Protein bars??

 I had my surgery done in Guelph 4 weeks ago and am finally allowed to have non fluids next week. I'm SO excited for more than soups and jello and pudding. However I tried a wee bite of chicken and lentils yesterday and they didn't sit well. There are only so many dairy/cheese options out there so I've started looking into protein powder. So far I've gathered that 'whey protein isolate' is that best. Is that right? Also any opinions on protein bars? Yay? Nay? If so what brand/kind?? I feel very overwhelmed. If anyone has experience with them fairly soon post op let me know. Thanks y'all :)

you will get a list of everyone's favourite protein powder and bar.   if you did a search on this board for protein, you will be overwhelmed.    I think it is trial and error on the brand, what sits well today may not next week, but may again be fine.  expensive does not mean great tasting.  Pure Protein is my favourite and less than $25 for 2 kg. 

introducing food after the liquid stage was really hard and frustrating.  after 18 months, I am still not able to eat eggs unless they are hard boiled. just the other day, rye toast made me upset, yet I eat rye bread almost everyday !!!

I ate a lot of cheese - hard, ricotta, cottage and Walmart moz cheese strings with less than 18%mf was a staple in my lunch bag.  


PS.   when it was my turn, the clinic really frowned on protein supplements and really pushed to get me to eat food.  I only did the protein shakes and bars if my tummy was really upset and I could not stomach real food.  protein bars were kept in my purse in case we were out and I needed a lunch or snack.   

 yeah, there's a lot of info out there and it can feel overwhelming sometimes.  All I can recommend is relax and enjoy the ride!  I buy most of my protein powders from GNC because they'll take them back if you don't like them.  BBQd chicken, roasted is my go to food, never had a problem with it, even swiss chalet, just get a leg and eat slowly!  I have been looking for a protein bar commerically available but haven't found one that I like yet.  If you do let me know pls!  Regards, Ian  

Premiere protein from Costco is pretty good. 30 gm on about a cup. It is premixed so travels well. If you have a Popeyes near you you can try the different flavors before buying, I like the jucie type flavors the best,  I went through TWH and suppliments are ok. It is difficult to get all your protein in at the beginning. If Guelph is OK then defintely would go with it. Protein is important for healing and energy, I would caution the bars as they often have lots of sugar or sugar alcohols and lots of calories. I find them hard to digest and not that great tasting. Try one and nibble on it.

Eating at the beginning is trial and error. What sits good today may not tomorrow, Have you tried shrimp? Shrimp with a little ****tail sauce was my fave when I started to eat. It purees well too.

If you're an online shopper, check on The Low Carb Grocer, The Quest have 20g of protein per bar and I also get the Chocolite bars as well.  High in fiber as well, which is good because it cuts the carbs g..lol
Hope it helps even if the bars are not for now, it could be an option for later.  Me personally, I didn't touch protein bars for at least 6 months out and since then, I will only have one if either I'm having a troubled-pouch day and nothing else going down or a travel day where I can't access food at my regular routine hours..lol

Nathalie

I wouldn't be too quick to try protein bars this soon out. Most of them are pretty dense and may sit heavily in your pouch, so if you are going to try it, like with everything, go slow and only try a little bit at a time. 

This being said, like Nathalie, my favourite bars are the Quest Bars (I really like the Apple Pie, Chocolate Brownie and PB&J bars, although I've overdone the PB&Js of late) and the Chocolite bars (I've had the Cookies N Cream and Smores flavours). I usually eat one Quest Bar everyday or every other day as they are convenient, work into my busy schedule and contain a good chunk of my daily fibre. My clinic and dietitians are okay with that, but your mileage may vary. You can buy quest bars individually to try at Popeye's if there is one near you. 

Recently, I've been told to stop my protein supplements because I was taking in more than I needed, but when I was having shakes I love the Syntrax proteins. If you log onto their website  they have a link to order their sample pack online. It cost me $13 total to sample 13 different flavours and I ended up buying the powder from the low carb grocer (that's also where I buy the Quest bars as they have the best price I've seen). I bought the chocolate and vanilla ones and found that between these two and adding in other ingredients, I had enough variety in making shake flavours and in using them in baked goods and things like protein ice cream. One of the big benefits for me was these protein powders don't have that overly powerful whey smell even though they are whey isolates.

Hope that helps!

i agree with smiley k - i would recommend holding off on the protein bars for a bit - if chicken was tough on pouchie, a protein bar will probably be too (they tend to be dense.)  stick with soft foods for a bit till everything heals up nice.  cook your chicken in sauces to keep it moist.  i ate a lot of chili and stews for the first couple of months after the liquid diets - made a big batch, measured out portions and froze them for quick meals.  good luck finding a protein powder that works for you - i would also recommend purchasing something from somewhere that'll either let you try them before you purchase or that'll let you take them back.  what you liked pre op might not sit well post op.  best of luck.

debi.,

 After reading all your wonderful comments I think many of you are right. I'm jumping into something too quick. I need to focus on getting as much protein from real food for now and then see how that goes. Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll definitely keep them in mind for down the road :)