BF Top 5: Ways to Sneak More Protein Into Your Meals

Early out we can't eat much (and some of us not even further out). Getting protein is hard. The stuff is filling!

So how DO you sneak protein into foods you are already eating without adding a bunch of volume? Here are some tips for newbies and veterans alike!

Tip #1: Go Greek

Yes, yes, I know some of you HATE Greek yogurt because of its tart flavor. But in dishes and desserts that call for sour cream (like any of my cheesecake recipes) it works great! It also tops Mexican dishes well and I've found I can sub up to half the mayo (lowfat or regular, your choice) in a recipe with Greek yogurt without it tasting too different (and non-ops never notice). So go Greek! Lots more protein in that yogurt than in mayo or sour cream!

Tip #2: If you do the starch thing...chew the right thing!

Not all starches are created equally. Some give you a lot of processed carbs, but there are some options that manage to give you lots of protein. There are super-high protein breads like P-28 (read my thoughts on the stuff here before trying that). But there's also things like Flat-Out Wraps that are about 100 calories and 9g of protein (with 8g net carbs)! Quinoa is also a good choice for a protein/carb combo. While quinoa is primarily and predominantly a source of carbs it has a good deal of protein in it for a starch and it is a complete protein (meaning it contains all the amino acids). Click here to learn how to cook it.

Not everyone does the starch thing but if you do, make sure to choose starches that give back!

Tip #3: Sometimes you have to find your own whey...

Or soy...or casein...protein powder is NOT just for protein shakes! Unflavored protein is worth its weight in GOLD. I put it in everything from desserts to side dishes to soups. The kind I use gives you an extra 17g of protein per scoop without adding any significant volume to your food (and it is instantized for cooking which means it won't curdle on you)! The protein does tend to make things more filling, though, so decide for yourself how much to use in a meal serving.

Tip #4: Amp up your indulgences

Early out I had this rule. Dessert HAD to be protein dessert or it was no dessert at all. That's just how I had to roll. You may not have this rule for yourself but still there's room to make your indulgences protein forward. On this very blog, there are recipes for everything from cheesecakes, to popsicles, cupcakes...oh my!

Point is that you can learn to make your indulgences work to get you to your protein goals!

Tip #5: Get the most bang for your protein buck

Choose foods with high protein numbers for low volumes. These include Greek yogurt (typically 10g protein per 4 oz.), cottage cheese (14g/4 oz.), tuna (10g/2 oz.). There are even specialty snacks that give you a high protein return, like Ostrim Jerky (60 cals, 10g protein and it's literally the size of a small pencil!).

The point here is that when you need protein but have great restriction you HAVE to pay attention to the protein per ounce. Choose foods that rate highly and you're that much closer to meeting your goals!

So there you have it. Five solid suggestions for sneaking more protein into your eating day. What tips do you have? Share them in the comments!

Dee Dee's Cheesy Squash & TVP Casserole

I just love it when you guys play with your food and let me know about it. It's so exciting to see what you're cooking up.

My pal Dee Dee sent this to me to show her first attempt at working with TVP ("What the heck is TVP?"). It looks yummy, vegetarian-friendly (correct me if I'm wrong) and easy to make! 

Thank you, Dee Dee, for this scrumptious recipe!

Dee Dee's Cheesy Squash and TVP Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 zucchini squash, sliced thin
• 2 yellow squash, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin (you might want to go with a white onion since the veggies will sweeten up a bit from cooking)
• 1 c. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
• 1 c. + 1/2 c. whatever cheese you like (she used an assortment from her fridge that included cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend and Parmesan)
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• Garlic salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (using one cup of your cheese) and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This allows some of the water to come out of the veggies, rehydrating the TVP and allowing it to soak up the flavor of the veggies. 

Spray a casserole dish down with non-stick cooking spray (Dee Dee used an 8x8 dish) and transfer mixture into it. Bake for one hour. 

Turn off the oven, cover with another generous sprinkle of cheese and and allow it to remain in the oven as it cools. 

