Simplify Your Post-Bariatric Meals: Ditch the Thanksgiving Feast Mentality

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the amount of food you're preparing after having bariatric surgery? Are you spending hours in the kitchen cooking multiple side dishes and proteins? It's time to simplify your meals and stop treating every meal like it's Thanksgiving.

Here's a helpful rule to follow when it comes to meal planning after bariatric surgery: choose one protein and one vegetable side (maybe two) and keep it easy peasy. You don't need to include multiple side dishes and proteins in every meal, as this can lead to overeating and weight regain.

Some people may feel like adding cheese or cottage cheese to their dishes will enhance the taste, but in reality, these extra calories are not needed. Instead, choose one fat to include in your meal and stick to it.

Here are some meal examples for your next dinner:

Pork Chops: After cooking pork chops on the grill, paint them with some sugar-free BBQ sauce that you bought at your local store. Make a bowl of salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and toss with Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch. It's that simple!

Chicken: Soak the chicken legs in a homemade teriyaki marinade and bake them on a sheet pan. Slice a big tomato for a family-style plate and put one ear of fresh summer corn per person on to boil.

Shrimp: Thread shrimp on skewers that cook on a hot grill in 3 minutes. Put two skewers per person on a bed of baby lettuce tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice, sliced avocado, and a little chopped tomato. Sauce it up with Greek yogurt blended with a little ketchup and seafood seasoning.

Steak: Season both sides of a slab of sirloin with salt and pepper, and throw it on the grill. Let it rest while you cut a cup of grape tomatoes in half, put them in a small bowl and mix them with a spoonful of blue cheese dressing. Then put the steak on a cutting board and slice it thinly across the grain - pile the slices on a platter - add more salt and pepper and scatter it with Italian Flat Leaf Parsley.

By following this simple rule, you'll be able to enjoy delicious and satisfying meals without the added pressure of cooking a feast. Remember, every meal does not need to be Thanksgiving!