Summer eating is hard for anyone with gastroparesis, because you're unable to eat fatty or high fiber foods, nuts, peels, raw vegetables, and any fruits need to be blended or juiced without the seeds or skins. However, there are still many possibilities for foods to eat and drink.
This post will be in 2 parts in order to cover more, and while it may not adhere to everyone's dietary needs, my goal is to give you all at least some options on how to eat gp-friendly in the summer. Whether you're on a liquid diet, mushy diet, or have graduated to solid foods (within reason), please note that these recipes and food ideas can easily be made and ate in small portions to help you digest as well as altered to your preference. Enjoy!
Breakfast:
There are many gp friendly breakfast foods, including shakes, eggs, pancakes and toast. When I was very symptomatic I stuck to bland foods, so six months ago I wouldn't eat pancakes, but now I am able to. Whatever stage you're currently in, listen to your body, consult a nutritionist/doctor, and do your best.
Protein pancakes/waffles
For my pancakes/waffles I like to use Annie's organic pancake mix (just add water), but whatever you use is fine. You can also make your own mix depending on sugar, fiber and gluten intolerance's. There are many variations of pancakes to try, but for mine I love to add:
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, a scoop or two of protein powder, a splash of vanilla extract, oat milk (instead of water), and then top it off with some cinnamon. This is a way to easily add in protein while getting in your calories and making breakfast less plain. Add nut butter to the top for an extra boost.
Cream of wheat
It seems that people either love or hate cream of wheat. The great thing about it is that it digests well, and gives you a boost of iron. It is very plain, which is great if you have an upset stomach; but if you don't, consider adding something to it. I personally like adding honey or maple syrup to mine, or protein powder. Cream of wheat is a great substitute for oatmeal - which is something you should NOT be eating, as it does not digest.
Apple bread
See my blog post about my dairy free, gluten free apple bread for the recipe - it is a great option for breakfast or a snack, and you can easily add protein mix to it.
Healthy Banana Bread
I love banana bread, but I am not a fan of a lot of sugar. With that said, I found a great recipe that replaces the added sugar with natural sugar. You can alter the recipe to fit your dietary needs which is the best thing about it. Check it out here:
Other breakfast options to consider
Eggs
Toast with peanut butter/nut butter
Protein muffins
Breakfast shake (in Part 2)
Smoothie with protein powder (in Part 2)
Yogurt (dairy or non-dairy options)
Lunch and Dinner:
Seafood
I am thankful that seafood works for me, but it may not for everyone. Fish is one of the healthiest foods out there because of its omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and protein. I eat salmon, cod, or haddock at least once a week. For me, it is something I am able to eat quite a bit of due to its flaky/light nature. It doesn't make me bloat either!... which is huge.
Do not fry your seafood! Any fried food will most likely hurt you; trust me, you don't even want to try it. All I do is bread the fish - I make my own breadcrumbs, but you can buy them as well - and place it in the oven. See below for pictures and a quick and easy lunch/dinner recipe...
What you need:
Any type of fish you want: salmon, haddock and cod work well.
Bread crumbs (optional)
Lemon (optional)
Any sort of vegetable you can handle - I like green beans, onion, or carrots.
Any add ins you want: salt, pepper, or other seasonings.
Prep/precook the vegetables, before placing them on a sheet. Cook them for 5 minutes in the oven at 400-425 degrees. Next, cover the fish in bread crumbs (though having the fish plain is also great!). Add it to the sheet, squeeze lemon over the fish and veggies, and cook in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky. After that, it's done! Very quick and easy lunch or dinner option. Something that goes great with this are the potato wedges I mention next! Another option is to not bread the fish and just add lemon and paprika to the top.
Fries and Salads
Potato wedges/fries
These are something my dad would cook every once in a while and I grew to love them, especially now. The great thing with these is that they are much healthier than regular french fries, and are super easy to make:
Peel your potatoes. If you have gp, you should not be eating any sort of peels.
