BariatricEating.com Health & Nutrition
Protein Drinks 101
After years of post op life, I have learned many lessons about protein. One of the things I discovered early in my weight loss journey was that I could not get in the amount of protein that my surgeon required by simply eating. It sounds good on paper that we can eat the required protein amounts, but it doesn’t work in real life. Once I accepted the fact that supplementing my protein intake would be a new way of life for me, I started to experiment with tastes and recipes. The difference between what we need and what we can comfortably eat with higher protein foods can easily be made up with protein drinks so we can remain healthy and strong while we lose ALL the weight..
Another hard lesson I have learned is to not rely on only one protein shake. It’s not uncommon for a protein manufacturer to suddenly top production of a certain brand or flavor - I got tired of feeling devastated and left scrambling to find a new protein drink to drink. I knew that I needed to find more than one drink that I loved so I could have choices each day and not grow sick of the same flavor.
BariatricEating.com has taken it into their own hands to create their own brands and great flavors of protein drinks under their own BE label. The company is comprised of staff that has had bariatric surgery, so together we develop protein drinks that taste great plus we can control production. 
My very favorite protein drink right now is BELIEVE Italian Cappuccino, which is a bottled ready to drink protein latte. It is perfect for my busy schedule. I have added BELIEVE to my morning routine and pop the top as soon as my feet hit the floor. It is a delicious coffee protein drink that is smooth and light with a 20 gram protein boost and lots of B vitamins for a natural energy boost. It’s a great alternative for all those years I skipped breakfast. The fact that is a ready to drink protein makes my life easier. BELIEVE also has Mocha Latte and Soothing Chai Tea – plus a Crème Brulee flavor coming soon. Sipping a chilled bottle of delicious coffee or chai tea protein while relaxing on my patio each morning makes me happy and sets the tone for my day.
BE has created INSPIRE whey protein Isolate powdered drink mix that is available in super delicious flavors. Whey Isolate protein is the easiest to digest and our body get’s the greatest benefit from clean protein, compared to protein concentrate. This line has flavors like Peanut Butter Cookie, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Pom Razz Sangria, Cinnamon Cappuccino, Ice Cream Sandwich and Caramel Latte. We even have Candy Cane as a special edition winter flavor!
When mixing shakes I generally have four bases and my favorite base is vanilla because it is so flexible. My personal choice for vanilla is the Perfect Natural Isopure Vanilla. Its clean smooth vanilla bean flavor contains the highest quality protein isolate.
You can do anything with vanilla, like magic it can even be turned into chocolate by adding a teaspoon of cocoa powder! Here are some specific ideas that have made my own personal journey and loss and maintenance of 235 pounds easier and more enjoyable. Remember protein supplementation does not have to be a punishment!
In the morning many of us have to have our coffee in order to function, and I am one of those people too! Not mentioning any names but Susan Maria is no always that nice before her coffee, but you didn’t hear that from me! There is nothing easier than using a scoop of Perfect Natural Isopure Vanilla with your cup of coffee in the morning in place of creamer or milk. Add a little room temperature water to the scoop of protein in your mug, blend until smooth, and then fill slowly with coffee for a Creamy Vanilla Cappuccino! Or add a scoop of Inspire Dutch Chocolate Cake in the same way for a Mocha Cappuccino!! Life is good when you can sip a great tasting Cappuccino that has 20 grams of protein and is good for you!
You can also add fruit to your Perfect Natural Isopure Vanilla, but keep in mind fruits are higher in carbohydrates in the form of natural sugar. If you do decide to add fruit to your protein always keep in mind that berries are the lowest in both carbs and sugar. I keep bags of frozen strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries on hand and add just ¼ cup to my vanilla protein in the blender for a fantastic fruit smoothie.
I have noticed that many people add ½ of a banana or even worse a whole banana to a shake. Keep in mind that bananas are high in fructose, which is another name for sugar, and will slow down your weight loss. Bananas also make many people sick from the high concentration of sugar and carbs. Even a medium banana can have 30 grams of carbohydrate. Use a small piece of banana no more than one or two inches long: as it adds plenty of flavor to your shake.
