A light diet

A light diet consists of simple, light and easily digestible food without any roughage (pips and peels), fatty, strong spices or gas forming foods.

When should a light diet be followed?

1. After a Hiatus Hernia Repair.
2. Gastritis with Nausea, Diarrhoea and Vomiting.
3. Gastric Complications e.g. a Peptic Ulcer.
4. Recovery Post General Surgery to the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT).  Any surgery to the GIT function and the nutritional status of the patient.  Usually one starts on a clear fluid diet and progress to a full fluid diet and later to the light diet.

General Guidelines



1. Better food preparation methods include: poaching, roasting, grilling, steaming, and boiling instead of deep fat frying.
2. Avoid having large meals.  Rather have three smaller meals with regular, healthy snacks in-between.
3. Chew your food thoroughly and take your time when eating.
4. Include food on the avoid list one at a time to monitor if you can tolerate it.
5. Do not smoke or use alcohol.
6. Have your meal in a relaxed environment.
7. Have moist foods.
8. If food sticks, stop eating, relax and allow time for food to clear.

Dietary Advice



 

Following the surgery, swallowing may be difficult as a result of swelling around the oesophagus (food pipe).  It may take a month or more for swallowing to feel normal again with all foods.

Try to drink water to wash the food down, if that fails, try some soda water.  If food remains stuck, contact the hospital ward or your surgeon.

Any allowed food can be liquidized should the whole food cause any discomfort.



 

For use during Constipation

1. Purity prune.
2. Safari prune juice.
3. Benefiber powder.







The Avoid List

1. Highly Spiced Foods (avoid for 6 weeks).
2. Hard Biscuits.
3. Cake.
4. Rice.
5. Fresh Bread.
6. Grilled and fried Meat, especially Steak, Chicken, unless pureed, minced or finely chopped.
7. Aerated Drinks (Soft Drinks, Milkshakes - unless Soda Water is required to relieve blockage).

Four stages of diet are advised.  In each stage, when swallowing feels normal, you can move on to the next stage.

 

Stage 1: for 2-5 days

Fluids and semi-fluid items only

  These should be smooth with no lumps.

1. Water, Juice, Cordial (not Soft Drinks).
2. Milk - plain, flavoured (no Milkshake).
3. Ice-Cream, Custard, Jelly.
4. Tea, Coffee (not too hot).
5. Soups (strained or finely pureed).
6. Food pureed to a thin consistency (no lumps).
7. Gravy, White Sauce (no lumps).
8. Yoghurt (Plain, Vanilla or Honey - not with Seeds or pieces of Fruit).
9. Potato, Pumpkin - (finely mashed).

Stage 2: for 1-2 weeks

Mashed and very soft foods only

  Soft lumps that can be mashed with a fork.

1. Fruit - Fresh Fruit (soft and ripe) tinned or stewed (soft or pureed).
2. Vegetables - well cooked, pureed, mashed or soft.
3. Porridge, Breakfast Cereals such as Weetabix, Rice Crispies, Cornflakes, well softened with Milk or hot Water.
4. Pasta (Spaghetti, Noodles) well cooked, soft.
5. Eggs - soft Boiled, Poached or Scrambled.
6. Pureed Meats, pureed Chicken - It can be made with a Gravy in a thick Soup, or served with mashed / pureed Vegetables.
7. Fish - fresh (remove all the bones) or canned Tuna, Salmon (mashed, no bones).

Stage 3: for 1-2 weeks

Light foods with more texture

  Chew well.

1. Salads.
2. Biscuits.
3. Tender meats, stews and mince.
4. Chicken - minced or finely chopped.
5. Toast.
6. Alcohol in small quantities if desired.

Stage 4: Gradual return to normal eating

 

Gradually add in firmer foods.

Try the food in the avoid list in small amounts one by one.  Chew these foods well.  After four weeks, you should be able to eat a full range of foods. 

But be advised to:

Continue with small meals and between-meals snack if you need to satisfy your appetite rather than large meals.