Nik's "Nutty Apple" Protein Baked Oatmeal (or Bars)

There is a phenomenon that us kitchen experimenters know well. It is called the "happy accident." What you see above is a picture of a happy accident.

See...here's the thing. This recipe started as "apples and peanut butter." Cuz I love peanut butter (this is well documented) and I have an abundance of apples. But I realized something in the making of this batch. I like crunch in my baked oatmeal! BUT...I don't like chopped peanuts in stuff. Don't ask me why, I'm weird that way!

So this became a Nutty Apple creation with the inclusion of walnuts, which made more sense in my mind. But then I cooked them just a tad too long. So they firmed up and at first I thought they were too hard, but I stuck them in the fridge anyway, figuring I'd crumble them or something. Well the next day I took them out and the condensation in the fridge had done it's magic and I had...protein oat bars!

But let's start at the beginning. By the way, there are a few protein baked oatmeal posts here on the blog (click around and discover!) but you'll find a LOT more in the Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book, along with mini-frittatas, omelets, protein muffins and a whole bunch of other breakfasty goodness! Check it out!

Nik's Nutty Apple Protein Baked Oatmeal (or Bars)

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 c. quick oats (Folks have asked about steel cut and regular oats. I do not recommend. Protein cooks FAST. Unless the oats can keep up the texture isn't going to be that great. But I welcome you to prove me wrong!)
• 3 scoops of either vanilla or unflavored protein powder (I used this unflavored kid)
• A generous pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. milk (or, I recently started subbing in a full-container of Premier Protein vanilla for extra protein - woop!) 
• 1/4 c. sugar-free pancake syrup
• 2 eggs, beaten or 1/2 c. Egg Beaters
• 1/4 c. PB2 powdered peanut
• 1/4 c. natural peanut butter (I used Naturally More) NOTE: If you don't have access to a good, healthy peanut butter but DO have PB2, use about 3/4 c. of it. If you have peanut butter but no PB2, use 1/2 c. of the peanut butter.

Chunky Stuff

• 1 small apple (I used a honeycrisp) cut into small cubes
• 1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Mix together all wet ingredients in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Add chunky stuff and mix that in well then pour into a casserole dish (mine was 8 x 8) that has been sprayed in non-stick.

For baked oatmeal (soft, but can be cut into squares, just a tad wetter than a cake): Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is done and edges are set. For oat bars: cook 30 minutes until edges are brown. 

Cool before attempting to slice!

These taste just...lovely. YUM! Now I'm on the fence about which I like better: my Fall Harvest flavor or this one. Hmmm...good thing both are so easy to make so I don't have to decide!

And for more breakfasty goodness than you can shake a shaker bottle at, check out The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book. In it you'll find:

- Many more recipes for baked protein oatmeal
- 11 things you never knew you could do with cottage cheese
- A protein-enhanced soft egg scramble perfect for new post-ops
- A make-your-own low-carb/high-protein baking mix
- Un-Breakfast recipes - just in case eggs/bacon isn't your thing

These recipes were developed with you in mind. The portions are small, the recipes freeze beautifully and they are so delicious your family will want to try them too!

So if you're stuck on what to eat for breakfast after weight-loss surgery, give The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book a try!

Available on Kindle and Hard-Copy on Amazon. 

BF Top 5: Single-Serving WLS-friendly Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

One of the biggest worries I've heard from post-ops about making WLS-friendly desserts for Thanksgiving is getting stuck with the leftovers if nobody else likes it. It's a valid concern. Although I'd theorize if we stop TELLING people the dessert is healthy (instead, simply put it on the table and walk away!) we'd find this is not so much a problem. But I digress. Bariatric Foodie is here to help with a few portion-controlled, small batch ideas for Thanksgiving treats.

In no particular order... (and click the dessert title to go to the recipe!)

Protein Pumpkin Custards

All the dreaminess of pumpkin pie without the crust and this recipe yields six servings if made in 2 oz. ramekins (less if you use larger ones). 

