Part 1: Food Choices After Surgery - Start with Easy-to-Digest Foods
How to choose foods? After gastrectomy, digestion is weaker, so introduce foods in stages. Right after discharge, prioritize easily digestible foods like porridge, soft rice, udon noodles, soft tofu, steamed eggs, cooked vegetables, and bananas. Temporarily avoid harder-to-digest foods like mushrooms, kelp, wakame, konjac, rice cakes, and shellfish. Remember: eat small portions but make them nutritious. Ensure enough protein (meat, fish, eggs) and don't skimp on vitamins and minerals. Once your digestive system stabilizes, reintroduce other foods one by one.
Part 2: No Appetite? Taste Changes? Don't Worry
Eating feels like a chore? Many people lose their appetite after surgery, or notice food tastes different—bitter or oddly sweet. This is normal, don't worry. Eat when you can, don't force it. Choose foods you actually enjoy and that taste good. Use lemon, sour plums, or vinegar to stimulate appetite. Divide food into small portions and eat little by little. If taste changes are caused by medication, tell your doctor—many people recover over time.
Part 3: Foods to Avoid for Now
Early after surgery, avoid these food groups: ① Spicy/irritating (chili, wasabi, curry)—can irritate the digestive tract; ② Greasy/fried (fried chicken, fatty meats)—hard to digest and may cause diarrhea; ③ Raw/cold foods (iced drinks, sashimi)—your stomach is sensitive after surgery, may cause abdominal pain; ④ Gas-producing foods (carbonated drinks, beans, sweet potatoes)—can cause bloating, especially right after discharge. Once your digestive system recovers, try small amounts gradually—don't reintroduce everything at once.
Part 4: Moderate Alcohol, Light Dining Out
Can I drink alcohol or coffee? You don't have to give them up completely, but enjoy in moderation. It's best to avoid them for the first few months after surgery. Once you recover, an occasional small glass of red wine or weak coffee is fine—but don't overdo it. When dining out, choose steamed, boiled, or braised dishes. Avoid fried, grilled, or heavily oiled/salted foods. Gas-producing drinks like soda and beer can cause bloating—drink them sparingly.
Part 5: Calcium & Iron for Strength
Two nutrients to focus on after surgery: ① Calcium—stomach surgery reduces stomach acid, impairing calcium absorption and increasing osteoporosis risk. Drink milk, eat yogurt and small dried fish daily, eat plenty of dark green vegetables, and get sunlight to help vitamin D synthesis. ② Iron—post-surgery iron-deficiency anemia is common. Eat more red meat, fish, eggs, and soy products. Pair with oranges or tomatoes (vitamin C aids iron absorption). If blood tests show severe anemia, your doctor may prescribe vitamin B12 injections—follow your doctor's instructions.
Part 6: Eat Slowly, Keep Your Mouth Clean
Choking while eating? Mouth sores? Swallowing is weaker after surgery. Sit upright (45-60 degrees) when eating, take small bites, and swallow slowly. Cook foods until soft and tender. If needed, add starch to thicken foods to prevent choking and aspiration pneumonia. If oral mucosa becomes inflamed after chemotherapy, eat lukewarm, light, soft foods. Avoid spicy, sour, or very hot foods. Brush your teeth regularly with a soft-bristle toothbrush and rinse after meals. Eat plenty of vitamin B2-rich vegetables and fruits to help mucosal healing.
Note: Please follow the advice of your attending doctors and bedside nurses.