Favorite Frozen Proteins

I am 2.5 weeks post-op and am starting to look around for future handy sources of protein.  I don't cook much and really don't like to cook meat or fish, though I will certainly eat it someone else has prepared it.  I am wondering if you all can recommend any frozen protein options that you really like.  Thanks!

Don't know if you have a Trader Joe's near you, but their Chili Lime Chicken Burgers are good as well as their frozen Turkey meatballs.

I do have one close by.  Thanks for the recommendation!

I still (2 yrs out) rely a lot on pre-cooked chicken from Costco - it's not frozen, but in the refrigerated section near the meat counter.   It's basically grilled chicken pieces and it comes in smallish bags so I buy a bunch and freeze most of them.  I eat it plain, or I add a little bit of BBQ sauce, or my all-time favorite - Trader Joe's yellow curry sauce.  Love that stuff.  Easy, and I don't have to mess with gross raw chicken. :)  Of course, not a day goes by without my trusty Premier Protein shake (also Costco) to boost the protein grams.

I used to be that way - but I had to force myself to get over it and start cooking. It is absolutely essential to my recovery, weight loss and maintenance. For health reasons, it's hard to rely on all pre cooked/frozen food/ processed foods. There's only a finite number of options and you'll probably get bored and more likely to start reaching for even more unhealthy options.  If I don't cook, eating out and fast food start looking like acceptable options. And if I don't cook, I can't control the quality, quantity, and precision of my macro nutrients. So hopefully you'll reconsider and learn to cook so you are more in control of what goes into your body. Just my opinion though. 

I cook in quantity and freeze in appropriate portion sizes. I use a food scale and measuring cups to do this. I mass cook one day a week and then eventually I have a nice variety of meals ready to go in the freezer. I do have a large freezer in the garage, so that helps, but you can still do this with just the freezer on the fridge. I do find it is easier to work with similar recipe ingredients so for example, if I am working with ground beef that needs to be crumbled and cooked, I make 2-4 recipes that call for ground beef. I will cook about 6-10 pounds of chicken breast in the crock-pot, shred it and use for recipes that call for cooked chicken. I then use some of the chicken in the broth that the chicken was cooked in, add veggies, and there is homemade soup. I use small freezer containers to portion and store. I am copy/pasting a cooking blog/recipe website list that I use, and that I have shared when I co-led a support group where I used to live. Happy cooking (yes, you will get used to it). A few of these websites are authored by some of the OH community.

Helpful Websites and Blogs for Bariatric Surgery Patients

Not all are specifically for the bariatric community, but do have useful recipes and specialty nutrition information for those of who need it.

http://www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

One of the most popular cooking blogs on the web, written by RNY patient Michelle (Shelly). Her recipes are fantastic. She is OH.

 http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/

This is one of several blogs with low carb and gluten free recipes.

http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/

Another blog featuring low carb and gluten free recipes.

http://247lowcarbdiner.blogspot.com/

This one is primarily low carb and diabetic friendly recipes.

http://www.lapsf.com/cafe-frisco/

This is a page connected to a top bariatric surgeon's website. Frisco is a VSG patient who has lost 190 lbs. He is known on http://www.obesityhelp.com/ for his brutal honesty, and "food porn."

http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/

Another recipe blog written by a RNY patient with many good ideas to add variety to your cooking. She is also on OH.

http://lowcarboneday.com/

While this blog author has not had weight loss surgery, she leads a low carb lifestyle for health reasons. Many of these recipes are also gluten and/or dairy free.

http://healthylivinghowto.com/

This website/blog is about natural health options. It is included on this list because of the recipes found here.

http://www.primallyinspired.com/

Here is another natural living blog that happens to have good recipe options.

http://www.the*****ycoconut.com/

This is also another natural living blog with good specialty recipes.

Thanks very much for all of the suggestions.

I eat a lot of frozen fish. Gorton's has a bunch of different types of grilled filet that heat up nicely in the oven. No breading on any of them, some have seasonings that are pretty good. I stock up when they're on sale and I need something to make when I'm feeling lazy.