Post surgery - dinner recipe suggestions?

[momhappy]

Any recipe suggestions for someone who is recovering from gastro/colon surgery? They are eating solid food, but the food needs to be fairly bland. I would like to fix them dinner, but I'm at a loss for ideas, so any suggestions would be much appreciated

 

[kenny]

If they like fish, this fish is the least 'fishy' fish I've ever had.
No yucky fishy smell or taste whatsoever.

Thaw one boneless/skinless/individually-wrapped fillet in the refrig or in a sink of water.
After thawed, cut into large cubes.

Heat some oil in a pan.
Toss in a bit of garlic or onion, if desired.
Add whatever veges and seasoning you like.
Add a bit of water and cook down a few minutes to preference.

Toss in cubes of fish, cover, and cook a few minutes at med-high heat stirring often.
Serve over brown rice.

Fast, cheap, easy and very nutritious.

Personally I go heavy on the onion, garlic, ground pepper and curry powder, but that's not for your recovering patient.

 

[momhappy]

Thanks kenny!
I tried to search recipes specifically for people recovering from similar surgeries, but I was still having a hard time finding anything decent. I think lean proteins (like fish) is a good idea and I could tailor it to meet their needs.

 

[chemgirl]

Not sure about colon surgery, but I have colitis and when I'm in a flare I do best with chicken ane rice soup, sweet potatoes, fish, and overcooked veggies. Basically bland, comforting, and low in fiber.

Tonight I had parchment paper sole with cauliflower and asparagus. Basically put fish, veggies, some herbs (used thyme) and butter on a roughly heart shaped piece of parchment paper. Crimp the edges to make a packet (start at the pointy part of the heart) and bake on 400 for 20 minutes.

Really not sure about post surgery requirements, just saying that this kind of stuff is bland and easy to digest.

Edit:. Sometimes butter doesn't work well with digestion for me and I use a bit of olive oil and about a teaspoon of water.

 

[Dancing Fire]

How about tofu?

 

[monarch64]

Pasta with a very mild sauce (I'm thinking just a little butter and a bit of Parmesan) would work well. I would steer clear of garlic and/or spices, period. So, maybe a "fancy" pasta to make the dinner seem a bit less like post-surgery food and more like a real dinner, and like DF mentioned, you could make tofu with chicken or vegetable broth for flavor as well. A sweet potato or carrot puree might be nice to lend color and additional nutrients. Twice-baked potatoes without too much cream or additives would probably also be a welcome comfort food.

Do NOT make corn/corn on the cob. That stuff is almost indigestible. When my dad had one of his first colon cancer surgeries, the surgeon found an entire pocket full of undigested corn in his digestive tract. Also keep in mind that animal proteins take much longer to digest than plant based foods, and most doctors recommend staying away from meat/poultry/pork for some time post-op.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Cauliflower rice with green beans and chicken.

Take a big bag of frozen cauliflower and microwave it until it's heated through. Pour into a food processor and process until you have a rice consistency. You can add butter salt and pepper, I also add garlic powder. You can make this as bland as you need to.

Sauté green beans and some pre cooked grilled chicken strips (I get mine from Costco frozen). Mix it all together. I cook with generous amounts of avocado oil and grass fed butter but you can really adjust to suit your needs and this is quick, green beans take the longest but even then it only takes 15-20 minutes.

 

[momhappy]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for all of the suggestions so far

 

[monarch64]

All these suggestions really are great. One thing stands out to me, though: butter and oil or any fat--I'm not sure that's the greatest thing to have in one's diet after trauma to the gi tract/colon? I could be wrong and of course I am not a doctor, but I am thinking I remember reading or having someone tell my family that a lot of oil/fat isn't great at this stage of the game? Sorry, not trying to detract from anyone's suggestions. Just a thought/point to consider.

Also--some of these ideas sound easily adaptable to a regular diet and could be delicious no matter what!

 

[azstonie]

Tofu is high in fat, I think.

BRAT diet at first: Bananas, white rice (rinse well in colander before cooking), applesauce, and toast.

Frequent *small* meals for awhile.

Get high quality probiotics in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods or Sprouts to repopulate that gut. I've had great success with Garden of Life Raw Probiotics (85 billion live cultures, 33 probiotic strains). ConsumerLabs tested and approved, btw.

