What protein snacks do you keep in the car/on the go?

The days I get to eat lunch at home are rare treats for me right now. I pretty much have to take a cooler with me every day and I sit and eat my lunch in the car between things. It sucks... but it is what it is for now.

I should have explained that my schedule is not packed at all and I'm home a lot. If I'm not, it's generally not for very long, so it's pretty easy for me to plan when and what I'll eat. I didn't mean to be judgemental if that's how I came across!

I don't think it was you

I always have something in my bag... (long story but I was lost in the woods for 10 hours with no food & water as a kid so my purse is like MacGyver's dream I can live out of that thing)

Almonds or pistachios are in their almost always.

I make "cookies" out of Quest Bars (8 cookies per bar and 2 are perfect portion for me) so a little snack sized baggie with those: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2015/07/quest -protein-bar-cookies.html

If I am traveling I have a packet of protein powder (a lot of companies make travel packets) and/or a tuna packet.

I am 7 months post-op and I always have food with me. Jerky, tuna pouch, almonds, protein powder, protein bar, protein shake, you name it. I portion it out so that I do not overeat, and I consider it a meal. BUT I would make very bad choices if I end up somewhere without appropriate food, and that is usually these days.

Lot of people on this forum do not believe in protein bars. Some of the bars out there are like candy, but if you stick to bars that have a good protein "bang" for their buck (Quest, Chocorite are my two) and if you portion out, they are an ok emergency food in my book. I don't eat them very often because if you get the right bars they do not call out to you ;). I do not like them very much, in other words. I do love my beef jerky coins, so I portion them out in one ounce bags. I do the same with almonds. Lot of calories for 12 almonds so it is not a first choice for me.

I believe in being prepared at all times. I do not believe in some of the "lifestyle changes" that other posters here. Some people are busy. I am very busy. Life happens and my belief is that you have to roll with the punches.

I think the longer post-op we are the possibility that we were stuck somewhere with no chance to "stop and buy" something, or were in a place where there was a lot of food that was not suitable for us.

I had a few too many situations like that. Getting invited to a casual dinner only to discover that it was spaghetti +pizza dinner, with cake as a dessert. Or wedding that served small dinner and after that there was lots of cake, cookies and alcohol... Or get stuck for hours in ER with a friend or family member...

My car and my purse can feed me. I have stuff. Enough to last up to 24 hours. Including water. Jerky, nuts, individually packed nut butter - almond butter, pork rinds, etc. Even some of my meds, and glucose tablets if my BS drops. Better be prepared than sorry.

The only protein bars I eat are low sugar nut bars or epic bars (meat bars).

In winter - I check "my inventory" at least once a month. In summer - at least every weekend. Individually wrapped beef jerky are often great even when gets hot. But almost everything else - even that is good-safe in a room temperature- I keep in a small cooler and carry with me. Summer in SC can be really really hot.

Most assuredly - the further out we get and into more "normal" living, the more likely that life throws us curveballs that we need to handle, and generally, after a few years we have developed a bit more tolerance for those things. A couple years ago, the restaurant where we usually held our support group meeting closed without notice and everyone was left standing around. We wound up going around the corner to a pizza place which had room to accommodate us, the doc bought a couple pizzas, some ordered salads, sandwiches or something else and everyone got along fine. Some of the "newbie vets" I've run into here would have had a total conniption at the prospect of a bariatric pizza feed, but thankfully this doc is a pragmatist and most of those in the group are long term vets so that wasn't an issue.

Plan as best as you can, have a Plan B for when that doesn't work, and move on.

Recently I took all the foods I eat and ranked them based on calories vs grams of protein. Good quality protein bars (like Quest) rank high on the list. I think they can be like glorified candy bars IF they are a gateway to overeating (as they are for some). I personally find that I am very satisfied with one and can't comfortably eat more.

I travel a long distance for work, and sometimes for pleasure so often have to plan a snack/meal in the car. In order of preference, I use low-fat cheese sticks, almonds or protein bars.

Like some of the others here I eat 5 small meals a day so a "snack" is just a small meal for me. I find this works best for me in maintaining and feeling generally well.

I always have a Quest bar with me. It's not a snack, but a meal replacement as I have a crazy schedule at times. I basically love all the Quest bars except for the strawberry cheesecake, it's just too sweet. I'm currently looking for jerks thwart isn't loaded with sugar and salt. My surgeon's office has meat snacks that look like Slim Jims, I just may have to try them.

The original Jack Link's individually wrapped are great. Only 2 carbs/1sugar per serving for 12gr proteins. Sam's carry them. Or almost any convince store.