Pigeon Forge. TN for long weekend. Worried about eating out.

I am going back to work on Monday after my surgery on May 9th.  I have had a few complications (an ulcer and vitamin def).  I had to go back in the hospital for a few days for some ivs and I feel like a new person.  My husband wanted to take me somewhere be fore I went back to work so we are going to Pigeon Forge TN Thursday.  My problem is I have not eaten out since surgery and have no idea what and where to eat.  I am on any foods textures as tolerated.  So far the only thing I have had problems with is tomatoes.  I can get anywhere from a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup in at a meal.  I am so scared.  I know this is something that I need to do but I dont want to overeat and get sick but I dont want to ruin my husband trip either.  He has been a big support.  He has been working 7 days a week since I had sugery to help money wise and he needs this as much as me.  I need your suggestions. 

Take it slow and easy. Be careful with gravies and sauces as they will likely
be high fat.  You don't want to dump in a restaurant so be careful until you're
sure how sensitive you are to sugars and fats.
I also went out at about 10 weeks and had 2 small swedish meatballs, a bite
of pea soup and a bite of mashed potatoes....all mushy foods. Good luck and
enjoy your date night!

Enjoy your vacation--you deserve it!

I am learning not to be afraid to ask for what I want in a restaurant. So if there's something like a grilled chicken sandwich, ask for it without any sauce, without the bun, etc. That way you won't be tempted and/or waste food.

I've had lots of luck with dark meat chicken, some grilled breasts of chicken, anything that is ground (beef, chicken, turkey, veal) like meatballs, burgers, kabobs. You can also get a veggie burger (safe, but not always clear how much nutrition. A sushi restaurant is good if you like raw fish, you can have a few slabs of fish and soy sauce and edamame. Grilled tuna or any other fish is also good (witout butter or oil).

One other suggestion is to stick with an appetizer for a meal. That way you won't feel like you "need" to fini**** or that you're wasting and you won't have a lot of food to bring back with you in your doggie bag.

When I ate out post-op I usually ate a cup of soup.  I like French Onion soup, and that has the shredded cheese on top, so I usually ate that. 

Just take it easy and and try not to eat fried or sugary foods;  you don't have to build your life 
around food anymore!

I went to Dollywood post-op and had a great time.  The gardens are lovely and there was music
everywhere.

Enjoy!!

YAY!  Pigeon Forge is one of our favorite places....and of course, the food choices are UNLIMITED!  There are plenty of unique restaurants but some familiar choices too (Like Cracker Barrel) Look on line and peruse some of the menus of the restaurants in Pigeon Forge.

As Lynn mentioned above, soup is ALWAYS a good choice and it's just about on every menu.  I still eat soup almost everyday and it sits so well in my tummy (even after a year!)   If you go to one of the 1,000 pancake houses you could get a scrambled egg.   I've found that there is SOMETHING on just about every menu for us RNY'ers...you just may have to request a special preparation.

Even if you are going to Dixie Stampede (which has a set menu) they always serve soup and roasted chicken!  Bring some extra protein powder and you could alway order milk at a restaurant if your tummy is being tricky!

Have FUN!!!!! 

I agree with everyone else here.  It's so easy to find something to eat.  Have a great time.  We're going on August 2nd for three nights.  We're planning on visiting the Space Needle, The Titanic Museum and the Aquarium!  Have a blast, it sounds like you and DH need this!

Hi Lynda, looks like we have the same surgeon although I'm still pre-op. Dr Gersin has scheduled me for 8/29 and I can't wait til it gets here! My DH and I love to visit Gatlinburg frequently, we were married there 15 years ago and since then I think we've tried every restaurant within a 50 mile radius lol. We have a couple of favorites we go to repeatedly. Try the "Bullfish Grill" in Pigeon Forge, my husbands fave is the prime rib but theres so much to choose from. They have lots of great fresh grilled seafood dishes as well as a wide variety of fresh steamed veggies. My personal favorite is the meatloaf stack with white cheddar mashed potatoes...not the least fattening thing on the menu of course. Another great place is the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant which has an awesome breakfast menu as well as dinner. Both these restaurants are in Pigeon Forge and both have websites so check them out and try at least one of them while your there if you can. I don't think you'd regret it, hope you guys have lots of fun and stay safe. Report in when you make it back and let us know how it went ;)