Protein is the building block of muscles and a fundamental aspect of any healthy diet. After weight loss surgery, protein becomes even more important.  It is good to set a goal of consuming 60 to 80 grams of protein every day after a RNY or sleeve procedure and 100 grams of protein every day after a BPD/DS procedure. 

Following your bariatric procedure the amount of calories you can eat per sitting and per day will be greatly limited. This means that when you do eat, you need to make sure that you are making the best eating choices and that you are getting maximum nutrient value out of every bite. When it comes to protein intake, this will require making several adjustments to the way that you dine.

These protein adjustments might include:

• Eating your protein serving first so you ensure you eat it before you grow full
• Sticking to lean protein sources that are low in calorie content but high in nutrient value, like grilled chicken or turkey.
• Using protein supplements and protein shakes to balance out your protein intake daily

The reason protein is so important is because it is part of every cell, tissue and organ in the body. Proteins are constantly being broken down and need to be replaced. If you aren’t eating enough protein daily, then you may not have enough of the nutrient present for your body to be able to rebuild muscle, which is crucial as you are focusing on your health and weight loss.

Making healthy dietary adjustments is part of adapting to a healthier way of living after bariatric surgery.

For more information, you can reach out to our office at 785-232-0444. 

Recipe Share:

High Protein Creamy Taco Soup

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  20 minutes
Total Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground turkey, 93/7 (or your choice of meat)
• 15 oz can sliced stewed tomatoes
• 10 oz can Rotel
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can corn
• 12 oz bag 3 pepper & onion blend, frozen (or you can use fresh onions/peppers)
• 12 oz bag broccoli and cauliflower florets, frozen (or ½ broccoli, ½ cauliflower)
• 8 oz fat free cream cheese, room temp
• 1 c fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 packet Ranch dip mix
• 2 packets taco seasoning mix

Instructions: 

• In a large pot or an Instant Pot, brown your choice of ground meat over medium high heat with one packet of the taco seasoning.  (Use the sauté function if using an Instant Pot).
• Once the meat is fully cooked, add all the canned ingredients, cauliflower and broccoli and remaining seasoning packets to a large pot.  Heat the mixture until the frozen veggies begin to soften, stirring often, before reducing the heat to low.
• Add the cream cheese and Greek yogurt to the soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the cream cheese and Greek yogurt are fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
• To portion this out, you can weigh your final mixture in a large bowl using a food scale.  Depending on your calorie/macro goals, portion accordingly.  Using the total calories (~3,300), you could portion out 16 205-calorie meals, 10 330-calorie meals, 7 470-calorie meals, or whatever works best for your meal frequency and calorie needs. 

Macros:

• Per 1/16 serving:  210 Calories, 18 g protein, 23 g Carbs, 5 g Fat

Notes:

• This recipe is extremely flexible.  To get in more vegetables, add different vegetables such as zucchini, or throw in more of the peppers, onions, broccoli or cauliflower. Be sure to account for anything you’ll add additional to the soup, including any shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.