A new list of food I can eat!

I can check off another thing on my list of to-dos after today. I scheduled my surgery for next Thursday!

The bad news is that I have to stick to this diet for another week. The good news is that I learned I can eat a lot more than I previously thought! Of all people, you’d think I would know not trust everything I see online. But for anyone else who might be looking for a list of approved foods pre- and post-gallbladder surgery, here are some of the things my surgeon confirmed I could eat (and are still good!).

• (Very or extra) lean beef
• All cuts of veal
• Lean lamb
• Fish - fresh, frozen or canned in water
• Skim milk cheese with 5 grams of fat or less
• Whole or cholesterol-free eggs substitutes
• Nonfat yogurt
• Dry beans and peas
• Tofu
• Fruit drinks and juices
• Coffee
• Tea
• Skim milk
• English muffins
• Plain corn or flour tortillas
• Angel food cake
• Gelatin
• Meringues
• Pudding made with skim milk or egg white
• Graham crackers
• Vanilla wafers
• Ginger snaps
• Sherbert
• Nonfat frozen yogurt
• Fruits – fresh, frozen, canned or dried except avocado
• Jams, jellies
• Molasses
• Sugar
• Honey and other syrups
• Hard candies
• Lifesavers
• Gumdrops
• Jelly beans
• Plain mints
• Sourballs
• Fondants
• Marshmallows
• Peppers, salt, herbs, spices
• Lemon juice
• Vinegar
• Condiments including ketchup, mustard, chili sauce, pickles, relish

While this list is extensive, it is not to say that some of these may not have different effects on others. For example, if your case is extreme – say your gallstones have passed or some vegetables or fruits affect you differently – you may want to avoid some of the items on this list. But man, it was just a relief to see some of these items on the list. Of course, I still can’t have cheese, French fries or pizza… but I can make do for another month or two.