Planning your eating is an essential skill to have foods you need to be healthy after surgery. But let’s face, some days will fall apart. Unexpected situations come up and you will need an emergency stash of protein foods.

Non-perishable protein foods are ideal to stock up at work, home, in your purse or backpack or in your car. Keep a clean shaker cup and single serve size of protein powder handy. All you need is water to mix. Keeping a ready to drink protein shake handy can be an easier alternative. All you need is to open and sip or find a cup of ice to pour the drink into.

Small cans of tuna or chicken can be open and eaten right out of the can. There are also tuna and chicken salad kits that you can keep stocked at home or work. Softer meat sticks or meat jerky can be stashed in a desk drawer or locker at work. Brands include Ostrim (available at Owasso Nutrition Plus by Fit for her in Owasso or online) and Kratos High Protein Beef Bars (currently at Reasors).

For meat sticks, find ones that have four grams of fat or less and at least seven grams of protein per ounce. High protein Quest chips make for a crunchy snack that can be stashed. These are currently available at GNC stores. Nuts deliver protein and healthy fat. Make sure you measure out the nuts, because that healthy fat leads to higher calories. One ounce of nuts is about ¼ cup. Measure this into snack size baggies or find the 100-calorie packs of nuts. Eating out of the container can lead to overeating.

Protein bars are also great ways to get in some protein. Look for protein bars with more protein than carbohydrate like Pure Protein or Premier Protein. If you are driving about town, you can get protein bars and protein drinks at convenience stores like Quik Trip and Kum & Go. You can also stop at a grocery store and buy string cheese, light yogurt or an Oscar Meyer P3 snack pack. Keep a stash of plastic spoons in your car for eating yogurt. Time to stock up on emergency proteins!

Jerkey and Protein bars (especially the Oh Yeah! Victory bars) are my goto's when it comes to keeping an emergency stash. I have to keep them at work, cause if I keep them around the house, it's too easy to eat them rather than cooking. :-(

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be careful to all about Protein bars, many many brands have a large number of grams of sugar. remember 4 grams of sugar is a teaspoon of sygar so 12 grams of sugar is three whole teaspoons of sugar. many is teh time i have picked up a Protein Bar and looked at the label only to be shocked and put it right back down again.

be careful to all about Protein bars, many many brands have a large number of grams of sugar. remember 4 grams of sugar is a teaspoon of sygar so 12 grams of sugar is three whole teaspoons of sugar. many is teh time i have picked up a protein bar and looked at the label only to be shocked and put it right back down again.

True, but we're talking emergencies here. I probably last had one 3 mths ago. I keep them in my glove compartment along with single serving packs of nuts. Some days things get crazy and if it's a choice between fast food and a protein bar, Id rather go for a protein bar.

Jerkey is a great way to go. I've found I keep a bag in my car and one in my desk drawer at work. Expensive yes, but the amount of protein you get is well worth it!

I have a couple cans of Trader Joe's boneless skinless sardines in olive oil at home and work. Does not taste bad at all! 14g protein for a half a can.

At Sam's Club I found a box of Jack Links premium cuts beef steak. For 1 ounce serving: 1 g of fat 2 g of carbohydrates 1 g of sugar and 12 g of protein. There are 12 individually wrapped 1 ounce servings in this box. And they're really good. It was about $12 I think.