Tasty, Low Calorie Recipes

A Great Resource for Bariatric-Friendly Recipes for Every Occasion!

At Bariatric Choice, we know that you want and need recipes that fit into your healthy post-bariatric surgery diet and taste great. So, we’ve done extensive research to find the some of the best:

• Breakfast recipes
• Lunch recipes
• Dinner recipes
• Desserts
• Holiday recipes

You’ll find even more recipes elsewhere on our site and, if you’re looking for pureed recipes, we recommend that you check out the Medical University of South Carolina’s list provided as a free service from their Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

Breakfast Recipes

It’s important to start your day off right with a nutritional breakfast. To that end, the Froedtert Hospital and Medical College of Wisconsin provide a wide range of recipes specifically targeted for those following a bariatric diet. Each recipe has been reviewed by registered dieticians to ensure optimal nutritional content.

As just one example, you can enjoy Stuffed French Toast that uses an intriguing combination of fat-free ricotta cheese and pumpkin pie spice, and that contains only 227 calories and .5 grams of fat. Or, you can eat a Fruity Breakfast Wrap that uses a combination of fresh strawberries, low-sugar strawberry jelly and regular ricotta cheese. This recipe has 233 calories and 9 grams of fat.

Or, you can access an entire cookbook – The H.O.P.E. Cookbook – online, which consists of recipes provided by bariatric patients and collated by the Bariatric Center at Georgetown. Breakfast recipes are found on pages 17-20. Here just three examples:

• Breakfast Burrito featuring an egg substitute, turkey bacon, low-fat cheddar cheese and salsa (189 calories, 7 grams of fat)
• Crustless Spinach Quiche with turkey bacon and low-fat Swiss cheese (121 calories, 3 grams of fat)
• Mushroom Tomato Frittata containing either egg substitute or real eggs, plus Parmesan cheese (68 calories, 3 grams of fat)

Both the Froedtert site and The H.O.P.E Cookbook also contain recipes for meals that can be enjoyed throughout the day, not just for breakfast.

Lunch Recipes

Although the Bariatric Cookery site is based in the U.K., recipes also contain measurements as they are used in the United States. If you’re a vegetarian – or just a fan of yummy salads – take a look at the Quinoa Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Tenderstem Broccoli. This recipe also features pumpkin seeds and an interesting mix of spices with a total of 300 calories and 7.4 grams of fat.

Craving coleslaw? This site also shares an easy way to make your own, complete with homemade dressing. The Medal Winning Coleslaw’s sauce can be further flavored with horseradish sauce, mustard, pesto, chopped fresh herbs or mint sauce, and a serving of this coleslaw has only 22.7 calories with .38 grams of fat.

For a light meal or yummy way to end a healthy lunch, The Ochsner Health System site shares a gluten-free yogurt and fruit medleythat's easy to make. Ochsner is one of the largest independent academic health systems in the United States and Louisiana’s largest not-for-profit health system.

Dinner Recipes

The Froedtert Hospital and Medical College of Wisconsin provide plenty of recipes that are ideal for dinner time. And, if you’re ready for more spice in your diet, their Pork and Black Bean Verde Stew comes complete with garlic, chipotle peppers, crushed red pepper flakes and more (308 calories, with 7 grams of fat, 2 saturated; note that, if you choose to serve over rice, the rice is not included in the nutritional analysis).

If you’re missing the satisfying crunch that comes with fried chicken, try the Crispy Baked Chicken found on page 45 of The H.O.P.E. Cookbook. This recipe uses cornflakes for the crunch, and has only 246 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Special Occasion Dessert Recipes

Mercy Health Systems recommends their Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe when you are planning to have a special treat. These cookies have only 1/3 the calories of traditional Toll House® cookies but still satisfy the sweet tooth (45 calories, 1 gram of fat each).

Or consider this Yogurt Parfait, which can serve as a dessert – or a delicious breakfast. This recipe contains uncooked oats, almonds, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, strawberries and blueberries, and is both sweet and nutritious (165 calories, 3 grams of fat).

Holiday Treats

Georgetown Community Hospital has provided an entire bariatric cookbook for the Christmas season that includes:

• Appetizers and snacks, including a Fat-Free 7-Layer Salad and Tomato Boats with Melted Mozzarella
• Beverages, from a Cream Dream Latte to a Buttercream Toffee Vanilla Latte
• Main dishes, including a Bloody Mary Pot Roast and Grilled Southwestern Pork Chops
• Sides and Salads, from a Greek-Style Egg Salad to a Roasted Grape, Chicken and Vegetable Salad
• Soups and Sandwiches, including Cream Broccoli Chowder and Jambalaya
• Breads, from a Country Sausage Cornbread to Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Desserts, including a Cinnamon Caramel Custard and Black Forest Mocha Cake

What recipes are you going to try first?