The protocol for certain surgeries may require you to follow a liquid diet before or after surgery. A liquid diet prior to surgery ensures that your stomach will empty quickly with little residue left behind. Post surgery, you must have liquid until your stomach can tolerate a regular diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, the liquid diet is not a balanced diet meant for extended use. A surgical liquid diet may consist of only clear liquids or full liquids depending on what your physician recommends.
Main Course
On your surgical liquid diet, your doctor will allow you soups. You may have chicken or beef broth on a clear liquid diet. If you have a full liquid surgical diet, you may have most strained soups, including vegetable soup broth, tomato soup and other creamy soups. For those with limited movement, pain or weakness after surgery, you can drink the soups or broth through a straw once cooled. These soups will make up most of your main course, as no meats are included.
Beverages
Depending on the procedure, your doctor will likely allow you to drink most beverages on a liquid diet. Apple and cranberry juice are two options on a clear surgical liquid diet that meet the requirement of being see-through. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons suggests high protein and calorie milk-based supplement drinks like Ensure as a good option for meeting some daily requirements on the liquid diet. Fruit juices without the pulp are satisfying but you may want to avoid acidic juices that can irritate the stomach lining. It is your choice to drink carbonated sodas. The sodas may ease or exacerbate any stomach issues post surgery. Water is always encouraged to avoid dehydration, although you may be receiving intravenous fluids for a short period.
Desserts
You have many options for desserts on a surgical liquid diet. Prior to a colonoscopy, Cigna states that your doctor may want you to avoid gelatins and popsicles with red dye as they may give a false appearance of blood during your test. If you can tolerate milk and creamy foods, ice cream is a tasty option and is liquid at room temperature. The ice cream mixed with Ensure supplemental drinks or any other brand can make a filling milkshake. Flavored gelatins are easy to digest and popsicles may cool your throat if you had any type of throat surgery.
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