Good luck and dust to the patient.

 

[azstonie]

Re fat: If you go too low fat from your preop diet you can really irritate your gallbladder. Very painful.

 

[Gypsy]

Get a cedar plank, soak in water. Pick a nice fish (not talapia, its a trash fish) with firm white flesh and plank grill it, season with salt and a little garlic powder. Zucchini brushed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper grilled with it. If rice is okay, serve with nice quality white rice cooked in chicken bone broth, you can add some chopped chives or scallions in for a little texture and color. Very simple and easy on tummy.

 

[chemgirl]

The comment about the BRAT diet reminded me that digestion and healing are really unique to the individual.

My mom is all over me about the BRAT diet, but bananas and applesauce just about kill me.

When in doubt ask the lucky recipient what has been working for them food wise and make something using similar base ingredients (example sometimes chicken can be hard to digest but turkey might be ok).

Edit again re fat/oil. Vegetable based oils usually work better than butter or animal fat. When I can't stomach oil for any length of time I make myself eat avocado and broth (not together ewww). You need some fats!

 

[VRBeauty]

Jook, aka rice porridge or congee. It's basically rice cooked in chicken broth until it breaks down to a porridge consistency. Great if you have some homemade chicken broth in the freezer. You can start with raw rice, but I speed the process up a bit with a small carton of white rice from a nearby Chinese restaurant. If the patient can tolerate meat, poach and shred some chicken to add to the jook. The very best topping is a sprinkling of fried shallots, but canned deep fried onion pieces will do in a pinch (if your friend can tolerate deep fried foods at this point - I know I can't when my stomach acts up.)

 

[azstonie]

Second rice congee, it truly works.

 

[missy]

Get a cedar plank, soak in water. Pick a nice fish (not talapia, its a trash fish) with firm white flesh and plank grill it, season with salt and a little garlic powder. Zucchini brushed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper grilled with it. If rice is okay, serve with nice quality white rice cooked in chicken bone broth, you can add some chopped chives or scallions in for a little texture and color. Very simple and easy on tummy.

Yes I wanted to add this fact about Tilapia. It is not generally a good/healthy fish to eat. It depends where you are getting it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/science/earth/02tilapia.html?scp=1&sq=tilapia&st=cse&_r=0

http://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2011/05/the-troubles-with-tilapia-americas-new-favorite-fish-.html


Here is a reputable website offering some other better fish choices.
http://seafood.edf.org


Gypsy, I love cedar plank grilling.

Momhappy you have received some good suggestions here. Wishing your friend easy healing and full recovery.

 

[Gypsy]

Missy, it's wonderful,way to add flavor to fish isn't it? I find slightly thicker cuts of fish are best for planking. I like a nice snapper, yellowtail, or (my favorite) butterflied trout. I have the most fabulous fishmonger here in our new town. If you have a good one, ask for recommendations. I am not generally a salmon fan but fresh king salmon very simply topped with a mixture of fresh dill (tarragon is good too if you prefer) and this mustard on a plank is heaven (salt and pepper fish before putting mustard mixture on). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorfer_L%C3%B6wensenf

 

[missy]

Missy, it's wonderful,way to add flavor to fish isn't it? I find slightly thicker cuts of fish are best for planking. I like a nice snapper, or (my favorite) whole trout with herbs and garlic in the cavity. I have the most fabulous fishmonger here in our new town. If you have a good one, ask for recommendations. I am not generally a salmon fan but fresh king salmon very simply topped with a mixture of dill and this mustard on a plank is heaven (salt and pepper fish before putting mustard mixture on). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorfer_L%C3%B6wensenf

That sounds delicious Gypsy, thank you for the recommendation. We have a seafood coop near us at the Jersey Shore that we used to go to often and we have to start going back there. This summer is flying by.

I am a big fresh king salmon fan. I also love fresh bluefish though we have not had it at all yet this summer. Lots of people don't care for bluefish but if you get it fresh and avoid the fatty tissue and dark meat (elevated mercury) it is delicious. The key is it being fresh.

 

[momhappy]

The patient is recovering okay and doesn't really have any dietary restrictions at this point except for the usual things you might want to avoid for gastro/colon issues. I'm thinking of doing some sort of modified chicken and rice meal. The suggestions so far have been great and they should allow me to come up with something that works well for the patient and their family.