Portion-control Protein Cheesecakes

Ok so I realized shortly into this blogging thing I'm a bit cheesecake obsessed. So I made this recipe that yields just a few little ramekins of protein cheesecake so that I don't go overboard. It's all about self-care, right?

Peach Pie Ramekins

Do you see a theme emerging here? Ramekins. Embrace them! There's all sorts of ramekin recipes on this blog btw. Desserts as well as nummy savory recipes like my Lil' Baby Pot Pies.

No-flour oatmeal cookies

Since I first made this recipe I've started using just a pinch more salt than this recipe calls for. Balances out the sweetness.

No-flour Almond Butter Cookies

These cookies are sort of a two-fer. The exact same recipe works with peanut butter! I usually add a bit of cinnamon to give it a more complex flavor when I use peanut butter but the bottom line is this: no flour, small batch and yummy!

Bonus recipe (Cuz I love you!) Coconut Macaroons

Forgive the ghetto-fab picture. This recipe is from when I was a lil' baby blogger. But the cookies are good. And low carb. 

So there you have it...SIX small batch dessert ideas (for the price of five!) that you can make for YOU for Thanksgiving and know you are not only staying on plan but (depending on the choice) actually getting extra protein! 

Nikki's Quickie Salisbury Steak & "Rice"

Ok so can I just say Salisbury steak is REALLY hard to photograph??? It all looks like gravy and mush!

This is the story of how these simple turkey burgers became heroes.

You see...it was late evening on a weekday. My evening ran late. The kids were hungry (and whiny) and frankly I was already feeling like a bad mom so I really didn't want to add fast food guilt to the mix. So I came home and whipped up a dinner so good it even surprised me.

It didn't occur to me until after I'd made it that this might be a good recipe for my Foodies who don't like big batch recipes. I hear that from you guys all the time and I've been working on it...honestly I have! It's hard because with two kids and a small food budget I sort of have to cook in big batches (and freeze things) in order to make ends meet. But this one was easy, yummy and a reasonable size. Winning!

Now I need you to follow me on this one. It goes a few places you wouldn't expect but the result is yummy!

Nikki's Quickie Salisbury Steak and "Rice"
(Makes 2 servings...or more depending on your pouch space)

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings 
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 turkey burgers (as you can see, I used Jennie-O)
• 1.5 - 2 c. beef broth (yes beef...and how much you use depends on how much gravy you want to end up with)
• 1/4 c. Atkins Baking Mix (or if you don't have any, whole wheat flour works too)
• 1/4 c. cold water
• 1 c. frozen cauliflower florets + 2 c. water for boiling (or, if you have it lying around, a cup of cauliflower rice)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Spray down a pan and heat it over medium heat until hot. Add onions and sautee until they are slightly browned. Add garlic and sautee about 2 minutes more.

Add the burgers to the pan and then cover the meat/onions with beef broth. Cover and allow the burgers to cook in the broth over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, set a small pot of water over medium heat to boil your cauliflower florets. Once the water is boiling, add florets and allow to thoroughly cook. 

When the burgers are done, remove them from the gravy. In a cup, mix together baking mix/water (and please...make sure the water is COLD! If not the gravy will clump).

 Allow the broth in the pan to come to a boil (increase heat if necessary) then add the baking mix/water mixture with one hand while whisking with the other. Continue to whisk until the mixture is incorporated. You'll know it is incorporated when two things happen. #1 - the mixture will lighten in color and #2 - it will immediately thicken.

(I should give a warning here. The Atkins Mix has an interesting "smell" to it. It's not stinky. Just...different. It doesn't show up in the taste but until it is something I notice. But the food still tastes good. If you are sensitive to smells, I'd go with the whole wheat flour alternative.)

Once the sauce has thickened, add the burgers back in, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. You'll notice the gravy has a grit look to it...this is not because of clumping of the flour but bits of the burger that come off into the sauce which, to me, makes it even better because it is MOIST! But to prove there ARE actually burgers in all that gravy, lookit:

Meet Orange Plate...our newest cast member. I got the budget to hire orange plate after the unfortunate death of jade casserole dish. May the dish rest in peace.

