Stage Four Diet
• Begin experimenting with a variety of nutrient-dense solid foods. Most people eat solids at meal times and drink nutritious, high protein beverages as snacks. Alternatives such as yogurt or cottage cheese are great for snack times.
• Portions should continue to remain at ½ cup, or less, volume per meal for the rest of your life. Never weigh your foods. Weighing your foods on a scale could result in eating greater than the ½ cup portion, which could result in stretching your stomach pouch. This is very most important.
• It should take approximately 30 minutes to eat a ½ cup of food. Stop eating when you feel full.
• Always chew solids to the consistency of pureed foods before swallowing. Use caution with fibrous or stringy vegetables, white breads and pastas, tough meats, and the skins of fruits and vegetables.
• After 3 months, thin liquids may not stretch your stomach pouch. Eventually, you will be able to drink more than a ½ cup of liquids at one setting. Anything thicker than milk must stay at the ½ cup portion.
• Strive for a minimum intake of 48 ounces of water.
• Continue to take your multivitamin with iron, calcium, and B-complex
