I am 7 weeks post op and my appetite is back. Not as ravenous as I once was, so that is good, but I am hungry more often than every 3-4 hours and really, all I want to eat is cheese. I'm also craving peanut butter. Both are okay in small amounts but neither should be used for protein. Hit me up with your ideas for meals at this stage that satisfied those savory/fatty/creamy cravings.

Ricotta Bake has your favorite craving "cheese" If you can have veggies, make a zucchini lasagna (substitute pasta for layers of zucchini), homemade alfredo sauce with anything really, creamy soups, chili (I make it with ground turkey and for variety I made both white chili and regular). Are you now on regular solids? If so, your options are limitless.

At least it's not cookies (me. sad.)

The Ricotta bake is a good idea- I also like it with zucchini. If you're on solid foods (I was eating anything by this point), maybe a taco salad with cheese on top. Cheese doesn't have to be terrible- get lower fat varieties. I liked cream cheese or laughing cow wedges on bell pepper wedges or celery stalks.

This made me chuckle because at about the same place post operatively, I felt the same way.

I took it VERY slow and seemed to get stuck in a "soft" food phase because quite honestly, I liked it.

For alternatives to cheese and peanut butter for protein sources, I started with eggs. SOFT scrambled eggs. Hard boiled can be a little much at first. Other choices: refried beans, hummus and lentils. In terms of actual meat: tuna or canned salmon are a good soft proteins. I enjoyed shredded chicken, sometimes from a can and sometimes from my crock pot (so soft it probably belongs in a soup).

At almost 2 months out, you should be at a point where you can try almost anything. Always remember, when you're trying something for the first time to take it slow. You never know when something won't quite agree. I don't do well with dry meats. Had a pork chop this week, too dry. Managed 2 bites and that was it.

This creamy chicken spinach bake was sooo yummy! The sauce is good with riced cauliflower. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=687100

Finding healthy alternatives is definitely the way to go, but you need to pay attention to the type of hunger you're feeding. When it's all focused on one food, it's really a craving (head hunger), not actual hunger. Actual hunger would be satisfied with scrambled eggs or some yogurt.

1 hour ago, MargoCL said:

Ricotta Bake has your favorite craving "cheese" If you can have veggies, make a zucchini lasagna (substitute Pasta for layers of zucchini), homemade alfredo sauce with anything really, creamy Soups, chili (I make it with ground turkey and for variety I made both white chili and regular). Are you now on regular solids? If so, your options are limitless.

That sounds really good! I'm going to try it when I'm able to eat more. Thanks

I 2nd the Laughing Cow wedges. I like them with 34 Degree Crackers.

Also, just found the Aldi version only has 25 calories per wedge, vs. 35. (Haven't yet tried them, or compared the size of the wedges.)

Based off what you're craving it sounds like your body is telling you you need more protein!

1 hour ago, sleevedllama said:

I am 7 weeks post op and my appetite is back. Not as ravenous as I once was, so that is good, but I am hungry more often than every 3-4 hours and really, all I want to eat is cheese. I'm also craving Peanut Butter. Both are okay in small amounts but neither should be used for Protein. Hit me up with your ideas for meals at this stage that satisfied those savory/fatty/creamy cravings.

I was never told that cheese and peanut butter don't count toward protein. Interesting.

1 minute ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

I was never told that cheese and Peanut Butter don't count toward Protein. Interesting.

I definitely count my cheese towards my protein goal. I don't really love a lot of lean meat, so cheese plays an important role in my diet.

I put Laughing Cow in my scrambled eggs to get a nice creamy texture. Very satisfying. Or if I'm indulgent, blue cheese in my scrambled eggs.

I 2nd the Laughing Cow wedges. I like them with 34 Degree Crackers.
Also, just found the Aldi version only has 25 calories per wedge, vs. 35. (Haven't yet tried them, or compared the size of the wedges.)

I've tried the Aldi version, I like them.

Have you tried these (see pic) for cracker alternative?

I was never told that cheese and peanut butter don't count toward protein. Interesting.

Oh no! This makes me sad......

11 minutes ago, MargoCL said:

I've tried the Aldi version, I like them.

Have you tried these (see pic) for cracker alternative?

Yeah, and I really like them, especially for a protein product!

The 34 degree crackers are really low cal, so I don't worry about them.

33 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

Yeah, and I really like them, especially for a Protein product!

The 34 degree crackers are really low cal, so I don't worry about them.

Where do you find the 34 degree crackers?