So anyhoo...the kids INHALED this dinner! And I felt good about what I gave them. As an added bonus, I made a turkey burger (which I can tolerate) taste like beef (which isn't so easy for me to tolerate). So to me it's a win/win!

Nik's Fall Harvest Protein Baked Oatmeal

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Amish? I do.On a Saturday afternoon I can be found at my local Amish market studying. Yes, studying. My local Amish market has all sorts of stalls (meats, cheeses, veggies) but my favorite is the dry goods section which is something like what a General Store might have been back in the day.

They carry nearly any raw ingredient you want (seriously...the last time we went there my kids were excited to find that they sell the cookies you use to make ice cream sandwiches and the cheesy powder you use to make cheese popcorn. I did not buy either, but it was there!).

One thing I've always loved that the Amish make is baked oatmeal. I do not know if the Amish invented it. I just know they were the ones who introduced me to it!

But for me, oatmeal is a breakfast where adding protein is imperative. I get "very special" blood sugar moments if I don't have a significant amount of protein at every meal, so usually when I want oatmeal I make protein oatmeal. That experience in hand, I decided to give the baked version a try!

Nik's Fall Harvest Protein Baked Oatmeal

Dry Ingredients

1 c. quick oats

2 scoops unflavored or vanilla protein powder

1/8 tsp. salt (a generous pinch)

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 c. whatever chopped nuts you like (I used pecans but walnuts might be nice too)

Wet Ingredients

1 + 1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 c. sugar-free maple flavored pancake syrup

1/4 c. no-calorie sweetener
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or for this I used hazelnut extract)

1 egg beaten

Optional: I like raisins so I took 1/4 c. rinsed the sugar coating off in a colander and threw those babies in there too!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients until well mixed.

In another bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, syrup and Splenda and whisk before adding beaten egg and whisking again.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until everything is mixed.

Spray down a small baking dish (mine is 8 x10) and pour mixture into it. Bake at 350 for 15-20 or until top is done and edges are slightly browned. It should come out looking like this:

And if you have children, five minutes later it will look like this:

Enjoy!

BF Review: Simply Snackin Meat Sticks

You might remember that we have this nifty little contest going on where TWO of you can win a Kalorie Box!!! ("What the hell is a Kalorie Box, Nik?")

To enter, do this widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On my YouTube channel I've posted two reviews so far relating to the Kalorie box. The first just goes through what I got in my box and now I am reviewing the individual contents, starting with this:



Check out what I had to say about these nifty meat snacks and make sure to enter the contest!

BF Top 5: Ways to Fit Activity In!

Over the past few months I've talked with a lot of Foodies about fitting activity into their lives.

Now I know this is a food blog, but food and activity go together - especially in a healthy lifestyle. Calories are units of energy that fuel your body for the activity that you do. And the kind of fuel you use matters!

For many people I've spoken with, finding time among work schedules, kids schedules and other priorities is challenging. Believe me, I can relate. So here are five tips (other than the proverbial "park at the far end of the parking lot.") you can do to get some activity in even on the tightest schedule.

While you're watching Grey's Anatomy...or (insert whatever show you like), you can easily get some activity in. I try never to watch television sitting down. Interestingly enough, this began during a season of The Biggest Loser when I challenged myself to do sets of squats, forward or backward lunges, crunches and planks throughout the show. At first I'd barely do two sets before just laying there and watching the show but by the end I was able to figure out a routine that took me all the way through. You can move a tv to where your treadmill, elliptical or other machine is and watch tv there. Distraction helps, people!

While your Healthy Choice meal is microwaving (Because enough of you tell me you eat those. I'm personally not a fan but that's a whole other blog post.) Stand in front of the microwave and do 10 squats, 10 one-legged squats per leg, one set of backward lunges (if you have room) or the tree pose (if you don't have room). Repeat this routine until your food is done.

