Welcome to Bariatric Cookery     If you are thinking about, have had, or are scheduled for bariatric (weight-loss) surgery – Gastric Bypass, Lap Band,Gastric Sleeve or Revision, you’ve found the UK’s number one website to support your new eating regime. Founded by a cookery writer and bariatric patient, Carol Bowen Ball, we know just what you need and have the answers to nourish, feed and inspire you. It is essential that bariatric patients follow strict guidelines concerning protein, fat, sugar and overall calories for weight-loss success; and also to adhere to the 3 stages ..read more

This is most likely the final recipe that I shall share with you on the website (but you can continue to use those in the archive for a few more months) and since I didn’t want to leave you without something for the future it’s a breakfast dish that can be frozen and stashed away to cope with mornings in the coming weeks. I think this will be a useful dish to make and freeze with back-to-work on the cards for many; children heading back to school; and vacation or more likely ‘staycation’ at an end. It’s a wholemeal tortilla loaded with scrambled egg, peppers/bell peppers, cheese and sweet po ..read more

I have been experimenting with different kinds of pasta – many higher in protein than traditional wheat pasta and often more digestible. Some are made with pea protein, some use lentils, some other grains and one with A much reduced calorie content made with konjac flour (my version called them zero noodles – not quite accurate but you get the gist). Often basic high protein ones are still wheat based but have supplementation in the form of spelt, barley and oats or pea flour. I don’t have a problem with digesting pasta but I know many WLS patients do so these variations may well bring pasta ..read more

I’ve had a bit of a ‘weighcation’ during the virus lockdown period – given the scales a bit of time off and focussed more on health than the reading on the dial. Many of my allotment and gardening friends however have used their time to bulk up the veggies. I have tomatoes, butternut squash and pumpkins coming along nicely but they have monsters of courgettes/zucchini and marrows that keep finding their way to my doorstep such is the bounty of their harvest this year. I am very happy they want to share their produce so freely.   I have always been a fan of marrow – such much so I put a ..read more

Yesterday I returned to my spa for a lazy lunch (and not so lazy swim). On the menu was a cod dish with crushed potatoes and it was utterly divine. It reminded me somewhat of a recipe I developed for my 1st ‘Return to Slender’ cookery and advice book which had a dish that featured cod topped with a lime, herb and Parmesan crust. I had forgotten how good it was but now plan on having again this week and maybe with other white fish (pollock or haddock for example) or even salmon. It’s a great high protein dish with lots of flavour and I like to serve with freshly cooked wilted spinach (lots co ..read more

It’s been a little while since I posted a recipe for solo dining, mainly because during lock-down I have been cooking for quite a few and have eaten few meals cooked from scratch for myself. Now with some folk going back to work and getting out and about a little more (albeit with restrictions in place) quite of a few of us may well need a ‘cooking for 1’ option.   This idea is a simple one but the combination of fresh mozzarella with ripe tomatoes, pungent fresh basil, a hint of balsamic vinegar and reliably tender chicken is a winner. It is quick and easy to prepare, and should you be ..read more

I don’t quite know when I discovered the joys of a traybake but it does seem a long time ago – and they are one of the recipe and meal options I still use post-op to feed myself, my family and friends. I always ensure that there is sufficient protein and veggies in the mix and often some complex carbs too – and I simply limit or dispense with my own portion of the latter if I don’t want to eat that component.   I think they make great seasonal meals – you can make a spring, summer, autumn or winter mixture at whim and in the case of summer although they do require you to turn on the ove ..read more

  This morning I have pushed the button to send out my latest and FINAL free Bariatric Cookery Newsletter. In it there’s news of my impending closure of Bariatric Cookery (although the website will stay ‘live’ until March 2021 as an archive and WLS resource). To save me from having to repeat myself, and indeed if you are interested, then do click on the link below to go to the newsletter which has all the details.   Click here for latest and  Final Newsletter   The newsletter still has a wealth of recipes, advice, offers and information as per usual (see the pics below f ..read more

Over the last year I have published, from time to time on Instagram, some advice tips – called The ‘Bariatric Bee’, and they cover just about every subject relating to WLS in the form of motivational tips that I have unearthed or found to be helpful as you progress from pre-op to veteran post-op.  I even posted 5 for the Christmas or Festive period and they were some of my most popular posts. During lock-down when I scrolled through my account I thought it would be good to put them all together on the website for everyone to read, not just my social media followers – so here they are. I ..read more

Somewhere around the world it’s too hot to cook at the moment … and that could be in my house right now. We’re enjoying a weekend of good high temperatures and I don’t want to waste time in the kitchen, nor turn on the cooker for extra heat. I am therefore simply prepping these no-cook Greek salad kebabs as an assembly-only option for a main meal to eat outdoors, but could also be packed up to take on a picnic (for also enjoying alfresco). The kebabs are simply speared cooked chicken with red onion, cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes and cubed feta and served with a dipping sauce made with ro ..read more