Hello! I have not even been scheduled for surgery yet but I've been doing lots of research and lately have been thinking a lot about my diet post-surgery. I hate protein shakes, powder...anything like that. I cannot overstate how much I loathe them. Is it possible to have a healthy diet without them? Would anyone be willing to share examples of daily food that doesn't include them?

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I only used them for the 2 weeks post op but I do have a lower BMI. Those with higher BMIs would probably struggle to get in all their required protein without them

You can totally try different Bari-life hacks like yogurt, protein water, protein pudding, protein jello, etc but the quickest way to get it all in immediately post op is liquid form. Something to consider when considering if this is the path you want to take.

The problem is that they don't allow you to have anything that's not liquid form right after the surgery.

You're sure that you don't like any? Most of them have chocolate and vanilla as options, but the Premier Protein (which my doctor recommended) have bananas and cream and caramel also as options. I've thought a few times about putting the caramel into decaf coffee, but haven't done it yet!

If not, I know that there is flavorless protein powder out there, and they do allow you to have sugar free pudding and light yogurt as long as it has no chunks in it. Maybe mixing the powder with one of those might not be bad? You'll still be sick of pudding/yogurt like me by the time it's over, but I'd say that they would do well to disguise the texture of the protein powder due to the fact that they're more dense than just pure liquid.

Hope this helps!

I hate them as well, but I have to use them in order to hit anywhere remotely close to the 90g/protein per day. I am a vegetarian though, so it's a bit more complicated for me than meat eaters (or so I'm told.) Right now I am drinking 1-2 a day still, but I want to stop drinking them asap.

I could be wrong (and feel free to correct me, anybody, if so!) but I think you only really need them for the first couple weeks post-surgery, and then you can phase them out? There are other ways of getting protein as well besides shakes, like yogurts, quarks, even protein water.

My nutritionist suggested milk fortified with dried skim milk powder. I use 1%. 300ml + 30mg powder is 21.6g Protein. Ultra low carb is the aim for many, which milk isn't, but for Protein, Calcium, good fats, and natural carbs to just run the engine when getting anything down is rough, I ignored everything else.

Did also have some Protein Water, but I could JUST taste the whey. I do however have very sensitive tastebuds. Got it down slowly, which pleased me...everything else was so sweet and creamy so the alternative was fab. Arla protein yoghurt pouches (20g in 200ml) were also a very good as they had sharpness.

I struggle both because I dislike whey (seem to be able to detect it in anything no matter how strong the taste used to hide it) and because I was physically forced to eat as child (forks forced down my throat until I vomited at school), so if my brain starts feeling cornered into swallowing it's about 80% I can't physically do so. That has hobbled many diet attempts. Most, including my OH just close eyes, think of England, and get it done whether they like stuff or not, I usually can't.

Got through by getting creative with nutritonist help and like childbirth, when I got to tle goal the mental pain immediately started fading :-).

(As an asside, as a Brit, I do also wonder how production of their own protein drinks/soups/snacks, or deals with other manufacturers to supply via insurance, influences advice of some programmes).

I stopped using shakes before I hit 3 months post-op. I can totally get all my protein from food. I keep a few around in case I have a rough day and need to augment, but I no longer have them in regular rotation.

Thank you all! For those who get all of their protein from food, what does your normal.day of food look like?

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I usually start a weekday with 2 prosciutto and mozzarella roll ups. For an am snack I will have fruit or something less protein rich. For lunch I will have 3 to 4 oz of a dense protein, like chicken or beef. For pm snack I will have 2 more roll ups or 2 mozz sticks. For dinner I will again have 3 to 4 oz of a dense protein. Chicken, beef, sausage, etc. Don;t usually do an evening snack. And LOTS of water!!!!!