Having trouble with Protein or Fluids?? I've got some tips!
Hey all!!
I know some people are still early out of surgery and are freaking out about not getting in enough fluids or protein or just plain hate every protein supplement/shake they've found. Just a few suggestions of things that I found that work and I will never have to use a protein shake EVER........thank God! lol
Carnation Instant Breakfast No Sugar added - *Alone has 5 grams of protein.
*With 8 ounces of milk, 13g.
*With 8 ounces of milk and a serving of non fat dry milk powder stirred in......21g of protein!! You can even add a few ice cubes and throw it in the blender for a "milkshake". I've done that too and it is YUM!
Cream of Wheat or Chocolate Cream of Wheat or Co Co Wheats - I personally tried this with Co Co Wheats.
Make this with MILK instead of water. Add a serving of non fat dry milk powder to the milk before you cook it. You can either add a Splenda packet OR half a package of Carnation to the finished product. Add a little milk at the end to cool it down and you have a 3 oz. 25g serving of hot cereal!!
Mashed Potatoes - I've lived off these for my full liquid diet. I have two alternatives here. You can make an approximately 10 grams of protein 3oz. serving of mashed potatoes by cooking the mashed potatoes in milk only and adding some non fat dry milk powder to the milk. Nice creamy mashed potatoes. I have my husband add just the tiniest bit of Velveeta to mine for another little dash of protein........and flavor!! lol
Milk - If you like milk, even if your lactose intolerant, you can consume like 1/2 of your fluid intake in milk or a milk product. I take in 16 ounces of milk in addition to my water and "Carnation protein drink" and add an additional 16 grams of protein to my daily intake. If you add some non fat dry milk powder to your glass of milk, you can essentially DOUBLE your protein intake for each glass. And yes your protein drink counts in your fluid count, unless your doc told you otherwise.
Someone mentioned popsicles before as counting in your fluid intake. Great idea!
Now these may only be great ideas for people that are still in their full liquid stage but will hopefully help some of you in your soft stage too. If anyone is curious, my day looks like this.
32 oz. of water....sometimes more....just depends
8 ounces of juice........been mostly light Cranberry now
16 ounces of milk
8 ounces of Carnation instant breakfast
Breakfast is usually applesauce or Co Co Wheats
Lunch is usually opposite of whatever I didn't have for breakfast
Dinner mostly been mashed potatoes.
I consume usually 3 oz. of food at a time.
I'm getting 37g of protein just off my drinks alone. I WOULD be getting more if I added a scoop of non fat dry milk powder in each glass I make, but I don't feel I need the extra. If I did do that, I'd be getting 53g of protein just off my drinks. this is a HUGE plus to me because I don't have to spend a gazillion dollars on protein powders!!!
Off my food, I'm getting roughly 35g of protein and that is only limited now because I really can't add things like cheese to my mashed potatoes in my full liquid stage(except that little Velveeta my hubby sneaks in!! lol)
I was just throwing this out there if anyone was struggling and since we're all April surgeries, we're at about the same place. I know I don't post on this board.......just lurk mainly, but I'm VERY active on the post op pregnancy board since I had a baby last June. I hope some of this may have helped a little and hopefully can become more active over here!!
Allie 
You're quite welcome Lynn! My doctor actually lets us have soupy mashed potatoes with our full liquid stage, although I don't eat them quite so soupy anymore. I'm not allowed butter at all so it's just salt. I asked hubby to put a tiny bit of velveeta in them the last time he made them. Gave me a little something different. OH so yummy!!
Allie
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