Iamchanging16

1. Hummus. Despite being made from chickpeas, the average store bought hummus has only 1 gram of protein per tablespoon. Instead, opt for homemade hummus, homemade black bean dip or homemade Tzatziki (made with Greek yogurt) as dips for your veggies.
All of these dips are significantly higher in protein when made at home compared to their store-bought counterparts. 2. Chicken broth. Surprisingly, the average store bought chicken broth has only 1-3 grams of protein per cup. For this reason, your bariatric team likely recommended you choose higher protein soups immediately after surgery (ex. milk based soups or pureed legume soups).
Instead, opt for more filling thicker soups, such as a curried lentil soup, a roasted red pepper black bean soup or a hearty chili. 3. Cream cheese. Despite ‘cheese’ being in its name, the average store bought cream cheese has only 1 gram of protein per tablespoon.
Instead, opt for ricotta cheese (with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds and a drizzle of honey!) or peanut butter on your morning toast. 4. Quinoa. Quinoa is a filling grain product not because of its protein content, but more because of its fibre content. While quinoa is the only grain listed as a ‘complete’ protein, it only has 2 grams of protein per ¼ cup of cooked quinoa.
Always top your quinoa with a true protein source such as meat, fish, legumes, tofu or tempeh to make your meal truly balanced. Quinoa should not be the main event! 5. Almond/Cashew/Rice/Coconut milk. Despite these beverages having ‘milk’ in their name, these alternative milks contain on average a measly 1 gram of protein per cup.
Instead, opt for cow milk or soy milk when you are looking to add an extra splash of protein to your cereals, oatmeal or smoothies. Moral of the story? Don’t let misleading product names or sneaky advertising fool you! Get the facts. Always double check the nutrition facts tables on the back of your foods to learn the full story.
- Monica & Lisa

You can cook just about anything on the grill. Choose foods that are in your post-surgery diet phase. Find a recipe you like and then start grilling. Veggies can be grilled either on skewers or in a vegetable grill pan. Grill enough for leftovers during the week. Use a marinade for flavor and moisture. You can make your own marinade or use a low-fat dressing. A foil packet dinner is a great way to combine a protein, veggies and seasoning all wrapped up in foil makes for a quick clean up. Each person can customize the seasonings for individual preferences. Foil packet dinners are quite a trend right now and you’ll find many recipes on the internet. These leftovers are great to have for another meal, or 2 or 3 . . . Making a kebob is another quick and easy way to grill small portions of protein and vegetables. Protein sources can be chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, pork or beef. You may want to grill veggies on a separate skewer since these take longer to cook. What about fruit kebobs or grilling fruit right on the hot grill surface? A mango and shrimp kebob is a great combination. You can also pair grilled fruit with light yogurt or use in a fruit salsa to top grilled meat. The possibilities are endless. For some easy grilling ideas, check out this website: https://www.readyseteat.com/recipes/easy-grilling-recipes
Choose the recipes that suit your bariatric eating plan. What’s going to be on your grill?