32 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
Smooth food tips
As you begin to introduce more foods, how you eat is just as important as what
you eat. The following tips help you eat well and achieve your weight loss goals.✓ Skip the baby food. It often has added water, thickeners, and sugar. You
deserve (and will enjoy) real food, so take a few minutes to try some of
the recipes in this book.
✓ Use standardized measuring cups and spoons to measure what you eat.✓ Introduce one new food at a time and only every couple of days.
✓ Continue to keep your food diary, including any unusual symptoms
you may experience.✓ Listen to your body and stop eating before you are full.
✓ You may need to eat four to six times a day to get all of the nutrients
you need.✓ Eat your protein foods first and use protein supplements between meals.
You need to aim for 60 to 80 grams of protein a day, so you will probably
need supplements to help you meet your needs, especially early on.
✓ Eat slowly and take small bites.✓ Don’t drink beverages with your meals, and wait 30 minutes after
your meal to begin drinking again.
✓ Remember to get 48 to 64 ounces of fluid a day. Supplements can also
help you meet your fluid requirements.How to freeze smooth foods for later use
Freezing smooth foods in ice cube trays is a
simple way to make your life a lot easier for
the time you are in the smooth phase. When
preparing your food, make extra and then follow
these directions to freeze some for later:- Be sure your ice cube tray is clean and dry.
- Coat the ice cube tray with nonstick pan
spray. - Place your smooth food in each cube of
the tray, leaving^1 ⁄ 4 inch space at the top for
expansion. - Wrap the filled tray with plastic wrap and
freeze. - When it’s frozen solid, remove food from
the ice cube tray and place in airtight
container. Keep frozen. - To reheat, simply heat one or two cubes in
the microwave until completely heated.
Note: Each slot in a standard ice cube tray
yields about 2 tablespoons of food.