Instead of writing a load of recipes for the pureed food phase of the post-gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy) diet (pureed food does not LOOK all that attractive in photos! lol), I have decided to list some ideas, based on the food I’m eating over this two-week phase. I will keep adding ideas as I try more foods!
For the most part, I am trying to plan meals for me and my husband that I can just puree and eat alongside him, so there is no need during this phase to constantly cook different meals for yourself.
Also remember that when you move onto pureed food from your liquid diet, some foods may initially ‘get stuck’ on the way down and you may feel uncomfortable as a result. If that is the case, try them again a week or so later to see if it’s any easier.
Bangers and (sweet potato) mash
I cooked a delicious sausage in onion gravy (best to use a high-meat content sausage so you’re not filling yourself up with ‘fillers’ put into the sausage meat. I particularly love ‘Heck 97%’ gluten-free sausages.).
For the onion gravy, I browned a red onion cut into wedges in a bit of spray cooking oil, then made up the gravy with a Knorr Onion Gravy Pot and water.
I also cheated and bought ready-made sweet potato mash. Once the sausage was cooked, I blitzed the sausage with a bit of gravy and a couple of pieces of onion, served on the side of the sweet potato mash, then poured a little bit of the gravy (no onions) over the top. It was DELICIOUS!
Smashed avocado (breakfast, but not only!)
I took a very ripe avocado, mashed up half of it with a fork, adding a drop of lime juice, a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, and a drop of extra virgin olive oil.
Make sure you chew any remaining chunks really well and eat it nice and slowly.
Slow-cooked lamb shank with red wine, garlic and rosemary
I have made little cuts in the lamb shank and placed chunks of garlic into them, then sprinkled dry rosemary over the entire shank (it’s even nicer with fresh rosemary – just insert some sprigs into the cuts with the garlic).
I then seasoned generously with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, browned in a hot non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil and placed it in a slow-cooker. I then de-glazed the pan with a small bottle of red wine, which I poured over the lamb in the slow cooker.
Once the lamb was cooked, I made gravy with the juices, cornflour, gravy browning and some chicken stock. To serve, I blitzed some gravy, a small and very tender piece of lamb, and a tiny amount of cooked vegetables (carrots & broccoli), and served it alongside some mashed potato.
Chicken liver paté
It’s really simple to make a low-fat, nutritious chicken liver paté. Here is my recipe, which is also reflux-friendly. The beauty of chicken liver paté is that it is rich in protein and iron – both essential after bariatric surgery.