After bariatric surgery, your stomach is far less capable of breaking food down into small pieces so that nutrients can be extracted from it. It is therefore important to chew your food very thoroughly, so that it is almost liquid by the time you swallow it. That way, you help your stomach!

Chewing this thoroughly does mean you will spend much longer on a meal than you are used to. You might even find that by the time you get to your last few bites, they have already gone cold! Luckily, there are a few things you can do.

1. Cover your food

You can cover your food with a lid or a piece of aluminium foil. This slows down the cooling process, so your food stays warm a little longer.

2. Keep a portion in the pan

You can leave part of your portion in the pan. The pan stays warm, so the food in it will cool down much more slowly.

3. Warm your plate in the oven or microwave

You can put your plate on its own in the microwave or oven to warm it up. When the plate itself is warm, the food on it will also cool down more slowly.

Just remember to check whether your plate is oven-safe, and use oven gloves when picking up the hot plate.

4. Use a plate warmer

Plate warmers have a reservoir on the bottom where you can pour in warm water. This warm water heats the plate from below, keeping the food on your plate warm for longer.

They come in various versions, for example with one large compartment or two separate sections.