Stage 3 Solids: Eating After Gastric Bypass: A Fantastic Menu Plan

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When do you start Stage 3 solids? What should you eat when you have started stage 3? Here you will find a list of stage 3 food ideas following bariatric surgery

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Stage 3 Solids: Eating After Gastric Bypass

When you are entering phase 3, you are bringing solid foods back into your diet. You want to make sure you are eating the right food in the right amounts.

When Do You Start Stage 3

After you have gastric bypass you have to reintroduce foods in a slow, methodical way. This is done for many reasons including letting your new pouch adjust to foods and helps you to lose maximum weight. Typically, you will start Stage 3 solid foods at 8 weeks.

What are the foods like on Stage 3 Solids

Approximate portion size is a small side plate. Food should be of a solid consistency, this means to eat you should need to use a knife and a fork or pick the food up. Use a small amount of milk on cereals. Soups should contain chunks of ingredients. Lift your meat, chicken or fish out of the cooking sauces before serving and use sauces sparingly. Meals should always contain protein and fruit or vegetables. Carbohydrate foods are optional.

What are Stage 3 Solids Food Ideas

You might be wondering what a meal looks like when you have started stage 3 solid foods. Here are some simple meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast

• 2 poached eggs on 1 small wholegrain slice of toast
• 2 small egg mushroom omelette
• 1 poached egg with 1tbsp baked beans
• 30g breakfast cereal; Bran Flakes, Fruit & Fibre, Special K, Minibix
• 2tbsp rolled porridge oats or oat bran cooked with reduced fat milk
• 1 small slice of wholemeal toast with 2tbsp baked beans
• 2  wholegrain crackers or oat cakes with Marmite, low fat cheese spread or reduced sugar jam
• 2tbsp mixed chopped fruit with 1tbsp reduced fat yogurt or quark
• 1 low calorie cereal bar / pack of breakfast biscuit  e.g. Special K, Weetabix

Lunch or Light Meal Ideas 

• Low fat cheese omelette with salad
• 3 wholemeal crackers spread with low fat cheese or hummus and cucumber strips
• ½  wholemeal tortilla wrap filled with hot chicken strips, lettuce leaves and sliced cucumber
• ½ wholemeal pita pocket filled with lean ham, lettuce leaves and sliced cucumber
• Bowl of homemade chunky soup with small wholemeal roll or 3 crackers
• Small bowl of hot or cold pasta with a variety of vegetables and Quorn pieces, mixed beans, prawns,  tuna or chicken strips
• ½ wholemeal pita filled with 1/4 avocado, 2tbsp tinned salmon and crammed with salad
• 1 small jacket potato filled with low fat cottage cheese, lean mince chilli con carne, baked beans, prawn low fat mayonnaise, or tuna and sweet corn with low fat mayonnaise
• Spanish omelette made with 2 beaten eggs, chopped peppers, red onion and sliced small new potato served with mixed salad
• Smoked salmon pepper noodles (rice noodles or egg noodles – mixed with cooked onions, mange tout, soy sauce, bean sprouts and topped with smoked salmon)
• 1 egg, scrambled then mixed with a matchbox size of cheese and served on 1 toasted wholegrain bread with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms
• Homemade vegetable soup 
• 1 small bagel spread with extra light cheese and topped with smoked salmon or prawns and salad
• 1 low calorie cup-a-soup plus 1 mini pita filled with wafer thin ham, turkey, beef and 1 tsp low fat mayo and crammed with salad
• 2tbsp baked beans on 1 slice wholemeal toast
• Egg mayo sandwich – 2 small slices of wholemeal loaf with low fat mayonnaise
• 2- 3tbsp couscous or bulgur wheat mixed with variety of vegetables, soy sauce, Worcester Sauce, prawns, tuna or Quorn pieces

Dinner or Main Meal Ideas

• 2 small low fat meat or vegetarian sausages, grilled and served with ½  small sized sweet baked potato plus unlimited vegetables or salad and 1tbsp of tomato salsa
• Chicken or fish fillet with couscous (season 1 small chicken breast or fish fillet with salt and pepper then grill, steam or microwave). Serve with 3tbsp couscous, plus unlimited salad or vegetables and 2tsps sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney
• 1 lean pork fillet , grilled, served with 1 small sweet potato and unlimited vegetables and low-fat gravy
• 2 lamb chops with roasted tomatoes, green beans and small jacket potato 
• Salmon fillet (pan fried with olive oil) with stir-fried onions, peppers, fresh ginger, mange tout and a splash of soy sauce
• 2 good quality low fat sausages (ideally no skin) with small tin or 2tbsp baked beans and 1 poached egg
• 1 small chicken fillet cubed or Quorn chunks and skewed onto skewers with alternate onions, peppers, mushrooms etc. grilled and served with 2tbsp couscous or bulgur wheat and 2tbsp natural yogurt or dip.

Once you have gotten used to what type of foods you can eat and what a meal looks like during stage 3, you can get creative and create you own meals that work with this stage.

About Angela Milnes

Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!