QOTD 5/13

Whether you are preop and trying to lose weight, or post op....do you supplement your protein with shakes or bars? I do. My protein minimum is 75 gr., but I actually like to get a little more than that. Being a vegetarian, it is sometimes hard to meet that minimum. I usually have at least one protein drink a day. I have it for breakfast and it starts my day off with 40 gr. of protein right off the bat. What about you? Rachelle

My NUT says no so I rarely supplement, but I have both bars and a bullet at work in case of emergency and we do take them when traveling. I frequently have a packet of tuna and cottage cheese for lunch which is 31 grams and I also eat the pretzels from Kay's Naturals which have ten grs. per serving. Connie

I keep protein in my desk drawer for an emergency. I actually just tried the Kay's products and I like them very much. I need to order more.

Definitely! If I didn't have either a protein or maybe a protein bar, there's no way that I'd be able to get as much protein as recommended for each day. Even with it, I'm lucky to get 75-80 grams/day; this may be because while I'm not a vegetarian, most days I don't eat much meat, if any. /Steve

Are you not eating meat as a choice, or can you not tolerate it?

It's kind of a passive choice. I often don't care to take the time to buy and prepare cuts of beef or chicken, and I've never felt that I *had* to eat meat daily, so it just turns out that I usually don't. Plus, there are so many other neat things to eat, and so little space when I eat them, that meat just takes its place behind other dietary selections. Meat has its pluses: much more protein-dense, and I find that it fills me up quickly and keeps me filled for a long time. As long as I chew carefully, I don't have any problems at all with any kind of meat (or any other kind of food, for that matter. I've never ever "dumped", but I haven't tried hard to test this, either.) /Steve

I am very bad about protein but I keep bars around the house and in my purse. The only shake mix I have is Matrix Cookies and Cream, which is okay but very sweet.

I tried the Cookies & Cream, but I didn't care for it too much. I much prefer the Lean Desserts or Nectar Iced Tea.

I've heard Nectar is really good.

In the Nectars I like either the Iced Tea or Roadside Lemonade. I mix them with Crystal Lite and for 90 calories I get 23 grams of protein in a nice, refressing drink. I find it easy to do this...especially on those days that I'm not hungry. Rachelle