High Protein Recipes for Bariatric Patients

Bariatric surgery is a surgery performed in order to get rid of excessive fat. In this surgery, the excessive fat around the abdominal region is reduced by using an implanted medical device, called gastric banding. Fat may also be removed through means of a gastric bypass surgery. When a person undergoes a bariatric surgery, a post surgery healthy diet is mandatory for recovery from the surgery.

Bariatric patients are recommended to consume around 800 to 1000 calories a day. Often, due to the restricted food intake limits, bariatric patients are also suggested mineral and vitamin supplements. The post-bariatric surgery diet must include a low calorie and a low-carb diet. However, the most important of all is protein consumption. Bariatric patients must consume 40-60gm of protein foods a day. What are these high protein foods that are useful for bariatric patients? A few high protein recipes for bariatric patients are listed as follows.

High Protein Recipes

Bariatric Protein Shake
Shakes and smoothies are ideal for bariatric patients because they serve as complete protein meals that are liquid, which is essential post surgery.

• Use skim milk or yogurt as the base of your protein shake as it will provide more than 100 calories per cup. Use water as a base because a bariatric patient tends to become lactose intolerant.
• Add your favorite flavorings and blended protein powder into it. Add ice and blend well until you obtain a fine texture, then have your healthy, high protein shake!
• Here are a few flavorings that are worth trying- latte, pina colada, eggnog, mocha, cocoa, etc.

Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup red lentils
• ½ cup brown rice
• 1 chopped onion
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 chopped shallots
• ½ tablespoon red chili flakes and sea salt
• Crumbles feta cheese

Procedure
Combine olive oil, shallots, onion and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot. Let them caramelize a bit and then stir the vegetable stock in it and bring it to boil. Now, add lentils and rice to the mixture and simmer for more than 30 minutes. By that time, lentils should have mixed into the stock, add salt into it. Serve this red lentil soup topped with feta and drizzle almond oil!

Potato Flake Fried Chicken
Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• Butter spray
• 1 packet of instant mashed potato flakes

Procedure
Preheat the oven over 400ºF. Prepare the baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the butter over it. Take potato flakes in a bowl and add any of your favorite seasonings to it. Take each of the chicken thighs and cover each side with butter. Coat them up with the potato flakes and place over the baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining potato flakes over them and bake for about 20 minutes.

Chicken Broth
Ingredients

• 3 lbs whole chicken
• 3 quarts water
• ½ onion
• ½ carrot
• ½ celery stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 parsley sprig
• 1 thyme sprig
• Black pepper

Procedure
Take a heavy skillet and add all the ingredients into it. Simmer the mixture for more than 1 to 1 ½ hours. Reserve chicken and strain the prepared broth and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, remove all the fat that you will find on top of the broth. The chicken broth is ready, try several of these egg drop soup recipes as well.

Ideal Protein Diet for Bariatric Patients

Protein is essential for building, rebuilding, and maintaining tissues of the body. Protein has healing properties and is very important for muscle regrowth, skin care, and hair care too. All these things are important after a bariatric surgery hence, it is recommended to have plenty of high protein foods for bariatric patients. While selecting high protein foods, one also has to be careful that they're low fat. A bariatric surgery diet is predominantly divided into three stages of the post bariatric surgery period.

• Stage I: In the first stage, recipes for bariatric surgery patients must only be made of sugar free foods, clear soups, and a mostly liquid diet. It is also important to avoid intake of caffeine in any form until the doctors allow it.
• Stage II: In this stage, consume liquid foods, pureed foods like baby food, and thick soups. Avoid any raw foods and do not eat anything that you will have to chew!
• Stage III: In this stage, eat soft and moist foods, casseroles, avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and follow the same for 2 months after the bariatric surgery.

After the first two months, the patient should resort to normal eating levels of a balanced diet. Here are some high protein foods that are low in fat and that can be very useful as high protein recipes after a bariatric surgery.

• Fish like tuna, flounder, sole, salmon and crabs
• Lean meats and white meats, skinless turkey and chicken
• Nonfat and low-fat milk products
• Eggs, legumes, and dry beans

Hence, it is best to provide bariatric patients with chicken and any meat broths, hearty soups, and several soft rice casseroles.

Make sure to add small portions of protein in your daily diet. Do not eat heavy meals, but perform plenty of the recommended exercises. Bariatric surgery is a welcome sign for you to join the healthy club and this buzzle article about high protein recipes for bariatric patients is there to help you take your initial steps toward your goal. Stay fit!