Key Takeaways
- Fiber is essential after bariatric surgery for supporting digestive health, overall healing, blood sugar management, and helping you feel full.
- How much fiber you need and when it’s best to introduce it back into your diet depends on several factors
- Talk with your healthcare provider about when it’s best to introduce fiber back into your diet.
Fiber is an essential nutrient your body needs for healthy digestion. It’s also helpful for weight management, blood sugar control, and supports your overall health.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest. It’s found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Read on to learn why fibers are recommended after bariatric surgery, how much fiber you need, and how you can get fiber into your diet.
Table of Contents
Why Is Fiber Important After Bariatric Surgery?
Fiber plays several important roles after bariatric surgery.
- Promotes digestive health: Fiber helps prevent constipation, a common concern after bariatric surgery due to changes in your digestive system.
- Helps you heal: By promoting healthy digestion, fiber supports nutrient absorption, which is essential for proper healing.
- Regulates blood sugar: Because your body can’t break down fibers, it doesn’t cause a spike in your blood sugar like other carbohydrates can. This is especially helpful if you have diabetes.
- Helps you feel full: Fiber moves slower through your stomach, which can help you feel full for longer.
- Supports long-term health: Incorporating fiber-rich foods in your diet early after surgery helps you establish eating habits that contribute to healthy weight management and overall health
What Foods Contain Fiber?
Fiber is found in plant-based foods.
- Fruits: Apples, pears, berries, bananas, and oranges are all rich in fiber.
- Vegetables: Leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, artichokes, and Brussels sprouts provide a good amount of fiber.
- Whole grains: Foods like oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole grain pasta are great sources of fiber.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas have some of the highest amounts of fiber.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts provide beneficial fiber.
And you can also incorporate a liquid bariatric vitamin and bariatric protein bars to increase your fiber intake.
The Two Types of Fiber
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. You need both of them in your diet.
Soluble fiber attracts water and turns into a gel-like substance in your digestive tract. It helps to slow down digestion and is mainly found in oat bran, barley, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, and peas.
Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and helps food pass through your stomach and into your intestines. It’s mostly found in wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains.
How Much Fiber Is Enough After Bariatric Surgery?
The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 gives general recommendations for daily fiber intake, which is 28 grams for women and 34 grams for men.
However, don’t make that your goal right after surgery.
After surgery, you’ll need to ease into your fiber intake by gradually reintroducing it into your meals. Jumping into eating fiber too quickly can cause you to have some intestinal discomfort like gas, bloating, and pain.
It’s also vital to discuss with your healthcare provider how much iron should a bariatric patient take alongside fiber intake to ensure balanced nutrition.
How Do Fibers Help to Lose Weight After Surgery?
Fiber plays an important role in your weight loss journey after surgery.
One way it helps you lose weight is by absorbing water and expanding, which helps you feel full after meals and prevents overeating.
As mentioned before, it also moves slower from your stomach to your intestines, so you don’t feel hungry as fast after a meal. This can help cut down on high-calorie snacks between meals.
High-fiber foods also tend to be lower in calories while still helping you feel satisfied. This can make it easier to stick to a lower-calorie diet without feeling deprived.
Lastly, fiber’s ability to help regulate your blood sugar levels also contributes to healthy weight loss after bariatric surgery.
How Can You Add More Fiber to Your Diet?
Start by first talking with your healthcare provider about when and how to slowly start introducing fiber into your meals. Remember, too much fiber too soon can really make you feel uncomfortable.
Once you have their guidance, you can start adding fiber to your diet in several ways:
- Blend some fruits (without skin) into your smoothies
- Have some fruit canned in water or fruit juice for a snack
- Opt for whole grains over refined grains like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat bread
- Add a small serving of well-cooked vegetables to your lunch or dinner
- Have a small serving of well-cooked oatmeal with your breakfast
- Incorporate legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas into your soups and salad
Final Thoughts
Incorporating fiber into your diet after bariatric surgery is important for your digestive health, weight management, and overall health.
However, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider about when it’s alright to introduce fiber into your diet and what your daily intake should be.
Focus on eating a variety of different types of fiber by choosing various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Be creative with how you add fiber into your diet by adding fiber to your smoothies, salads, soups, and snacks.
If you want to learn more, why not check out these articles below:
- Best calcium citrate for bariatric patients
- Best collagen for bariatric patients
- Best probiotic for bariatric patients
- Best iron supplement for bariatric patients
- How much b12 should a bariatric patient take?
Resources
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. (n.d.) USDA.
Dietary Sources of Fiber. (2019). Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes. (2024). CDC.
What are your tips and tricks to post-bariatric success?