We can’t be perfect all the time, so I’m sharing my lunches and pointing out where I can improve. Keep in mind that I am 18 months post-op RNY. Remember that we are all different, so everyone should be following the plan set out by your nutritionist and/or surgeon.

Bariatric Friendly Alternatives

Salad Greens

Salad greens are always a good choice, especially a mix of greens with a variety of colors.

Alternative: None

The Added Veggies

All good decisions. Together they total 40 calories and every bite was delicious and nutritious. I do suspect that the entry in MyFitnessPal for grape tomatoes should be 10 or so calories higher.

Alternative: none

Salad Dressing

Trader Joe’s Cranberry, Gorganzola and Walnut dressing is tasty, relatively low in calories and covers a lot of salad with less dressing.

Alternative: Lower calorie dressings can save almost 50 calories

Walnuts

Nuts are high in calories, but they are good for you. That have a decent amount of protein and other beneficial nutrients. Keep the portion size down.

Alternative: Walnuts are higher in calories so a smaller portion might have been wiser.

Cheddar Cheese

I rarely add cheese to my tossed salads but today I didn’t have any chicken, tuna or other high protein option so I splurged.

Alternative: Cheese is high in calories, but it does have a decent amount of protein. To save calories try fat free or regular feta cheese or cottage cheese.

Personal Observation: I felt queasy after this lunch, not because of the ingredients, rather I was hungry and in a hurry — I blew past my own rules for eating slowly. I ate big bites quickly, didn’t chew enough, didn’t set my fork down and finished lunch in record time – reminder to self, listen to your own advice.