Diet After Bone-Fracture Surgery

Maintaining a balanced diet is important as you recover from bone-fracture surgery. Fractures may take weeks, months or even up to a year to heal, according to Civista Medical Center in Maryland. As a result, your activities will probably be restricted. To promote healing and maintain overall health, watching what you eat is important.

maintaining a balanced diet is important as you recover from bone-fracture surgery. (Image: Elena Elisseeva/iStock/Getty Images)

Immediately After Surgery

Initially, eat bland foods like crackers and broth. (Image: Nicolas McComber/iStock/Getty Images)

Before your surgery -- if it wasn't an emergency -- you probably weren't permitted to have any food or drink. For a few days after surgery, you may have no appetite. Before your discharge from the hospital, you will be required to consume liquids and possibly a light snack -- such as crackers. Initially, stick with bland foods, such as crackers and broth.

Balanced Diet

Drink plenty of water. (Image: Slawomir Fajer/iStock/Getty Images)

A balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy body weight weight and your wellness as you recover from bone surgery. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends 2,000 calories daily if you're not dieting. If you're attempting to shed excess pounds, get at least 1,200 calories if you're a woman and 1,500 to 1,800 calories if you're a man; eating too few calories can slow your metabolism and the healing process. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and aim to eat a balanced snack or meal every three to four hours for maintained energy. A balanced diet should include a variety of healthy foods, such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and whole grains.

Vitamin D and Calcium

Egg yolks are a good source of vitamin D. (Image: Julija Sapic/Hemera/Getty Images)

Vitamin D can facilitate bone healing, according to Civesta Medical Center. It helps your body absorb calcium, which is necessary for bone growth, healing and development. Without adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium, your body will take calcium from your bones. This can delay healing. Vitamin D can be found in fish, egg yolks, margarine and fortified milk. Top calcium sources include canned salmon, fortified milk and yogurt, almonds and cooked, dark-green vegetables.

Considerations

Be sure to eat enough protein. (Image: pilipphoto/iStock/Getty Images)

Get an adequate amount of protein to speed healing of your incision. The amount you need is based on your weight. The National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests multiplying your weight by .36 to determine how much protein you should get daily. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should get 46.8 grams of protein. Talk to your doctor before beginning any vitamin or calcium supplements after bone-fracture surgery.

Exercise is also an important part of staying healthy. Although bone-fracture surgery can drastically limit participation in physical activities, talk to your doctor about permissible activities. Depending on the nature of your injury, you may be allowed to engage in low-impact activities or do physical therapy exercises as you heal.