My dietitian said we cannot add unsweetened cocoa powder to unflavored Protein during the liquid state. However, she did not explain this to my satisfaction (meaning she never could provide a "why.") She told me and later reiterated in the group class that in the liquid stage following surgery we can:

Have Protein drinks, unflavored or flavored

Cannot add ingredients (such as fruit)

sugar free syrups are an exception

We can make them with milk ("they'll taste better"

Now, I have read the ingredients list on Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle (an acceptable drink) and other chocolate protein powders. They all contain cocoa powder. Since Hershey's unsweetened cocoa only has:

10 calories

3g carbs (2g fiber)

0g sugar

1g protein

0.5g fat

I don't get it. Post-op people, were you told the same thing? If so, were you told why? Or did you use cocoa powder in your liquid diet days?

Edited December 19, 201510 yr by songsmith

I don't know, why not ask her?

My guess is that adding cocoa-powder may make things "clumpier" with chocolate bits. The clear and full liquid stages are all about the texture.

Why not ask? And, why not just follow the directions? You can always add cocoa powder to things once you are cleared for all foods of you really, really want it. In the meantime, just have what is allowed.

It could also be because regular cocoa powder is acidic. Dutch-process cocoa powder is slightly less acidic.

Honestly, I think it's because not everyone follows directions and/or reads labels, and they just banned the powder so that nobody tried adding Nestles Quik to their Protein shake.

And this would be a rule that I wouldn't follow. Cause I'm a rebel that way. I'm also a healthcare professional, and know enough about how the postop body works to know that there's no more "clumpiness" with cocoa powder than powdered Protein drinks. Humbug.

Nestle quick and cocoa powder are two completely different things though. Quick has lots and lots of sugar where cocoa powder does not.

I am guessing they don't want you to because some might confuse the two.

Caffein?

My dietitian said we cannot add unsweetened cocoa powder to unflavored Protein during the liquid state. However, she did not explain this to my satisfaction (meaning she never could provide a "why.") She told me and later reiterated in the group class that in the liquid stage following surgery we can:

Have protein drinks, unflavored or flavored

Cannot add ingredients (such as fruit)

sugar free syrups are an exception

We can make them with milk ("they'll taste better"

Now, I have read the ingredients list on Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle (an acceptable drink) and other chocolate protein powders. They all contain cocoa powder. Since Hershey's unsweetened cocoa only has:

10 calories

3g carbs (2g fiber)

0g sugar

1g protein

0.5g fat

I don't get it. Post-op people, were you told the same thing? If so, were you told why? Or did you use cocoa powder in your liquid diet days?

I have found that NUTs will often shorthand the reasons for not wanting people to use certain things or straight out not allow them because they can be a slider or trigger for misuse. The other posters have given you good examples of that.

I would go up to her after class or if you have a 1: 1 session with her and ask her to explain why. When meeting with my NUT I found that once she realized that I read labels and did my homework, her responses to me were much different.

BTW: I use raw cacao powder that I buy from the produce market. Taste the same but not as refined.

I was adding things like frozen fruit and instant coffee to my shakes at about 2 weeks

In the beginning stages after surgery it is very important to follow the rules if you want to maximize the weight loss. One of the restrictions is NO CAFFEINE. Cocoa powder contains caffeine. Depending on the degree of fermentation and the type of cocoa Beans, the caffeine content will vary from 0.1-0.5%. In cocoa powders made from well fermented African cocoa beans the caffeine proportion is in general very low: 0.1% or less.

This is a temporary restriction. After you leave the "weight loss" phase and transition into the "maintenance" phase, things ease up a lot. I regularly drink a hot cup of cocoa in the morning during the cold winter. I use the "no sugar added" variety. I am 31 months post-op RNY.

I have been adding cocoa powder to my Protein drinks through this whole pre-op and post-op journey. I buy vanilla Protein Powder so that I can do just this...add different flavors. I also think that some people are not careful about reading labels and might think it's okay to add Nestle Quick or some other suger loaded chocolate. There's cocoa powder in all of the chocolate protein drinks.

In the beginning stages after surgery it is very important to follow the rules if you want to maximize the weight loss. One of the restrictions is NO CAFFEINE. Cocoa powder contains caffeine. Depending on the degree of fermentation and the type of cocoa Beans, the caffeine content will vary from 0.1-0.5%. In cocoa powders made from well fermented African cocoa beans the caffeine proportion is in general very low: 0.1% or less.

This would also be true of the drinks she is allowed that have cocoa powder in them.

I asked her in a 1:1 and she just said we can't do it. So, when I had the class I asked again and again she did not provide a thorough answer.

Cocoa powder does contain caffeine. So does the cocoa powder used in approved Protein powders they will allow us to use (including the one they try to sell us). See? If they said, "No chocolate protein powders/drinks at all," it would make sense. It would be all cocoa. It's the discrepancy I don't understand. If there's a problem with some people not understanding the difference between unsweetened cocoa and chocolate drinks, then she should have said so.

I don't mind restrictions. I am more than willing to follow them. I do function better when I understand something that makes no sense to me. It might simply be one of those, "our practice is different than other practices" things we see all the time here, so I asked here.

My nutritionist said it's okay to drink unsweetened hot chocolate so I assume cocoa powder is ok and having been adding it to my Protein shakes?!

I do function better when I understand something that makes no sense to me. It might simply be one of those, "our practice is different than other practices" things we see all the time here, so I asked here.

Exactly. There are so many different plans and rules. For instance I was told by my surgeon I could have caffeine right after surgery. There seems to be no hard fast rules that all practices use and when you can't get a reasonable explanation other than "because I said so" it's hard for someone that needs to know the why's to follow. I've been using unsweetened cocoa powder from week 1.

Pre-op I had tons of chocolate protein drinks. Post op the thought was repulsive. All I could handle was vanilla. Since then I have gotten some really good organic cocoa from whole foods. It is most likely thatthey don't want people to confuse "hot chocolate" with tons of sugar with unsweetened cocoa. Or maybe the nut herself has trouble distinguishing.