While in the line at the supermarket. Stand on one leg for as long as you can and try to remain upright and steady. Alternate legs. No I'm not kidding! Creating imbalance helps build core strength which is essential to fitness. So if you've only got that time in line, stand on one leg - and read Life & Style magazine. See, now you're multi-tasking. Go, you!

On your afternoon break. No lie, I did this my entire first year post-op. Do a stair challenge. I'd go to the basement of my building and time myself on how fast I could get to the roof (Six floor building, adjust your goal as appropriate!). My starting time was about 5 minutes. Now I can do it in less than two!

During the commercial break. Ok, so you want to sit and watch tv (with the fam, to yourself, whatever). Do commercial challenges. Because these are shorter spurts your focus is to go a bit more high impact. Do regular or modified jumping jacks (if you have problems with your joints) or run in place for the length of the commercial break. When it's over, stop. Do this every commercial break and get the family involved too!

Just remember, the Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day (not so winded you can't breathe but not so casual that you can say long sentences). But notice nothing says you have to do it all at the same time. So stop stressing yourselves out! Ten minutes here, five minutes there and lookit, 30 minutes!

Be well, Foodies!

Samantha's Weight-Loss Surgery Friendly Chicken Divan

Not long ago, I held an informal webinar for a few merciful adventurous Foodies to help me test out new webinar software (more on that in a moment). I called it "Pimp My Recipe" and invited folks to bring recipes they wanted to make WLS-friendly.

Now I consider myself a pretty experienced Foodie but there are a few dishes I've never tried before and thus look to you guys to help make it over. Such was the case with Chicken Divan. My buddy Kim wanted to remake it, so thankfully my other buddy Samantha took on the task.

Here's the original recipe:

2 cans cream soup,
1 cup mayo,
1/4 cup lemon juice
About 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry
1 bag of frozen vegetables
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
2 cups of Cheddar Cheese
1 big can of fried French onions

As you can probably tell, the trouble with this recipe is it's full of FAT! It's got cream soup, mayo and cheese in there. Which almost guarantees it is super yummy but unfortunately for many of you it also means it can make you very, very sick. So here is...

Samantha's Weight-Loss Surgery Friendly Chicken Divan

2 cans or one really large can of Low fat cream of mushroom soup,
(you can make your own as well)
1 cup plain greek yogurt, - (you can also use cultured coconut milk
instead of mayo or greek yogurt)
1/4 cup lemon juice
About 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry
1 bag of frozen vegetables (I use a broccoli cauliflower mix)
1 bag frozen and shelled edamame
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
2 cups of Cheddar Cheese
1 big can of fried French onions

And here's how she says to make it:

(Nik Note: If you have trouble with chicken, check out my sure-fire trick to marinating meat post-WLS the night before you plan to make this!)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Mix everything except cheese and French onions in a bowl and then place in a 9x13 pan and bake until the chicken is almost done then add cheese and French onions to the top until the cheese is lightly browned.

You may need more Greek yogurt depending on how much sauce you actually need to coat everything.

This is typically served over rice I now serve it over quinoa instead (Nik Note: You can also use cauliflower rice). I do not use low fat cheese nor do I skip the fried French onions. Mostly because even replacing all of the mayo this is still a treat in my household and not a weekly meal. We maybe eat it once a month and because I eat such a small portion I decided to keep those two things in this recipe.

I think Samantha executed the principles of recipe remixing (some of which we discussed on the webinar) perfectly! Making sensible swaps and preserving (in moderation) the core elements of the dish are important things to do. Thanks, Samantha!

Now about these webinars. If you purchased a Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Kit or recipe e-book from the "Shop BF!" page, I have set up TWO webinar times for you to ask questions about the recipes in the e-book and to get some advice on your own holiday recipes. The times are both 6 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 10 and Saturday, November 17. 

If you purchased a Kit or e-book already, click here to register for whichever date works best for you (they are both the same webinar, just two different times to fit people's schedules). If you've not yet gotten your Kit or e-book, there are still some available! I'm currently taking Kit orders through November 7 for shipment on November 10. The e-book comes instantly to your email upon purchase!