Keeping the carbs low on a bariatric diet is sometimes not as easy as you might think. Bariatric dumping, as some of you learned the hard way, is not pleasant and a low carb diet can help you to avoid the symptoms.

Are Carbohydrates bad for you?

First carbs are not the devil! They are necessary in your diet and a source of energy. But too much of a good thing can definitely cause some health problems. Carbs are made of sugars, cellulose, and starches.

There are two types of carbs: simple and complex. The simple carbs breakdown easily and you digest them quickly. Because of this you get a fast burst of energy that quickly subsides. Complex carbohydrates require more digestion and provide a more sustained energy. They are found in vegetables and fruit and can aid in lowering cholesterol in some individuals.

You can still enjoy great tasting meals and not crave carbohydrates. Here is a bariatric diet recipe that is sure to please your taste buds and keep your carb intake low.

Easy Flounder Fillets Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound founder fillets, cut in the size you will serve
• 1 large tomato, chopped in bite size pieces
• 1/2 small red pepper, chopped (yellow or green peppers are good too)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves smashed and chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper (black or cayenne)
• 2 drops red pepper sauce (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with the oil or a non-stick cooking spray. Add the fish to the pan. Combine the remaining ingredients and toss to mix. Spoon this over the top of your fish fillets. Bake in the oven for around 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

This summer salad is light yet filling. Once you try it you’ll love it. This makes a great meal that even the pickiest of eaters should enjoy. If feta cheese isn’t one of your favorites try a different kind.

Ingredients for the Salad

• ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast. Grilled ones make it especially yummy.
• 8 cups of your favorite greens. We tried it with all spinach and it was delicious. Remember the darker the green the more vitamins it has and the better it is for y ou.
• 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds lightly toasted. Feel free to try sunflower seeds or pistachios.
• 2 ounces of crumbled feta cheese
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• ½ cup sliced red onions

Preparing the Salad

Put the greens in a large bowl. Slice up those tasty chicken breasts in bite sized pieces. Do the same with the strawberries. You can toast the almonds in a skillet or place in the broiler. Be very careful with this. There is a fine and fast line between perfect and burned. Crumble your cheese and combine all the ingredients in your salad bowl.

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup strawberries
• ½ teaspoon curry
• 2 mashed garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender and quickly puree them. Add garlic (optional) and process for a few seconds till blended. Add the remaining ingredients.

When you are ready to eat toss the salad with the dressing and you have a meal fit for a king.

Once you’ve had bariatric surgery, you can no longer eat as much as you used to, so you need to be carefully selective about what bariatric foods you do eat. Your weight loss diet nutrition needs to be well thought out.

This vegetarian recipe can be served as a side dish or turned into a main dish with some modifications you will find under “Variations.”

Bariatric Recipes: Zucchini, Asparagus, and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup zucchini – diced
1 cups broccoli – diced (you can use fresh or frozen)
1 cup asparagus, diced (remove the woody stems first)
2 slices low fat Swiss cheese (or substitute Provolone)
2 slices Mozzarella cheese
1 can reduced fat Cream of Celery Soup
1 cup nonfat milk or substitute powdered milk
1 tbl garlic powder
½ tbl onion powder
2 tbl grated parmesan to sprinkle on top
Salt and pepper to taste

<h3>Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees before putting the casserole into the oven.
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix gently so as to not break up the vegetables too much.
Put ingredients into a large, covered casserole and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling on the top.

Bariatric Nutrition Information

Serves 8
Calories: 140 Fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 15 Dietary Fiber: 6 Protein: 11
Net Carbs: 9

Variations and Notes

1)    You can substitute some other types of cheese for the Mozzarella, Swiss or Provolone, but stick to hard cheeses. For an entirely different flavor, you can use cheddar cheese.
2)    Substitute reduced fat Cream of Mushroom Soup instead of the Celery Soup, or add some fresh mushrooms to the base recipe.
3)    Add some rice to soak up some of the liquid that you will get from this recipe and turn it into a main course.
4)    Substitute or add other vegetables like cauliflower, spinach, or other zucchini-like summer squashes.

Your bariatric diet needs to be supplemented with high quality, pure bariatric vitamins. Due to the limited amount of food you can eat–even when you’re making the very best eating choices–you still may be lacking in some nutrients. Make sure you choose bariatric vitamins that are free from fillers and common allergens.

Though spicy foods may not be able to be an early part of your bariatric surgery diet, you should be able to comfortably eat spicy food again after your digestive system has had some time to heal. But if you haven’t had spicy food yet, try a little spice to see how your system will react.

Carne Asada literally means “roast beef”, but it’s actually closer to a Mexican barbeque style beef. It is delicious by itself, over rice, or as it’s more traditionally served – in tacos or burritos.

Ingredients:

• 3 fresh limes
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, run through a garlic press
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5lbs of flank steak or sirloin
• ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of mild salsa
• Green or red onion
• Small avocado (optional)

1. Make a marinade by squeezing the limes and adding the salt, and pepper into a bowl or baggy.  Do not add the oil. The marinade doesn’t need it!
2. Add the meat to the marinade mixture. If you’re ambitious and want more flavor, turn the meat several times while it’s marinating to make sure it is well absorbed into the meat.
3. Marinate for at least a half hour, but for the most flavorful carne asada, marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
   Grill or broil the meat, letting the fat drain off.
4. While the meat is cooking, slice the onions into longish slices and quickly grill or sautee in the ½ tsp of olive oil. If you use red onion, you can cook until the onion starts to carmelize. The green onions taste best if they are just lightly braised.
5. Serve with the onions, salsa, and garnish with avocado slices (or combine the avocado and salsa for a quick and easy guacamole.)

Makes 4 Servings

Bariatric Nutrition Information: 350 calories; 17g fat (5 g saturated fat); 13 g carbs; 38 g protein;