Question:
Question on Foods

Hi all. I am not scheduled to see the dietician until the day before surgery so I thought I would ask you for help. First, please tell me what foods are high in protein. Second, tell me some full liquids, I know puddings and cream soups, but anything else? This is the diet I will be on for a couple of weeks so I am wondering what I should be buying. Thanks for you help.    — Mini Gadget (posted on October 7, 2003)

October 7, 2003
Hi Bridget. I used popcicles (no sugar added), crystal light, jello, soups, chicken broth, and fat free gravy (LOL I know it was weird but I craved mashed potatoes and gravy and just having the white gravy on occasion helped). As far as protein goes, I eat a lot of cottage cheese, chicken, turkey lunch meat, tuna or tuna salad with a bit of mayo and egg, eggs, beef jerky, nuts (not alot),1-2 protein shakes daily (I mix real meals vanilla one banana, 1 cap of almond extract a bit of skim milk and 3 cubes of ice blend and it tastes like banana nut yummy). I also eat steak but many post-ops cannot tolerate that for quite some time. I keep frozen chicken patties in the deep freeze, and also individual frozen salmon patties. I use those whenever I think I am hungry but should not be, that way I have to physically cook something and then I know if it is physical or mental hunger. If it is mental I will not take time to cook LOL. Anyway hope this helps, and remember water is the key. Drink it until you could not tolerate another drink, then have another glass. Reace
   — Laureace A.

October 7, 2003
Animal products are generally the highest in protein (meat, cheese, eggs, milk). I bought chocolate protein mix to add to my chocolate pudding. Some people also use the non-fat dry milk. Unless you have a milk intolerance (seems like a lot of people do after surgery because of the lactose), you can mix some protein into skim milk, low fat cottage cheese is a good choice as is sugar free yogurt. There are many internet sites that will give you the protein content of foods. I personally ate bean with bacon soup (ran through the blender first) and meatless chili (through the blender) at my full liquid stage - but was told to stay away from tomato soup.
   — Carolyn M.