
• Try adding fat and foods with soluble fiber to meals to slow stomach emptying
  o Examples of fats include margarine, vegetable oils, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and cream cheese. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as apples, oats, and beans.
• Avoid drinking liquids with meals
  o Have beverages between meals and don't drink within 30-60 minutes of each meal or snack

Recommended foods include:

• Food Group Recommended Foods
• Grains Unsweetened breakfast cereal, whole wheat bread and buns, whole grain crackers, brown rice, pasta, tortillas
• Vegetables All fresh, frozen and canned vegetables (soft cooked may be better tolerated the first few months following surgery)
• Fruits All fresh fruits, unsweetened frozen fruit, canned fruit without added sugar
• Dairy Milk, yogurt, cheese
• Protein Foods Meat, poultry, eggs, fish and seafood, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, soy foods
• Fats Vegetable oils, margarine, salad dressing, mayonnaise, cream cheese (emphasize unsaturated fat for heart health)
• Other Equal, Sweet 'n Low, Splenda, Truvia, sugar free jelly and syrups
• Beverages Sugar free drink mixes such as Crystal Light, diet lemonade, diet soda, unsweetened tea and coffee

Foods not recommended:

• Food Group Foods to Avoid
• Grains Sweetened breakfast cereal, pastries, cookies, cakes, sweet rolls, doughnuts
• Vegetables None
• Fruits Sweetened applesauce, canned fruit in syrup, juice and juice drinks
• Dairy Ice cream, pudding, chocolate milk
• Protein Foods None
• Fats Limit saturated fat and trans fats for heart health
• Other Sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, pancake syrup, jelly
• Beverages Regular soda, juice, sweet tea, lemonade, Koolaid, regular hot chocolate mixes

Example post-gastrectomy menu:*
Meal Foods and amount

• Breakfast
  1 egg, scrambled
  � banana
  1 slice whole grain toast with margarine and sugar-free jelly
• Snack
  1 no added sugar yogurt cup mixed with
  2 tablespoons chopped nuts
• Lunch
  2 oz. grilled chicken breast served on
  1 cup fresh spinach with
  1 oz crumbled feta cheese and
  2 tablespoons salad dressing
  6 whole grain crackers
• Snack
  1 string cheese stick
  6 carrot sticks dipped in
  2 Tablespoons hummus
• Dinner
  2 oz baked salmon
  1/3 cup brown rice
  � cup cooked broccoli
• Snack
  � apple, sliced, spread with
  2 tablespoons peanut butter
  
  * Beverages should be consumed at least 30-60 minutes before and/or after meals

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements:

• Following surgery to remove part your stomach, deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals are more likely to occur
• Depending on the extent of your surgery, your doctor may recommend supplementation of nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, and calcium
• Be sure to follow your doctor's recommendations to prevent nutrient deficiencies