My
Nutrition
Nutrition after fundoplication surgery
Key messages
The
• Sit upright when eating and remain
passageway
within
the
body
connecting the throat to the stomach (the
oesophagus)
becomes
swollen
upright for 60 minutes after meals.
• It is still important to have a well-
and
balanced diet to give your body the
irritated temporarily after surgery. It is
right nutrition to function properly.
recommended to modify the texture,
Choose a variety from all the food
temperature and types of food you eat to
groups to ensure adequate nutrition as
help the body heal and to help reduce
you may be eating less than usual.
symptoms such as difficulty swallowing,
• Chew all foods well and avoid foods
pain or abdominal bloating. As the
that cannot easily be broken up such
swelling settles, the oesophagus will
as tough or gristly meat, raw fruit and
become
vegetables, and plain bread.
more
supple
and
you
will
My
My
Nutrition
Upgrading your diet after surgery
Nutrition
gradually be able to manage a normal
diet.
Your
diet
will
progress
in
stages
and
slowly
General guidelines
beginning
• Eat and drink slowly – avoid gulping.
advancing to a soft diet. Your surgeon will
• Eat small frequent meals.
recommend the time periods for each
• Avoid fizzy drinks, chewing gum or
stage however please be aware that
drinking straws to reduce bloating/gas.
with
liquids
progressing your diet will depend on your
• When on the fluid diet, limit clear fluids
tolerance to food at each stage. All food
such as Bonox, cordial, alcohol, tea
groups can still be enjoyed regardless of
and coffee as these provide little
which phase of the diet you are following
nutrition.
(see pages 2-3).
• Aim to consume more nourishing
drinks such as milkshakes and fruit
smoothies. You may find it helpful to
add
a
nutritional
drink
such
as
Sustagen or Up & Go.
This is a consensus document from Dietitian/ Nutritionists from the Nutrition Education Materials Online, "NEMO", team.
Disclaimer: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/disclaimer
Developed: June 2019
Copyright: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/copyright-statement
Due for review: June 2021
FLUID DIET
SOFT DIET
Whilst in hospital you will start on a fluid
If you feel no pain or discomfort on the
diet.
pureed diet, proceed to a soft diet
avoiding any hard lumps and gradually
PUREED/MASHED DIET
If
you
feel
no
pain
increase to a normal diet. If any pain or
discomfort
discomfort occurs, you should return to
swallowing fluids your surgeon may
the texture previously tolerated and then
recommend
try again later.
you
can
or
start
on
a
pureed/mashed diet.
FOOD
GROUP
FLUID DIET
(as per your
doctor)
Bread,
cereals,
rice, pasta,
noodles
PUREED DIET
(as per your
doctor)
SOFT DIET
(as per your doctor)
then slowly increase to
a normal diet as
tolerated
• Porridge or cereal
softened with milk.
• Well-cooked pasta and
rice
• Bread with crust
removed, softened with
spread
• Strained porridge
or semolina
made on milk
• Add pasta and
rice to soups and
blend to a
smooth fluid
consistency
Vegetables, • Vegetable juice
legumes
• Add vegetables
and legumes to
soups and blend
to a smooth fluid
consistency
• Smooth lump-free
cereals (e.g.
semolina, pureed
porridge).
• Vegetable juice
• Pureed or
mashed
vegetables (using
milk/butter)
• Vegetable juice
• Mashed or soft-cooked
vegetables (excluding
corn)
Fruit
• Fruit juice
• Add fruit to
milkshakes and
blend to a
smooth fluid
consistency
• Fruit juice
• Canned or stewed fruit
• Soft fresh fruit e.g.
