Gastroparesis Diet Foods

Gastroparesis is a condition in which the muscles of the stomach do not properly move food through the stomach as they should. This can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, the formation of bezoars, nausea and vomiting. Depending on how severe your gastroparesis is, your doctor may prescribe changes in your diet or medication or both. In severe cases, feeding tubes are required. If you have gastroparesis, do not make changes in your diet or medications without consulting your physician. Always follow your doctor's diet recommendations.

Meal Size

Smaller meals leave the stomach more quickly. You may be asked to eat smaller meals more frequently, as frequently as eight times a day or more. If you are asked to eat frequent smaller meals, it is important that you follow your schedule to ensure that you have the proper amount of nutrient intake.

Liquids and Purees

If you have gastroparesis, you may find that you tolerate liquids better than solids. Talk with your doctor about using a blender to liquify your food, and how thick your food should be. You may need very thin liquids, or you may do well with purees. Some foods may require additional liquids for blending or pureeing; when you can, choose nutritious and caloric liquids like broth, milk, soups, sauces, Ensure and juices over water. Meats can be mixed with broth or vegetable juices. Some vegetables contain enough liquid for blending, but others may require the addition of broth, vegetable juice (V8) or vegetable purees (baby foods work well); if you have cooked vegetables using water, you may wish to use some of the cooking water for thinning. When fruits need additional liquid, use fruit juice or pureed fruit; consider adding protein powder or milk to increase the protein content.

Hot cereals like cream or wheat are good starch sources. Potatoes and pasta can be blended with soup, broth, milk, etc. to the proper consistency. Egg custards are good sources of calories and protein. Cream-based soups provide more calories than broth-based soups. Use whole milk when making pudding or custard, and choose yogurt made with whole milk. Milk can be fortified by adding dry milk powder, or protein powder. There are even protein powders designed to produce beverages that are much like fruit juice, which may be beneficial in your diet plan.

Fiber and Fat

Talk with your doctor about the amount of fiber and fat you should consume. Fiber and fat both slow stomach emptying. Fiber is found most commonly in vegetables, grains and fruits. If you have had a bezoar, your doctor may restrict your fiber intake. Fats are calorically dense, which means they pack a lot of calories into a small amount of food; this can be beneficial for patients who are having problems with weight loss. Fat is also necessary to metabolize certain fat-soluble vitamins. Unless you have a problem digesting fat, your doctor probably will not limit your fat intake; most patients can have fat containing liquids in their diet, including whole milk and milkshakes. You can also add servings of butter or olive oil to starch and vegetable dishes.