I had gastric sleeve surgery exactly 3 weeks ago today. My nutritionist forbade me to drink smoothies because of the sugar content. My calves were extremely sore after surgery and it wasn’t due to blood clots but a deficiency of potassium. So, my husband made me a strawberry banana smoothie with nonfat Greek yogurt and added my protein powder. The smoothie was great! It didn’t upset my stomach and my calves started feeling better. I also don’t like -premade protein shakes so now I make me a smoothie everyday and add my protein powder. I’m still losing weight. So I was just wondering if anyone else was told to stay away from fruit smoothies, but found them to be helpful?

I've eaten fruit pretty much from the start, but not very much the first year. A few berries on my Greek yogurt was about it. Or maybe a quarter of a banana and a few berries whirred into my protein shake. Fruit is very nutritious but has a lot of sugar in it, so watch that. Some of us (not me - but a lot of people) are very carb-sensitive, so something like fruit can start up the sugar cravings.

i have a Nutribullet, have used it to blend up my powdered protein shakes, mainly because I can add ice and and leave it a little icy like real milkshakes have. Have also made fruit based smoothies. Now I am getting a little more adventurous, how do you like adding greens or avocado. to them? I am the RARE BIRD who cannot add banana or peanut butter even the PB2, my tempermental pouch refuses them violently. So thought maybe those other things or softened and pureed seeds like flax, chia or similar might be good.

I love my green smoothies - milk (cow or soy to get the protein), a scoop of protein powder, a handful of spinich (you can use the frozen spinich as well as fresh), some berries (strawberry/blueberry - the blackberry seeds bothered me at first), 1/4 banana, 2 Tb plain Greek yoghurt. I also add a couple tablespoons of prickly pear juice (very high in anti oxidents, low in calories, adds sweetness. I harvest and freeze myself, so it is a freeby.) This has about 200 calories and 30-40 gm protein, depending on the powder you use. It is a meal, and goes dowm so easily. It was a good way for me to get some leafy greens at first, as a salad was just too rough.

Wow thanks AZhiker, you are making me Brave Enough to try branching out! Thank You Again!

2 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

Wow thanks AZhiker, you are making me Brave Enough to try branching out! Thank You Again!

You can also add kale, beet greens, and any other dark leafies. When I had my winter garden in (My surgery was in Feb so winter garden was going strong), I added arugula, broccoli leaves, turnip greens, mustard and collard greens, chard, and anything else I could pick and throw in. I felt sooooo good once I started getting some real phyto-nutrients from the greens. Not being able to eat veggies for those first weeks was awful!