3 Worst Foods to Eat After Surgery from a Dietitian
If you have a surgical procedure coming up, you have probably been wondering what you should or shouldn’t be eating after your procedure. Many of the typical foods that are recommended are actually not the best for you and lack important nutrients.
In today’s article, let’s take a look at the three worst foods that you should not eat after any surgery and why with a plastic surgery dietitian. I will also include some examples of foods you should eat after surgery instead.
Do you have a plastic surgery procedure coming up? If so, my article on how to prepare for plastic surgery! It has a ton of tangible tips that you won't want to miss.
What are the worst foods to eat after any surgery?
1. Canned Soup
Canned soup unfortunately can be loaded with lots of sodium and saturated fats, and not enough protein and fiber. If you are wanting to heal your body from your surgery, most canned soups are not the best option to choose.
Canned soups also aren’t packed with nutrients like vitamins and minerals which can help your body heal after surgeries.
It is important to choose foods that are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals after your surgery to give your body the best chance at healing, and unfortunately, most canned soups don’t deliver those nutrients to your body.
2. Jello
You’ve probably heard that Jello is recommended to eat after your surgeries, but that is not true. Sure Jellos are easy to digest, but they have little nutrition that will help your body heal from the stress it went under during surgery.
Jello is mostly water, pectin, and sugar. There’s no protein or other vitamins and minerals so there’s nothing in Jello that will really build your body back up to optimal health after your surgery. There are so many more nutritious options that you can choose from!
3. Saltines
Just like the other two foods I listed, saltines provide no real nutritional value to your body to help you heal after your surgery. Saltines are pretty much just crackers that have lost their good nutrients like fiber.
Take my word for it… there are plenty of better options to choose from post-surgery.
Overall, I typically let my surgery clients know that…
These three foods are all empty foods that provide very little nutrition.
Your body is begging for nourishment after surgery- feed it!
There are healthier options after surgery that will not upset your body and still give it some macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) needed to heal.
Bone broth is delicious and nutritious. They are loaded with protein and other vitamins and minerals that will really help your body heal after any surgery.
You can either sip on bone broth by itself and still get almost 10 grams of protein, or you can pair it with noodles, protein, and veggies to give yourself extra nutrients to help you recover better.
You can purchase unsalted bone broth from:
Places like Target, Walmart, Kroger
Health food stores
Or you can make your own recipe! This is a homemade recipe that I recommended to give you the most bang for your buck.
Action tip #1: make a large batch of homemade bone broth and keep it in the fridge to have on hand after surgery.
2. Squeezable Food Pouches
It can be difficult to eat fruits and vegetables raw or even cooked after your surgery, but it is still important that you are consuming them because they are full of vitamins and minerals like Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and many many more nutrients.
An easier way to consume and digest fruits and vegetables is in squeezable food pouches.
A brand that I like to recommend is Sprout Organics. They have a variety of different fruit and veggie blends that will help you get the nutrients you need post-surgery.
3. Belvita Crackers
Crackers are a great snack for after surgery that can be easy to consume and digest, but there are better options than saltines, trust me!
Belvita crackers are a great option after your surgery because they have:
19 grams of whole grains
2 grams of fiber
4 grams of protein per serving
These types of crackers will keep you nourished after your surgery and help you stay on the path toward better healing.
Worst Foods to Eat After Surgery: Final Thoughts
Saltines, jello, and canned soup are not ideal for after surgery
There are many better food options to choose from that are packed with nutrients
Protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals can help your body heal after any surgery
Include foods such as bone broth, squeezable food pouches and Belvita Crackers.
If you need help coming up with a list of foods or recipes that will help you recover better after any surgery, reach out to me and let’s connected! For more information on how to recover from surgery, check out our website here.
**Free Recipe card and Kylie’s Monthly Tip Sheet included in every order**
NUTRISURGICAL VITAMIN POWDER (Vanilla)
Before + After Vitals is a surgeon-endorsed, all-in-one surgery nutrition powder designed to support your body before and after cosmetic procedures—so you can feel more confident about your recovery, incision healing, and overall nutrition.
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Preparing for cosmetic surgery
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Good to know: You can start at any point in your surgery journey—even if you’re weeks post-op. Scar healing can continue for up to a year after surgery.
Directions (how to use)
Take ½ scoop to 1 scoop daily
Max: 1 scoop/day
Use daily for at least 6 weeks post-op
Recommended protocol (best results)
We recommend 3 bags total for most surgeries:
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2 bags after surgery
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Allergy information
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