What are the Best Foods to Eat Before Cosmetic Surgery?

The best way to feel prepared for your cosmetic surgery is to feed your body with the nutrients it needs.

There are certain vitamins and minerals that you can add to your diet before your surgery to help prep your body for an optimal procedure and post-op recovery.

So you may be wondering, what are the best foods to eat before cosmetic surgery to get these nutrients?

In today’s article, I will be sharing my general food recommendations for pre-op including the best foods to eat before cosmetic surgery. I also include a sample pre-surgery diet plan that you can follow for a day with meal examples.

Although these are foods that are generally recommended before surgery, I still recommend that you work with a registered dietitian (like me!) during cosmetic surgery prep.

I will help you come up with a personalized nutrition plan that meets your specific nutritional needs. Because surgery nutrition will look different for every person!

Keep reading to learn more about what you should be eating before your surgery and make sure to save this post for later during your pre-op grocery trip.

Should Your Foods Be Easy to Digest?

Your body is about to go through some stress and you might not feel like eating after your surgery, so it’s important to eat easy-to-digest foods before your cosmetic surgery.

This allows your body to fully digest and absorb the nutrients it needs.

Some easy-to-digest foods include:

• Toast
• Rice
• Fruits like bananas
• Applesauce
• Eggs
• Salmon
• Sweet potatoes.

What are the best foods to eat Before Cosmetic Surgery?

1. Omega 3 rich foods

Research in surgical nutrition states that Omega 3 is beneficial before surgery. Omega 3 provides a protective benefit, essential fatty acids, and an anti-inflammatory response.

Tip #1: research shows taking omega 3 before surgery can maximize immunity. although it should not be taken in pill form, foods rich in omega 3 provide an immune benefit and an anti-inflammatory benefit.

2. High-Fiber Foods

Fiber helps keep your digestive system healthy which is really important before cosmetic surgery. It can help clean out your colon and support healthy bowel movements.

Foods that are high in fiber and are great for pre-surgery include:

• Oats
• Lentils
• Berries

What About Drinking Water Before Surgery?

Hydration is very important when you are preparing for your upcoming cosmetic surgery. Being dehydrated isn’t going to help you take on the stress that your body will go through during surgery.

Dehydration can lead to:

• A decreased risk of blood flow
• An increased risk of surgical complications

Water and electrolyte water are great to include in your pre-surgery nutrition plan to help you be in the best state possible for a more successful surgery.

Action tip #2: set periodic reminders on your phone to remind yourself to drink water throughout the day. Add fruit or herb infusions to make your water more fun and exciting to drink. My personal fav is ginger lemon.

What is an Example of a Pre-Surgery Diet?

Combining all of this information together, I wanted to give you an example of what a day of eating could look like before cosmetic surgery. These are examples of meals that I believe could help you prepare and feed your body with the nutrients it needs.

Breakfast

• 1 cup rolled oats oats
• ½ cup milk of choice
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 1 cup berries
• Raw Honey for taste

Lunch

• 1 cup homemade chicken salad
• 10-12 seed crackers, such as Mary's Gone Crackers
• 1 cup of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers topped with parsley and dash of salt

Snack

• 1 protein shake or smoothie

Dinner

• 4-6 oz tilapia with fresh herbs
• 1 cup orzo
• 1-2 cups of arugula with lemon juice and olive oil dressing

Dessert

• 1 medium apple

• 2 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbs melted chocolate chips

Again, this is just an example of foods that can help you feel nourished before your surgery!

Final Thoughts

Here are a few key takeaways from this article:

• What you eat before surgery can help prepare your body for your procedure and optimal recovery
• Easy-to-digest foods can help make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need
• High-fiber foods can support a healthy GI tract and should be incorporated into your daily diet before cosmetic surgery
• It is very important to stay hydrated during pre-op and keep up with your electrolytes

If you would like a more detailed nutrition plan that meets your specific needs and surgical goals, then follow me at @nutriton.plasticsurgery

If you haven’t already, make sure you check out my article on what to eat for surgery recovery so you are prepared for post-op.