Take out a cookie sheet, and grease it with olive oil*.
Cut the potatoes into strips to make wedges and place on the sheet.
Lightly cover the potatoes in oil.
Season with oregano and salt (optional).
Cook the potatoes at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Let cool and enjoy!
*Good quality olive oil is what I like to use since vegetable oil is not as healthy and causes me symptoms, but use whatever oil you like and can tolerate.
Carrot fries
Carrot fries are something I love to eat! You can also do this with sweet potato.
All you do is:
Peel and cut carrots into strips (regular fry or chip form),
Place on an olive oiled cookie sheet, lightly oil the carrots, and season with whatever you'd like - or keep them plain!
Lastly, cook in the oven at 400 degrees until the carrots are soft (about 15-20 minutes), and you're done!
These are a great, healthy option that taste just as good as regular fries! I like to season mine with oregano and onion salt.
Potato salad
Potato salad is something I love to eat at any summer cookout or birthday party. Since getting gp, I have not liked the mayonnaise or even the egg that is usually in it, but last week I got really excited when I found a recipe and altered it for a mayo-free potato salad! Here it is:
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Plain, unsweetened yogurt (plant-based is the best)
Cooked onion (I like to use red onion)
Cooked green peppers (optional)
Lemon (optional)
Parsley (optional)
Chives (optional)
To start, peel and cut your potatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
Boil the potatoes until they are soft but not mushy - until you can easily stab a fork in them.
Drain the water and rinse them off. Let them cool in a bowl on the counter, or in the fridge.
Next, cut some onion and/or green pepper (if you can eat them) and cook in a pan until soft.* Let them cool.
Chop your parsley up fine. The only way I'll eat anything raw is if its an herb, like parsley, and is chopped up incredibly fine.
Add the onion and chopped up parsley into a small bowl. Add a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Put the potato in a medium-sized bowl and add in the onion, lemon and parsley. Then add in your "yogurt" to your desired consistency.
Cool in the fridge and enjoy! It stores well in the fridge for 2-3 days. I like to top my potato salad with paprika.
*If you are able to eat egg, I would suggest adding hard-boiled egg to the finished potato salad since it will give you a boost of protein. You can also add shredded turkey, chicken or avocado.
Roasted veggie pasta salad
One thing I miss the most is my moms pasta salad that's always filled with raw vegetables. Unfortunately I cannot eat it anymore, but I am able to eat roasted veggie pasta salad instead.
Your veggie preference may vary, but use whatever settles well in your stomach. Zucchini, summer squash, green beans, carrots and onion are what I use. For the dressing, use what you can tolerate. I tend to make my own with olive oil, salt, pepper and vinegar.
Simply boil the pasta until cooked, sauté your vegetables in a pan or roast in the oven. Let it all cool in the fridge. Add your dressing and toss. Your finished salad may not be the same as the raw vegetable salad you're used to, but it will still taste great!
Couscous salad
Couscous salad is another great option for replacing pasta salad and raw vegetables. Cook the couscous normally, let cool in the fridge. Much like the pasta salad, cook your vegetables and also let them cool. For the vegetables I like to pair onion, carrot and spinach in mine. But again, use whatever you can handle. Eat with or without a dressing.
Green bean salad
Green bean salad is another staple summer food. With gp, I do not eat beans. Maybe you can handle them fine if cooked well, but since they are a very gassy food I stay away from them for bloating and bowel reasons. Even with this no-bean rule, I will have green beans or yellow beans and they can still make a great salad.
Here's what you need:
1-2 cans of cut and cooked green beans, drained.
1/4 cup of onion, cooked
2 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp canola oil
1/8 tsp pepper
Cook the vegetables and let cool, add in the other ingredients, stir and refrigerate! Super simple and great snack or side option to any meal.
Chicken Salad Sandwich
For chicken salad sandwiches, follow the potato salad recipe but instead of potatoes, use chicken! It is best to shred the chicken once cooked in a food processor or blender, so it is easier to chew and digest. This is great for lunch in the summer and an easy picnic option.
