Protein/Carb question

I haven't yet talked to my surgeon's nutritionist,(surgery jan 5th) but I'm curious about things like lentils for the puree stage. Lentils have about 8g of protein per serving (1/4 cup, dry) but also has 19g of carbohydrates in that same amount. I suspect the same will be true of garbanzo beans etc.

I've never been fond of protein shakes, but i've been looking at protein in broths etc and realizing that there's not as much protein in there as i thought.

I, personally, dont see any way around the protein shakes in the very beginning. You HAVE to get your 60-70 gms of protein in for the day and the only way to do that is with the help of shakes. Now i did buy some Isopure water at GNC for the first couple of days that my stomach may not be able to handle the thick shakes. They have 40 gms of protein with 160 cals. But they are expensive at $5 a bottle.Good luck ! my surgery is on the 13th! See you on the losers side!

I love Isopure too. If you shop online at The Vitamin Shoppe you can get them around $3.35/bottle and free shipping. :)

I haven't had a shake since surgery.  Greek yogurt was my go to.  I think at this puree stage, lentils maybe too harsh on your stomach, but check with your nut to be sure.

It might be worth finding a protein shake you like - there are infinite options out there. 

I puréed meaty things like curry and spaghetti sauce made with extra meat. And lentil sausage soup. I ate very well once I got to puréed foods :D  I'm pretty sure that my first day on puréeds was one of the happiest days of my life. I was so tired of liquids after four weeks of pre-op and post-op diets!

Refried beans were specifically allowed by my NUT during the pureed stage, so I can't see why lentils wouldn't be allowed. So far my NUT is saying you are eating so little that if you get your protein in, don't worry about the carbs. Still I know most people here watch carbs so i guess its better if you can keep the carbs low. Also, I agree with Gwen: That first pureed meal is a great day.

Unjury chicken broth flavor is a nice way to get protein without the overly sweet thing most shakes have. The Isopure is another good choice, with 40 gm of protein I plit them into 2 servings.

Ricotta cheese and egg custard were easy to eat and got me off of protein shakes, but it took a couple of months.

There are tasty protein shakes out there but you have to hunt for them and taste test them through samples.  I finally settled on Unjury Chocolate Splendor.  It's delicious and the only one I found I could tolerate.  Protein shakes are a great way to get high quality protein into your body that is easily digetsed and quickly absorbed...exactly what you need post-op for the first few months.  

I agree about finding a protein shake. There are literally 100's out there. You don't need to get a "bariatric" shake. Go to GNC and look at Gold Standard Whey. They have 22 flavors including Rocky Road, Cake Batter, and Chocolate Coconut. I bet you can find one you like. Just read the labels (some brands like to sneak in lots of carbs, I am looking at you Chike).