Continue to chew all foods well.

 

If you can not eat a proper diet after about four weeks, please contact your surgeon's secretary as your surgeon may wish to see you earlier than planned.

 

Food Suggestions according to the stages

 

Stage 1  Food Suggestions

Breakfast:

Juice, Tea / Coffee, Smooth Yoghurt, Milk, Custard and Jelly.

 

Lunch:

Juice, Cordial, Custard, Ice-Cream, Jelly, strained Soup, Gravy, White Sauce, Tomato Sauce, finely Mashed Potato and Pumpkin.

 

Dinner:

Juice, Coffee, Tea, Jelly, Ice-Cream, strained Soup, Mashed Potato, mashed Carrot or Swede, White Sauce and Gravy.

 

Stage 2  Food Suggestions

Breakfast:

Porridge or softened Cereal with Milk and Sugar, soft boiled Egg.

 

Lunch:

Pureed or mashed Fruit, pureed Meat with mashed or pureed Vegetables, smooth Soup, mashed Tuna or Salmon with Noodles and White Sauce.

 

Dinner:

Pureed braised Meat, Mashed Potato, pureed Vegetables, poached Fish fillets with White Sauce, pureed or mashed Fruit, and Custard.

 

Stage 3  Food Suggestions

Breakfast:

Any of the above, Baked Beans, Tomato Cheese and Toast with Spreads.

 

Lunch:

Any of the above, Cheese, Salad, Soft Fruit, Tinned or fresh, Soup, tender braised Meat and Vegetables, creamed Corn, canned Spaghetti, Fish Mornay, Lentils and Legumes (well cooked).

 

Dinner:

Any of the above, Meat Casserole, Pasta with Bolognaise Sauce, steamed Fish, Cottage Pie, well cooked Vegetables, soft Fruit (fresh or tinned).

 

Between meals snack ideas

Stage 1

Milk (plain / flavoured), Smooth Yoghurt, Cordial and Juice.

Stage 2

Soft or mashed Fruit, Custard.

Stage 3

Ripe fresh Fruit, Cheese and Biscuits.

 

If you have any enquiry, please contact your GP surgery.

 

Very important, below is a guide of suggested food, all the food that is underlined should be avoided by Diabetics.

 

Food Group with the food allowed and not allowed while following your light diet.

 

Milk

Food Allowed

Low fat / fat free Milk and Milk Products.

Smooth Yogurt or with fruit allowed e.g. Banana.

Ideal Milk, Sour Milk, Ice Cream and Sorbet.

 

Food not allowed

Full Cream Milk, Ice Cream or Yogurt with pieces of Fruit not allowed.

 

Legumes, Poultry and Meat

Food allowed

Liver and Kidneys.

Chicken and Turkey without skin.

Soft or minced Beef, Mutton, Pork and Veal.

Red Lentils and Split Peas.

 

Food not allowed

All fatty, fried and strong flavoured Meats, Bacon, Biltong, Sausages, Processed Meats e.g. Viennas, Salami, Polony, Ham, crumbed Chicken or Fish, Chicken with skin.

Dried Peas and Beans e.g. Soy, other Lentils, Baked Beans.

 

Fish

Food allowed

Tuna and Sardines in Brine, drained Pilchards.

Any fresh or frozen Fish - not smoked.

 

Food not allowed

Tuna and Sardines in Oil.

Crumbed, Curried and Smoked Fish.

 

Cheese

Food allowed

Mozzarella, Edam, Gouda, Mild Cheddar, Cream- or Cottage Cheese.

 

Food not allowed

Strong flavoured Cheeses e.g. Camembert, Roquefort and strong Cheddar.

 

Eggs

Food allowed

Any, Boiled, Scrambled, Poached or Omelette.

 

Food not allowed

Fried Eggs.

 

Bread

Food allowed

Day old White or Brown Bread / rolls.

Rye Bread without Seeds.

Cream Crackers, Marie Biscuits and Provitas.

