Snacking

If snacking is part of your program, you want to snack wisely. I have found that if I plan out 1 or 2 snacks for the day, I'm less likely to pick at the sugary goodies that make their way around the office. I really like fruit for a snack. If you find that you have trouble with the natural sugar on its own, pair it with a protein like cheese or peanut butter.
Some of my favorite snacks are:

Apple slices with natural peanut butter (only peanuts and salt)
Half a banana with natural peanut butter (only peanuts and salt)
Steal cut oats (I do well with natural sweetners like agave or rice syrup, but you can use whatever sweetener you can tolerate if you choose to use one)
Primal Strips (Vegan jerky. This is my new favorite snack)
Nori Strips
Edamame
Almonds

Greens and grains for breakfast? Are you kidding?

I know, it sounds really strange to eat greens and grains for breakfast. I thought so, too, but after reading Christina Pirello's "This Crazy Vegan Life", I decided to try it. How bad could it be, right? Note: I really, really, really love this book. Christina Pirello has been a huge influence regarding my current diet.

So I made a pot of Steel Cut Oats and portioned out my servings. Then I sauted up some greens (collards, chard, spinach...whatever you like) with a touch of olive oil and some sea salt. It was strange for me to have oats without adding Splenda, but I couldn't have sweet oatmeal and greens...it just didn't go together. So I ate the oatmeal plain alongside the greens. To my surprise, not only was it delicious, but I felt terrific after eating this meal. Even if I can't commit to eating like this every morning, a few times a week is sure to make a difference. Delicious and nutritious...how can you possibly go wrong?

Product Review - Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf

I love grains, but I don’t always have the time or the patience to make them from scratch. Now, Kashi has come out with whole grain sides that you make in the microwave. In 90 seconds I have delicious grains to have with my protein and veggies or to serve with beans for a super nutritious rice and beans. These sides are awesome! It comes in three different flavors…Original, Fiery Fiesta and Moroccan Curry. I really like all three of them. Serving size is 1 cup, but I eat 1/2 cup.
Per 1 cup serving:
Calories - 220
Fiber - 7
Sugar - 1
Protein - 8

A Question of Protein

A Question of Protein

First let me preface this by saying that since I have had the roux-en-y (RNY) gastric bypass, my nutritional guidelines are such for a RNY patient. If you have had LapBand, VSG, DS or any other surgery, you will have different requirements. Always, always, always follow your surgeon's and nutritionist's advice over anything that you read on the internet. Ask them questions, do your research and be your own health advocate. We had surgery to improve our lives, so let's make the most of it and treat our bodies right!

The big question asked of vegetarians is "how do you get enough protein?" This is even a bigger concern for those of us who have had weight loss surgery. My minimum requirements are 75 grams of protein daily. I usually have no problem reaching that minimum, although I do need to supplement occasionally. More on protein supplements in another post. Here is a list of some foods and their protein content. Please note that not all protein sources are permissable on all stages of WLS eating. Please ALWAYS follow your eating plan.


Tempeh
1 cup
41

Seitan
3 ounces
31

Soybeans, cooked
1 cup
29

Lentils, cooked
1 cup
18

Black beans, cooked
1 cup
15

Kidney beans, cooked
1 cup
13

Veggie burger
1 patty
13

Chickpeas, cooked
1 cup
12

Veggie baked beans
1 cup
12

Pinto beans, cooked
1 cup
12

Black-eyed peas, cooked
1 cup
11

Tofu, firm
4 ounces
11

Lima beans, cooked
1 cup
10

Quinoa, cooked
1 cup
9

Tofu, regular
4 ounces
9

Bagel
1 med. (3 oz)
9

Peas, cooked
1 cup
9

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked
1/2 cup
8

Peanut butter
2 Tbsp
8

Veggie dog
1 link
8

Spaghetti, cooked
1 cup
8

Almonds
1/4 cup
8

Soy milk, commercial, plain
1 cup
7

Soy yogurt, plain
6 ounces
6

Bulgur, cooked
1 cup
6

Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup
6

Whole wheat bread
2 slices
5

Cashews
1/4 cup
5

Almond butter
2 Tbsp
5

Brown rice, cooked
1 cup
5

Spinach, cooked
1 cup
5