What are you preparing to eat post-surgery? Read our blog below for the best eating tips to enable your recovery, after surgery.
If you have just had a surgical procedure, the food intake immediately after that surgery and the next few weeks/months is vitally important to aid recovery speed whilst also preventing any post-surgical complications. Infection and poor wound healing are just some of the dangers that can occur post-operatively so understanding the types of food that can help to prevent this is vital for patients. Once appropriate wound healing has taken place, patients will need to continue to consume foods that help build back their strength which may have been reduced prior, during or after surgery.
In order to build that strength, you should look to consume foods that are protein-rich. Protein serves as the building blocks for the body and foods that contain this help form new tissue, muscle and nerve. Research also tells us protein helps fight infection, key for post-surgical diet. Milk, chicken, kidney beans and quinoa are all protein options for you to include in your post-surgical meals.
Avoiding constipation is also important during this stage of the recovery as the analgesic used in surgery can cause this effect. To combat this you should look to consume foods that are rich in fibre such as avocado, potato with skin and flaxseeds. Maintaining good levels of hydration is also important to prevent issues with constipation.
With more of a focus on preventing infection and poor wound healing, it is vital to consume a balanced diet that ensures you are getting the vitamins you need for the body to heal. We know from the research that Vitamin C is important to protect cells from getting damaged whilst also helping to form new tissue that may have been affected by the surgery. Oranges, red peppers, potatoes are some examples of foods that will provide you with the Vitamin C that you need during this time. Zinc is another Vitamin that supports healing and is found in some of the protein foods listed above.
Proteins | Fibre | Vitamins |
Milk | Avocado | Oranges |
Chicken | Potato with skin | Red peppers |
Kidney Beans | Flaxseeds | Potato |
Quinoa | Berries | Broccoli |
Fish | Apple | Strawberries |
Andreas Robinson
Physiotherapist
