Sometimes, on this weight loss surgery journey, we must make a few U-turns. Salads just happen to be one of my U-turn items, in several ways.

While preparing for surgery, I was told that after surgery I would have to "toss" out the salad from my diet for several reasons. I was extremely glad to hear it at the time, because I was so totally tired of my staple "diet" of salads.

So does that mean salads are "tossed" forever or can "U-turn" to salads after surgery? Let's take a look at the why and why nots of salads "tossing." 

Here are a few reasons to "toss" out the salad from our menus "early on" after surgery. 

• Lettuce is hard to digest.
• Most salad lettuces doesn't have much nutritional value. After surgery it is important to pack all the nutrition we can into our meals.
• Dressings and toppings can add up to a huge, high fat, caloric dilemmas.

Dropping salads from your diet can be very helpful during the weight loss phase. I actually didn't return to eating salads until almost 5 years out. But recently I had been on a salad "crave." After a few weeks of eating salads, I noticed several problems I had to solve.

Your new pouch may be considered still in the healing mode for about two years, so some "harder to digest" foods may be off the menu. Adding harder to digest foods back while on maintenance, may be one of those "individual" food choices that you will just have to discover.

I have found that raw veggies don't work well for me. Some raw veggies can cause bloating and gas and are not a weight loss surgery person's best friends; there simply is not enough tummy room, very uncomfortable. 

You don't have much room in the beginning, so adding salads later when you are eating more food is helpful. Since most lettuce is non-nutritional, I have to make adjustments in the size of the salad I eat now and only have a small amount. I add salad during or after the meal, not before. Adding more nutritious varieties of greens, are also helpful. Look for upcoming post of salad greens! 

Next dilemma: the dressing. That is so the best part, isn't it? Now, I remember why I made the decision not to eat salads again for a while, controlling dressing is not one of my strong suits! I began to realize that I had added hundreds of "empty" and high fat calories to my overall weekly calorie count. So I had so "toss" the dressings and find a better solution.

Healthier olive oils or flavored vinegars are helpful. There are some really good bottled sprays for salads now. One of my favorite dressings I had forgotten about, I had to "rediscover", Braswell's, Vidalia Onion and Summer Tomato. Two tablespoons is only 40 calories, 0 fat grams, 10 carbs, but a little high in sugar, with 9 grams, (so 1/2 a serving works well). I have to watch the carbs and sugar, with hypoglycemia, I can only eat 15 to 20 grams of carbs and adding 10 with no volume, no fiber, and no nutritive value doesn't work for me. Mixing it with vinegar or lemon juice "stretches" it with no harm done.

Another trick in "stretching" out dressing is to dip your fork in the dressing instead of directly on the salad, a little goes a long way. Eating less dressing is made easier with less salad!

Next: watch those "topping" choices. You can add hundreds of calories to salads with choice additions. Try just adding a couple of healthier choices, protein is a great one; egg, chicken, fish or shrimp. Toss in a few beans or even low calorie veggies, bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes.  Just one or two at a time, keep it small, to match your tummy. 

So make sure when "U-turn" back to salads after post-op, you don't "toss" the important points:

• Don't toss nutrition; make sure you allow enough healing time for your pouch, (when your eating more volume of nutritious foods).
• Discover your food sensitivities,
• Toss in plenty of good greens; watch your portions and your "green" leafy choices,
• Limit your amount of dressing,
• Limit your "topping" choices.  

So when "U-turn" to eating salads, toss out the unhealthy and toss in the nutrition. More on salads coming up! Yes, we can, we have many more meals to go!