So my surgery date is set for March 5 and I ordered the post op diet recommended by my surgeon. It came in yesterday and I decided to try it out. I tried the Unjury unflavored in my low cal gatorade. It was TERRIBLE! The texture...the taste...ugh. Now I'm worried that I will have trouble getting in all my protein. Any suggestions? What protein drinks do y'all like? Please help!

I use Bariatric Advantage, they are not so bad. I think you can request samples if you call them directly good luck!

I mix unflavored protein with lactaid milk (can't have regular milk post-op) a banana and any flavored protein powder. it helps take the too sweet or bitter-sweet artificial taste of the flavored powders away and gives me alot of protien.

Thanks! I just tried it again with a small strawberry yogurt, skim milk and ice in the blender. Much better!

I like to get the variety pack of nectar from my doc's office. Each has 23g of Protein and it's nice to be able to mix up the flavors from day to day. Then, on the side I have unflavored and vanilla unjury. I like to use the unflavored in Jell-O and it's a nice boost in the middle of the day - mixing instructions below. Usually for dinner I have a chicken, beef, or tomato protein mix (Healthwise?) that is smaller, only about 15g protein mixed with warmed broth or strained Soups.

Use (1) small box of SF Jell-O, make as usual mixing powder with 1cup hot Water until dissolved. Then set aside and allow to cool to 90-100 degrees. Then mix one scoop of unflavored Unjury with the 1cup cold water shortly before combining the two. I like to break them out using some Pampered Chef prep bowls I have that show measurements on the side like a measuring cup. Makes 4 (1/2cup) servings with about 5+ grams of protein each.

I don't care for the Protein in Clear liquids - except for the strawberry sorbet unjury in crystal light. I drink one of those almost every day.

Try the unflavored protein in Jello (just don't mix it with anything over 130 degrees, I believe).

Also, you can mix the unflavored in milk, or chocolate almond milk.

I like chocolate protein powder in my coffee (just plain coffee, no sugar or cream) - if you are allowed coffee.

I would guess that some of your protein products are going to be not so pleasant. I have some I love and some I hate. Good for you for trying them ahead of time and getting your plan in place!

I use the CVS brand that is in a bag. They have chocolate and cookies and cream. I mix the chocolate with lactaid and it takes just like chocolate milk. And i mix the cookies and cream with sugar free instant cheesecake flavored pudding-AWESOME! Btw-I thought I'd use the pudding cups instead of having to actually make it-they don't work well when mixed with protein powder.

Oh, and don't be surprised if your tastes change after surgery. Its really common. So you might not like one thing now, but it may taste great after surgery. Sugar is the biggest thing I noticed. Everything tastes so sweet now...and salt....wow...a lot of things taste really salty.

Oh you may want to buy a couple different types of low sugar juices/crystal light, SF popsicles, etc in case you have a hard time with plain water. I couldn't get it down until just recently, but still use just a little crystal light to give it a light flavor.

Even if you don't like it hang onto it until post op and try it again at that point. The shakes I loved pre-op tasted awful to me afterwards! I would get samples of a bunch of different flavors and keep them around so you can see what you really like. And even once you find something you love don't stock up on it too much because you might get tired of it, anyway!

I still have a Protein shake each day to push up my protein levels and I've gone through three or four different favorites in the past 19 months.

From the start I've liked several of the nectar flavors. My favorite unflavored protein is Integrated supplements because I can't even taste it in my morning coffee or chai latte. If I had more than a Tbs. of unjury in my Soup or drink I could taste it and smell it - I hated that stuff!

Keep trying and don't feel obligated to go with a particular brand or force yourself to drink something you hate because other people do it or it has a good nutritional profile. Protein Shakes help A LOT in the first months post op, so you want to find something you like. A lot of sites offer sample packs and variety packs so you can try a lot of flavors, and Vitalady also sells samples - there's a thread somewhere on VST about protein samples that should give you a few places to try.

~Cheri