banana, paw paw,
mango, pear,
watermelon
Milk,
yoghurt,
cheese
• Milk
• Drinking yoghurt
• Fruit juice
• Pureed or
mashed canned/
stewed fruit
• Pureed or
mashed soft fresh
fruit e.g. banana,
paw paw, pear
• Milk
• Plain yoghurt (no
fruit /nuts)
• Cheese spread
My
My
Nutrition
Nutrition
• Milk
• Fruit yoghurt
• Soft cheese
Foods to
AVOID
• Plain bread
• Donuts
• Crackers
• Course/dry
cereals
• Cereals
with dried
fruit/nuts
• Raw
vegetables
• Hard,
fibrous or
stringy
vegetable
(e.g. corn,
broccoli
stalks)
• Hard,
fibrous
pieces of
fruit (e.g.
pineapple,
raw apple)
• Dried fruit
• Hard
cheese
This is a consensus document from Dietitian/ Nutritionists from the Nutrition Education Materials Online, "NEMO", team.
Disclaimer: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/disclaimer
Developed: June 2019
Copyright: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/copyright-statement
Due for review: June 2021
FOOD
GROUP
FLUID DIET
(as per your
doctor)
PUREED DIET
(as per your
doctor)
SOFT DIET
(as per your doctor)
then slowly increase to
a normal diet as
tolerated
Meat,
• Add meat, fish,
• Pureed meat, fish, • Soft cooked meat, fish,
fish,
poultry and
poultry and
and poultry with
poultry,
legumes to soups
legumes with
gravy/sauce e.g.
tofu, eggs,
and blend to a
gravy/sauce e.g.
casseroles, mince
nuts,
smooth fluid
pureed casserole • Omelette, or scrambled,
legumes
consistency
poached or boiled eggs
• Silken tofu mashed
• Baked beans, lentils
Extra foods • Thin custards,
• Mousse, crème
• Creamed rice, biscuits
plain ice cream,
caramel, butter,
dunked to soften, cake
jelly, cordial,
baked egg
served with ice cream
Milo, flavoured
custard
or custard, chocolate
milk
Foods to
AVOID
• Tough or
gristly
meat/
chicken/
fish
• Raw nuts or
seeds
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Cookies/
biscuits
• Hard lollies
Suggested meal plan
FLUID DIET
BREAKFAST
Strained porridge or
semolina made on milk.
Fruit smoothie based on milk
– blend to a smooth fluid
consistency.
LUNCH
Canned or home-made
vegetable soup – can add
cheese, cream, or choose
varieties containing meat
and/or legumes and blend to
a smooth fluid consistency.
DINNER
As for lunch
SNACKS
Milkshake/fruit smoothie
Plain or flavoured milk
Sustagen/Up & Go
Drinking yoghurt
Plain ice cream
Thin custard
PUREED DIET
SOFT DIET
Pureed porridge or
Porridge or cereal softened with milk
semolina.
(e.g. Corn Flakes/Weet-Bix)
Pureed or mashed
Myfruit Bread softened with spread
– choose from canned,
My Omelette, or scrambled, poached or
Nutrition
stewed or softNutrition
fresh
boiled eggs
fruit varieties (e.g.
Baked beans
banana, paw paw, wellripened pear).
As for fluid diet +
Pureed meat, fish,
poultry or legumes with
gravy/sauce and
pureed or mashed
vegetables (using milk/
butter/ cheese)
White bread crust-less sandwich with
tender meat/chicken/fish/egg/cheese and
softened with margarine/butter.
Canned, stewed or soft fresh fruits (e.g.
banana, chopped melon, well-ripened
pear).
As for lunch
Soft cooked meat, fish, and poultry with
gravy/sauce e.g. casseroles, mince with
mashed/soft cooked vegetables and
well-cooked rice/pasta.
As for fluid diet +
As for pureed diet +
Thick yoghurt / custard
/ mousse
Pureed or mashed fruit
Canned or soft fresh fruit
Creamed rice
Biscuits dunked to soften
Cake served with ice cream or custard
This is a consensus document from Dietitian/ Nutritionists from the Nutrition Education Materials Online, "NEMO", team.
Disclaimer: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/disclaimer
Developed: June 2019
Copyright: www.health.qld.gov.au/global/copyright-statement
Due for review: June 2021