Hi all!

I am one month out, and am having a difficult time getting in my Protein. My surgeon wants me to get in 70 - 80grams/day, and I'm lucky to get in 30!

I no longer like the Protein shakes...loved them pre-op, can't stand them now. A good friend of mine game me some liquid Protein from GNC to mix in my Water (adding a little crystal light), but the smell from the liquid protein makes it hard to get down. I'm having some chicken, fish, Peanut Butter, string cheese and spreadable swiss on a few saltines, but I know I'm not coming any where close. Any suggestions??

cottage cheese is pretty high in Protein.

Have you looked in the recipe section at the ricotta bake? It's really good with a little bit of spaghetti sauce on top.

chicken, tuna and egg salad are all also good choices.

I use a flavorless protein powder "Designer Whey" and I mix that with Greek Yogart, cottage cheese and a little fruit, soup, anything that has a creamy texture. Once it's mixed in I can't taste it at all. It's an idea.

I'm 3 weeks out and I've been hitting my 65-75g/day Protein goal without ANY Protein shake. Very excited because I was so sick of them! Here are my suggestions.

Protein first, extras later. This means crackers probably aren't helping you. If I eat a string cheese by itself (1oz) that's 8 grams right there. I am trying to focus on the chicken, beef, ham/pork, shrimp, fish, etc. I only eat fruits and veggies if I finish my protein source first and can fit a little more. With the exception of edamame which I do eat a little more of, but at least it has some protein.

Meatless soy vegetarian products are super high in protein. The Morningstar Farms brand is delicious. 1 'sausage patty' has 10grams of protein. Top with a little cheese or even egg for even more. I bought the "chick'n nuggets" also and 1 nugget has 3grams. I can eat 2 nuggets plus 1/2 a string cheese (about 2.5 ounces) for a total of 10grams in a meal.

Add unflavored Protein Powder into foods it will mix well with... yogurt, pudding, oatmeal, cottage cheese, anything soft. I actually have not been doing this to get my protein goal though, I've been getting enough from the foods.

Tuna is one of the highest protein options so if you like tuna, make up different tuna salad recipes. Again though, I don't eat it on crackers or bread, just alone so I get all protein. This is a big adjustment for me as a total carb lover, but it's not as bad as I would have thought :thumbup: Also shrimp has great protein too. A few cold cooked shrimp and some cocktail sauce makes a quick easy meal (shrimp cocktail) high in protein. I ate 2 ounces and the bag said that was 14grams.

Then there are always Protein Bars. I still haven't eaten one of them yet either but I just bought some yesterday that my doc recommended. They are from costco and they are called Premier Protein bars. They come in a variety pack with 3 flavors. Choc Peanut Butter, yogurt and nut, double fudge. One bar has 30grams!!!! It's chewy, not hard, so it's okay to eat in these stages. I haven't tried one yet... it says one bar is 2.5 ounces... but even though I eat that amount in other foods, I have a feeling it is so dense I would have to split it into two sittings. But 30 grams!!! That could really boost your day!! I could see possibly even cutting it into 6 pieces and having one piece as "dessert" at each of 6 mini meals throughout the day to help spread the protein around.

I hope these options help.