 

Food not allowed

Freshly baked, warm Bread Rolls / Baked products.

Salty Biscuits e.g. Bacon Kips.

Whole Meal / Raisin or Seed Bread.

 

Grain products

Food allowed

White Rice, Spaghetti, Macaroni, Noodles, Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes without skin.

Sifted Maize meal, Oats (sifted if not tolerated), Malta Bella.

Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies, All Bran, Weetabix and Pro Nitro.

 

Food not allowed

Potato Chips.

Wheat products containing Bran / Coconut e.g. Hi-Bulk Bran, Fruitful Bran, Shredded Wheat and Muesli.

Bran.

Whole meal products e.g. Wheat, Brown Rice, Malt and Pasta.

 

Fruit

Food allowed

All fruit juices except Pineapple and Citrus (diabetics dilute juice).

Ripe Bananas, Papaya, Avocados, grated Apple, Pears, Peaches, Litchis, Watermelon and Melons.

Raw - without pips and peels.

Baked / cooked fruit without the skin may be tolerated better.

Fruit puree and tinned Pears, Apples, Apricots and Peaches.

 

Food not allowed

Pineapple and Citrus juice.

Dried fruit (dried or cooked) and Raisins.

Granadilla, Guava, Kiwi Fruit, Pineapple, Berries, Grapes, Plums, Naartjies, Oranges, Apricots, Figs, Dates, Grape Fruit and Oranges.

 

Vegetables

Food allowed

Cooked, tinned or soft vegetables: Carrots, Baby Marrows, Gems, Spinach, Asparagus, Green Beans Hubbard Pumpkin, Butternut and Baby Peas.

Vegetable juice e.g. Carrot Juice.

 

Food not allowed

All raw, gas forming and strong flavoured Vegetables: Sweet Corn, Radishes, Egg Plant, Tomato, Cucumber, raw Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Green / Red Pepper, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage and Green Mealies.

 

Oils and fats

Food allowed

Use sparingly.

Smooth Peanut Butter, Cream and Light Mayonnaise, Butter and Margarine.

 

Food not allowed

All fatty or fried food: Nuts, high fat Gravy, Chunky Peanut Butter, Salad Dressing and Mayonnaise.

 

Soups

Food allowed

Creamed / Clear Soup with Pasta, home made Soups with only allowed ingredients.

 

Food not allowed

Soup that contains foods to avoid e.g. Bean / Onion or Tomato Soup.

Strongly flavoured Soup.

 

Fluids

Food allowed

Game or Lucozade.

Milky drinks, weak Tea or Coffee.

Choose Caffeine free drinks.

 

Food not allowed

Any form of alcohol.

Strong Tea and Coffee, Fizzy Drinks, very cold or hot Drinks, rich Chocolate Drinks e.g. Milo and Cocoa.

 

Cakes, Deserts and Sweets

Food allowed

Sugar, Honey, Jelly Sweets, boiled Sweets, smooth Jam, Turkish Delight, Marshmallows and smooth Chocolate.

 

Food not allowed

Waffles.

Pastries, Pies and Tarts.

Peppermints and Jam containing peels and pips e.g. Marmalade.

Rich Cakes or Puddings.

Any Desert / Cake or Biscuit containing Coconut, Nuts, Raisins or Dried Fruit.

 

Gravies / Sauces and Spices

Food allowed

White Sauce, lightly flavoured Cheese Sauce, smooth Tomato Sauce without Herbs and Spices

Cinnamon, Parsley, Pimento, Thyme and Sage.

 

Food not allowed

Marinades and Chutney.

Meat Gravy, commercial Tomato / Soy / Worcester and Chili Sauce.

Spicy food, Garlic, Cloves, Nutmeg, Atchar, Vinegar, Curry, Mustard and Pickled Food.

 

Other foods

Food allowed

Bovril, Marmite, Fish Spread and Fray Bentos.

 

Food not allowed

Cocktail Onions, Gurkins, Sesame Seeds, Popcorn, Olives and Peanuts.