Bariatric surgery prep recipes

Your liver-shrinking diet doesn't have to be boring.

Author

Shaun Chavis
March 11, 2024

Table of Contents

Intro!

This is a collection of recipes I curated based on my experience as a pre-op patient, and this is aligned with the extended pre-op and pre-op plans from my surgeon’s team. Most of this list is what I ate during my pre-op phase. The recipes are all low-carb—no grains, no simple carbs, no beans or other legumes, and no starchy vegetables.

Please keep in mind that different bariatric programs and surgeons have different philosophies and approaches, so make sure a recipe fits your surgeon’s program before you make it.

24 ways to eat dark leafy greens

Dark leafy greens contain an antioxidant called glutathione, which may help reduce inflammation in the liver and is even being studied to see if it can help treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. My surgeon’s nutrition team required 4-6 cups a day during pre-op.

If you have an Asian or Indian market nearby, I highly encourage a visit so you can try other greens besides what’s in mainstream grocery stores.

A few of the recipes below have a small amount of sugar. I usually just omit it. If you leave it out, it won’t make a huge difference in taste. But you can also replace it with a zero-calorie alternative if your program allows, which I recommend in recipes that have a lot of vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice. (I like the harsh acidity 😜, but not everyone else does.)

KALE

Kale chips - The Kitchn (I sprinkle mine with chaat masala and a squirt of fresh lime juice.)

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi and Ginger - Serious Eats (use a zero-calorie sweetener)

CABBAGE

Lebanese Slaw - Feasting at Home

Ensalada de Repollo con Tomate (Cabbage and Tomato Salad) - My Colombian Recipes

Easy Roasted Cabbage Wedges - Marisa Moore, RD

Cabbage and Nori Salad - Hiroko’s Recipes (this gets soggy overnight; eat it the day you make it)

LETTUCE, ARUGULA, SPRING MIX, HERBS

Grain-Free Tabbouleh - Minimalist Baker

BROCCOLI, BROCCOLINI, BROCCOLI RABE, RAPINI, CHINESE BROCCOLI

BOK CHOY

Baby Bok Choy with Cashews - Simply Recipes

Grilled Bok Choy - AllRecipes

Garlic Baby Bok Choy - Woks of Life

COLLARD GREENS, TURNIP GREENS, MUSTARD GREENS

Brazilian Collard Greens - Martha Stewart

Mama Ama’s Marinated Greens Salad - Ama Shambulia via Railroad Park

Mustard Green Masala - Spicewalla

MULTIPLE GREENS / ANY GREENS (FLEXIBLE RECIPES)

Green Shakshuka - The Mediterranean Dish

Coconut Creamed Greens - Real Simple

Extended pre-op meal ideas

My surgeon’s program has an “extended pre-op” stage, and it’s basically proteins, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables.

As above, any recipes that have sugar have a very small amount; if you leave it out, it won’t make a huge difference in taste. I usually just omit the sugar. You can also replace it with a zero-calorie alternative, which I recommend in recipes that have a lot of vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, or chiles. (I like the harsh acidity 😜, but not everyone else does.) For sautéing, you can use cooking spray or brush the pan with a thin coat of oil.

VEGETARIAN (INCLUDES EGGS AND DAIRY)

Easy Shakshuka - The Mediterranean Dish

Easy Sheet Pan Baked Eggs and Veggies - The Mediterranean Dish

Feta Spinach Frittata - The Mediterranean Dish

Traditional Greek Salad - The Mediterranean Dish

Skillet-Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt, and Chili Oil - BonAppetit (paywall)(use sheep’s milk yogurt or plant-based yogurt)

Spinach and Paneer Curry with Cherry Tomatoes - Happy Veggie Kitchen (skip the rice)

SEAFOOD

Shrimp Varuval - Spicewalla

Avocado Stuffed with Shrimp - My Colombian Recipes

Summer Tomato Tonnato Salad (Tomatoes & Tuna) - Serious Eats

Thai Herbal Salmon Salad - Serious Eats

Avocado Lime Tuna Salad - Marisa Moore, RD

Greek Tuna Salad Bites - Marisa Moore, RD

Pescado en Salsa Verde - Pati Jinich

CHICKEN & TURKEY

Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs - Family Style Food

Chopped Chicken Schawarma Salad - Family Style Food

Chicken Gyro Meatball Salad - Family Style Food

Coconut Lime Chicken Skewers - Family Style Food

Pollo Asado in Adobo - Mexico in My Kitchen

Tandoori Chicken Salad - Martha Stewart

Mexican Roadside Chicken - Serious Eats

Chicken Tinga - Serious Eats

Lima Soup - Pati Jinich (skip the tortillas!)

Ropa Vieja de Pollo (Chicken Ropa Vieja) - Georgia Grown (for authentic taste add 1 tsp white vinegar and pimento-stuffed olives)

Keto Asian Lettuce Wraps - Keto Karma (use sugar-free sriracha)

PORK

Grilled Pork Kebabs with Peanut Sauce - The Real Food Dietitians

BEEF & LAMB

Ropa Vieja - Serious Eats (omit carrot; replace wine with equal amount of chicken stock)

Nigerian Beef Suja - Serious Eats

Beef Tibs - Serious Eats

Adana Kebabs (Ground Lamb Kebabs) - Serious Eats (serve without bread)

Carne Asada - Damn Delicious

About stir-fries

These can be great because they’re family-friendly meals you can share with others. Many of them are proteins with non-starchy vegetables and bold, flavorful ingredients. (Omit snow peas, water chestnuts, carrots, and long beans if you are avoiding starchy vegetables.) However, most of the sauces contain corn starch or arrowroot powder and sugar. If you make a stir-fry, leave those out. Use a zero-calorie alternative for the sugar if you like. The final stir-fry will still be delicious, but the sauce won’t coat the ingredients as nicely. For a pre-op diet, definitely make your sauce from scratch; bottled sauces or stir-fry kits you get in stores have sugar and cornstarch or another starchy thickener.

Eat-all-the-veggies-you-want ideas

Here are tasty ways to eat non-starchy vegetables. Any recipes that have sugar have a very small amount; if you leave it out, it won’t make a huge difference. I usually just omit the sugar. You can also replace it with a zero-calorie alternative, which I recommend in recipes that have a lot of vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, or chiles. (I like the harsh acidity 😜, but not everyone else does.) For sautéing, you can use cooking spray or brush the pan with a thin coating of oil.

Lemon-Parmesan Vegetable Saute - LVNGbook (my startup)

Moroccan Roasted Pepper Salad - Salima’s Kitchen (for a variation, my Moroccan husband made it without tomato, and used lemon juice instead of vinegar)

Spicy Indian Cucumber Salad - Family Style Food

Asian Tomato Salad - Asian Test Kitchen

Chinese Cucumber Salad - Woks of Life

Gazpacho - Isabel Eats

Grain-free Tabbouleh Salad - Minimalist Baker

Tiger Salad - The Kitchn

Mexican-Style Cauliflower Rice - Marisa Moore, RD

Roast or sauté almost any vegetable and toss it with gremolata - The Kitchn (works with cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, sautéed spinach, chard, or kale)