Just after my gastric bypass my new pouch was often tense in the mornings after going all night with no food or liquid. A quick easy remedy was a warm smooth drink sipped slowly first thing in the morning. I find that the Inspire Dutch Chocolate Cake protein is the perfect base for a warm protein drink.
The Inspire Dutch Chocolate Cake or Inspire Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge made into a warm chocolate drink is quite simply one of my favorite beverages. It is soothing to my pouch to sip a warm drink than the shock of a cold or frosty drink. The formula for a warm hot protein cocoa is easy if you do it right. Place a scoop of Inspire in your favorite mug and add just 2 tablespoons of cool water to make it into a paste - stirring it well to make it smooth. Then add hot but not boiling water to the mug and whip it up a bit with your spoon. This ‘hot chocolate’ is better than Swiss Miss hot chocolate – but the Inspire is sugar free and loaded with protein. Sometimes I add a pinch of cinnamon and occasionally I treat myself with a small squirt of Reddi Wipp or Cool Whip. Inspire Chocolate can be enjoyed as a cold drink as well and it’s a deep rich chocolate that is sweet but not too sweet. Drinking Inspire Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge is like sipping a warm melted Reese’s Cup! There is nothing like warm chocolate, unless it’s warm chocolate with peanut butter! It’s hard to believe that either of these drinks are PROTEIN DRINKS.
Inspire is great to drink just mixed with cold water however it offers other food options that many folks never think of. There is nothing like half a cup of plain or Greek yogurt swirled with a heaping spoonful of Inspire Pom Razz Sangria protein powder and a few almond slivers for a high protein, great tasting breakfast!
I also make myself a Protein Pancake; a mixture of ½ cup cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 scoop of your favorite flavor of Inspire, and a tablespoon of flour in my blender with a tablespoon or two of water to make a thick smooth batter. Pour into a hot non-stick skillet that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; let it set and brown lightly, then flip and cook a minute until done. Serve with a little Steels Sugar Free Country Syrup or a smear of Natures Hollow sugar free preserves. WOW!
There are lots of little tricks that I have incorporated in my plan along the way to boost my protein. My surgeon recommended that I take in a minimum of 85 grams of protein a day. Having a plan for this success and a great variety of proteins has made this easier for me and I do manage to get between 85 and 100 grams of protein in each day. This is how I not only lost the ‘easy’ first one hundred pounds, but the remaining one hundred and thirty five pounds for a total two hundred and thirty five pound weight loss. I use protein to keep me full and fuel my body to burn fat.
Another protein secret of the trade is adding our flavorless PURE protein to any food or drink hot or cold and the amazingly flavorless protein is undetectable to even the pickiest pallet! Place two scoops of Pure into your dry bowl or mug and add 2 tablespoons of water give it a stir and let it set while you heat your soup or chili in a pot or in the microwave. Pour the hot soup INTO the liquid Pure you have made in your mug. Stir it up and you don’t even know it is there.
Last but not least are my coffee based supplements. I never knew that I liked coffee until after I had bariatric surgery. My days were always filled with 12 packs of Coke and Pepsi, and now I like to savor a cup of espresso or cappuccino.
There is no need for Starbucks in my life when I can whip up my own great tasting coffee drinks that are filled with protein. INSPIRE Cinnamon Cappuccino is my protein of choice for a great tasting coffee base. To me there is nothing easier or tastier than taking a half a scoop of Inspire Cinnamon Cappuccino and a half a scoop of Inspire Dutch Chocolate Cake, blending with a little cool water, filling the mug with hot but not boiling water or COFFEE or even cold water and ice for a chilled drink, and adding a generous amount of DaVinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup. It is a rich tasty experience that not only gives me over 30 grams of protein but is crazy delicious!
The best coffee flavored proteins are Inspire Cinnamon Cappuccino and Inspire Caramel Latte - they bring a smile to this coffee connoisseurs face every time.
Looking back I realize that when I was morbidly obese there was no problem with my mind figuring out how to use vanilla or chocolate Ice Cream as a base for desserts. Now in order to remain a successful post op, I have to redirect my thinking and combine flavors and ideas into healthy pouch-worthy recipes.
If you love food… think of the flavors you love in terms of protein flavorings and drink them up!
