Preparing For Surgery
Dietary guidelines to prepare for surgery (pre-op diet)
Basic dietary guidelines
1: Take up to 3 glasses of low fat milk per day which gives you 20g of protein daily. This may be in the form of a low carb shake.
2: Eat non-starchy vegetable intake as much as you can take. These may be cooked or taken as salads and includes carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce.
3: Balance your protein intake. You can have ¼ – ½ cup chicken, fish, eggs, cheese per day, either baked or grilled.
4: Avoid fried foods and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas or beans.
5: Set your meal timings. Do not skip meals.
Dietary goals
- Total calories per day = <1000 calories
- Protein per day = 90 grams
- Carbohydrates per day = <50 grams
- Low incidence of adhesion & obstruction
Allowed | Avoid |
All non starchy Vegetables | Starchy Vegetables |
½ CUP COOKED PROTEIN (baked or grilled) | Potato |
Chicken, fish, beed | Corns |
Eggs | Peas |
SEASONINGS/FLAVOR | Beans |
2 tbsp low carb dressing (<3g carbs) | Added Sugars |
All non starchy Vegetables | Glucose |
1 tbsp Soy Sauce | Fructose |
1 tbsp Oil (olive or canola ) | Sucrose |
Spices or Fresh herbs | Molasses |
Artificial Sweeteners | Honey |
Sucral | High fructose corn syrup |
Splenda | Syrup |
Stevia | Agave Nectar |
Clear Liquids (Drink a lot) | Sugar |
Water | High Carbohydrate Food/Drink |
Broth (any flavor) | Bread |
Sugar-free: gelatin, popsicle, water | Fruit/ fruit juices |
Decaffeinated unsweetened iced tea | Rice |
Decaffeinated coffee | Cereal |
Sugar free flavored water | Chips |
Full Liquids | Cookies |
Skim or 1% milk | Sugar |
Unsweetened plant based milk (almond, soy, coconut, flax, cashew, etc.) | Regular soda |
Pre op sample menus
SAMPLE 1:
1: Breakfast
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder
2: Midmorning
½ cup non starchy vegetables with calorie free beverage
3: Lunch
1 cup eggnog (low fat milk) and 2 cups of leafy vegetables salad with ¼ cup chicken boiled and 2 tbsp dressing
4: Evening
½ cup non starchy vegetables and 1 cup clear broth
5: Dinner
¼ cup lean meat or fish baked with seasoning and 1 cup steamed non starchy vegetables
6: Bedtime Snak
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder
SAMPLE 2:
1: Breakfast
2 eggs with 1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder
2: Midmorning
½ cup non starchy vegetables with calorie free beverage
3: Lunch
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder and 2 cups of leafy vegetables salad and 2 tbsp dressing
4: Evening
½ cup non starchy vegetables and 1 cup low fat milk
5: Dinner
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder and 1 cup steamed non starchy vegetables with2 tbsp seasoning
6: Bedtime Snak
1 cup clear broth
SAMPLE 3:
1: Breakfast
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder
2: Midmorning
½ cup non starchy vegetables
3: Lunch
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder and 2 cups of leafy vegetables salad with ¼ cup chicken boiled and 2 tbsp dressing
4: Evening
¼ cup grilled chicken with 1 slice cheese
5: Dinner
1 cup Milk (low fat) +2 tsp almond powder and 1 cup steamed non starchy vegetables with seasoning or 2 cups raw vegetables salad with 2 tbsp dressing
6: Bedtime Snak
½ cup non starchy vegetables and 1 cup clear broth