bulgur and quinoa - band friendly?

I've been banded for 10 days now and seeing the light of more food choices in the future.  Have any of you had experience eating bulgur or quinoa since being banded?  I know lots of people have said they have problems with rice and that pasta doesn't offer much nutritionally, but both bulgur and quinoa offer protein as well as fiber.  I know everyone is different, but just thought I'd ask for opinions about these two grains.   Crystal

Crystal, Both bulgur and quinoa are excellent alternatives to rice or pasta. However, if you are going to try these grains, start with a small portion just as you would with rice or pasta. Quinoa is a good source of fiber,  protein, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It can be used in place of rice along with vegetables or greens and can be used as a high protein breakfast food if mixed with berries or fruit, a bit of Splenda and some low or nonfat milk. As an added bonus, quinoa is gluten-free and easy to digest. It can be found most supermarkets, Trader Joes (for those of you in CA) as well as health food stores. Bulgur is high in protein and fiber and can be used in place of rice or couscous in salads such as tabouli.  In Indian cuisine, bulgur is also used as a cereal with milk and sugar.  

Thanks for the info.  I'm in the soft foods stage now for another week and a half and then ready to move on to solids if I'm doing well.  Should I wait for a bit to try the bulgur or quinoa?  Also, as far as portion size to start out, would you suggest like 1/8-1/4 cup?

Sorry I forgot to address the diet stage.  Since you are still in the Soft food stage and these grains are quite high in fiber, I would play it safe and wait until you are able to move to up to more solid foods.  When you do move up to the Regular diet stage, it would be prudent to start with 1/8th cup (2 Tablespoons)  to see how you tolerate it.  If you do OK with that amount, then you can slowly increase the serving size to 1/4 cup. Remember too that when you are adding more fiber to your diet, you MUST drink more fluid to prevent things from blocking up, if you know what I mean.   Have a good weekend!

Thanks so much for the information and quick response!  You have a good weekend too.  C