Gastroparesis (slow stomach) meals? - High Calorie, Low Fat&Fiber

gambz

Hello!
I'm struggling a little to find things that don't leave me bloated or feeling ill.
I have gastroparesis which means I digest food at just under a third of the rate a "normal" person does (different for everyone). I was told to avoid foods with high fiber and high fat because they take longer to digest which means they sit in my stomach and it becomes inflamed. I was also told to try to eat small meals regularly, perhaps 6 meals a day.

Because of this, eating has always been uncomfortable for me which has lead me to dislike eating. I have been quite skinny my whole life and have recently been able to gain weight so I'm not necessarily looking to bulk up - just find food I can eat.

I also have trouble with dairy products, this may be because of the high fat content but I tend to have issues with 2% milk as well, and I have tried lactose free milk (but that has even higher fat than full cream!) so milkshakes aren't easy for me.

Currently I rely on breakfast drinks (which have some dairy but don't seem to affect me too badly), and smoothies made from fruit and ice.

Do you have any suggestions for food meeting that criteria? I'm willing to try most things!

chouflour

I've been over here lately asking for similar things. Really, every case of gastroparesis is different (and mine varies based on the last week or so's intake), so the key is experimenting.

I can handle fat as long as it's liquid (liquids leave the stomach mostly via gravity, so this is a common thing) - Find a drink you like and slowly add fat to it to see how you tolerate it. A little oil in your smoothie, maybe.

I do best with mechanically soft foods - puddings, mashed potatoes, rice, etc. Preferably with a slippery sauce - those slippery sauces are where I put my fat, although leaner sauces work well too.

If you dislike eating, small meals may be harder for you to eat than fewer, larger meals. Meals in company are easier for me - it may be that I slow down more, or that company meals tend to have more variety, so I eat smaller amounts of problematic things.

Of course - last week I was mostly fine, and today I'm having trouble sipping chai through the day, so you might want to take me with a grain of salt.

gambz

chouflour wrote: »

I've been over here lately asking for similar things. Really, every case of gastroparesis is different (and mine varies based on the last week or so's intake), so the key is experimenting.

Thanks contributing!

I understand the on-and-off of gastroparesis. For example, I usually can't deal with any dairy products but today I drank a glass of 2% milk (to test if it was still giving me trouble) and I'm fine... but I bet if I had it with cereal (that I usually eat dry) I'd be sick.

It's interesting that you can handle liquid fats, I'll definitely test that out.

Lissa_Kaye

Its weird but whenever I make a veggie stir fry dish I am always starving after about an hour. How do you fair on an only veggie dish? I love to chop up napa cabbage, green cabbage, bell peppers, onions, yellow squash and zucchini. Toss in a skillet on medium low with a tbs of coconut oil, (get the nutiva unrefined, so tasty) and simmer till they are cooked. I know there is fiber and fat, but I am curious how quickly it would go through your system. Do you like squash? I wonder how a butternut soup, or maybe a zucchini soup would be for you. If you would like any recipes hit me up. Have you tried alternative milks? I love silk light almond milk and Flaxmilk.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Can you do higher carb but lower fiber options like rice, pasta, or couscous?

I can see why you're having trouble-- I also have some health problems that result in trouble getting enough calories and I rely heavily on fats.