Cookout food
Summers are for barbecues, cookouts, parties and campfires, and having gp can be such a drag to this. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and is able to tolerate different foods at different times. With that said, I know a lot of us cannot eat red meat, or only a very small amount at a time, so hamburgers are pretty much out of the picture. In this instance, here are some options to make the cookouts less bland:
Turkey burger
Grilled chicken sandwich*
Seafood, healthy fries, roasted or potato salads
Roasted veggies and chicken/turkey
*Grill the chicken with barbecue sauce, if you can handle it.
If you are ever in a situation where you are going to a cookout or party and the host does not know your dietary needs - eat before, eat after, and bring a protein bar or drink with you! It does not matter if you feel weird by not eating their food or drinking your own protein shake. You need the nutrition, so please do not skip eating, even if its only a sip or one bite! And please do not eat their food if you know it's not good for you. Anytime I travel whether it's for an hour or a full day, I always bring some sort of snack or drink with me in the car. There are many people I have talked to with gp that get to the point where they'll just eat something like McDonald's or a salad because they miss it, but then they pay for it later. This is not okay. Your body is reacting because it's trying to tell you something and if you ignore it than you're just going to get sicker and sicker. If you need help, please let me know or talk to someone close to you.
Mushy foods:
You may not be able to handle fully solid foods yet, and that's okay! For months I was unable to eat anything unless it was liquid or soft/mushy. The following list is not complete, but it should give you some ideas of what's out there. Try not to get discouraged by this list, you will be able to eat solid foods again one day. For now, just focus on feeding your body and making sure it gets enough nutrition.
Apple or pear sauce.
Mashed potato
Soups/chowders
Jello
Pudding
Vegetable sauce (like mashed carrots)
Yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)
Fruit- no seeds or peels! Bananas are great. Cook fruit as often as possible.
Smoothies (in Part 2)
Protein drinks (in Part 2)
Cream of wheat
Breads/muffins (banana, pumpkin, apple etc.)
Tuna
Egg salad
Salmon/fish in general
Cottage cheese
Avocado
Nut butters
Scrambled eggs
Pancakes
Stuffing
Rice
Pasta
Add-on foods:
If you have gp, you won't be able to eat many foods that you once could: certain vegetables, dairy, meat, maybe even gluten, etc. Because of this, you tend to not get enough protein or calories, which makes you lose weight. Please see "My experience working with a nutritionist" to better understand. There are some people with gp that end up gaining weight, but despite that your body does not absorb the nutrients it should, so try to get in as much as you can.
When I say add-on foods, I am talking about food or ingredients that you can put with your meals to add in extra calories and/or protein.
Examples:
Avocado - 300+ cal. for one full avocado
Peanut butter/nut butter (creamy not chunky)
Olive oil - 120 cal. for 1 tbsp.
Chicken/turkey/fish
Egg
Protein powder
Cheese
Yogurt (non-dairy options)
These foods can easily be added to most anything. For the potato salad mentioned above, add shredded chicken and/or a boiled egg for a protein boost. Making pancakes? Add protein powder or nut butter to them. Add olive oil and avocado to your rice, add peanut butter to your shake or put it on your toast in the morning. There are many ways you can incorporate high protein and calorie foods into your diet. Test them out and see how you handle them.
In Part 2 I will be sharing drink and dessert options from smoothies and juices, to apple pie and ice cream! Be on the look out for that post!
Try to enjoy summer, even if you can't enjoy a crunchy salad or a burger. Enjoy the sun, nourish your body, and try to eat what you can, keeping in mind the more protein and calories, the better.
As I make and discover more recipes, I will be sure to share them. If you have any questions regarding how I helped my body go back to eating solid foods, I would love to talk with you. Gp has different stages, so just because you're on a liquid or mushy diet now, do not think you'll be stuck there forever - you can start to feel better if you let and help yourself.
-Loreal