After your surgery you will be on liquids only for few weeks. You may find it a struggle to manage enough nutrition in the early stages however it is important to stay hydrated and take in enough protein to help everything to heal properly after your operation.
A rough guide to fluid requirements would be around 2 litres daily but the best way to see if you are taking enough is to go by your urine colour – it should be pale and straw coloured. If it is darker than this, then you need to drink more – don’t forget to avoid alcohol and fizzy drinks.
Examples of protein containing liquids are:
- Meal replacements.
- Protein shakes.
- Milk – add milk powder for extra protein.
- Blended soups with peas, beans lentils.
- Ordinary soups with added milk powder.
- Drinking / pouring yoghurt.
In terms of intake, a minimum of 60g protein a day would be an average guide. You might find it helpful to use free Apps such as MyFitnessPal to track this initially.
As a guide to a portion size aim for around six (6) protein containing drinks daily and around 200 ml as a serving size. However, it may be best to sip almost continuously throughout the day to meet these guidelines – remember to take small sips and have at least a 20 second rest between mouthfuls. It is not advisable to use a straw.
It is normal not to feel hungry or like you can manage much at all – take is slow.
