​Protein. The building blocks of muscles, cells, organs and every cell of the human body. Protein is a hot topic in the world of nutrition. Protein are long chains of amino acids that are broken down in the body to build and repair the aforementioned cells. 

Protein is abundant in foods, however is particularly found in meat, dairy and protein supplements. Protein is no issue for the general population. However, for those that have had weight loss surgery, protein needs are higher to prevent muscle breakdown, hair loss and to ensure all body cells receive enough protein daily. I talk all day about getting enough protein with my patients. Here are some easy tips that you can implement today to improve your protein intake after weight loss surgery.

Here are three top tips on how to eat enough protein post weight loss surgery:

1) Plan your meals in advance

• Sit down on Sunday night and plan your meals for the week ahead. It is important that you choose the meat or dairy foods first to make sure that you are making those foods a priority. The stomach is very small after surgery, which means you have to be clever about what foods you choose to eat first.

2) Snack smart

• ​Choose snacks that help you reach your protein intake. Snacks should be smaller meals and should turn turn into graze sessions. Aim to have snacks to be more than 10g of protein to have a significant impact on your daily protein intake. 

3) Consistency 

• Be consistent with your protein intake. To prevent deficiencies in protein, you need to make sure that you’re not only eating enough protein on one day of the week, but all days. This will prevent your hair from falling out and your muscles breaking down. 

We hope this helps you improve your protein intake. For more personalised diet advice, please contact us for a consult or purchase a diet analysis today! 

I’ve been really looking for high protein recipes as of late. I have a population of clients that have undertaken weight loss surgery. It is very important for these individuals to maintain an adequate protein intake, which is difficult with a smaller stomach. I advise a minimum of 60g a day of protein for these individuals.

Most people enjoy an iced coffee. I have made a high protein iced coffee recipe, which I’m sure you would enjoy too.

All you need: 

• 1 cup skim/trim milk (these milks tend to be higher in protein than full-cream)
• 1-2tsp of instant coffee dissolved in a small amount of hot water.
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1 scoop of Planet Food Whey Isolate Protein Powder 
• 1tsp Xylitol (alternative sweetener – not artificial)
• Ice Cubes

Method:

1. Place the milk, protein powder, vanilla, xylitol, ice cubes and protein powder into a blender. (I use a NutriNinja for convenience).
2. Blend and enjoy!

Yep, it’s that easy. You may like to add the ice cubes after you’ve blended (like I did), however if you like a frappe consistency – add the ice cubes.

Nutrition Information

• Energy – 902kJ or 216kcal 
• Protein – 34.4g 
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fat: 0.9g 

Note: You do not need to to choose this specific protein powder, however this is the one that I have found which is isolated protein without any additional sweeteners or different ingredients. You may need to adjust the recipe if there is sugar/flavours in your protein powder. Short Version? There is less junk! 
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Let me know any recipes that you would like modified to be high protein! Suraya