There are SO many products and powders out there these days it's hard to sift through the marketing claims and nutrition facts panels. Oh... and then of course once you've chosen a product that meets your standards you need to make sure you actually can stand the taste of the supplement!
In the beginning of my surgery prep, I was overly optimistic. My initial plan was to stick to mostly whole foods (e.g. oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast, nuts and fruit for snack, etc.), just blended down and thinned with liquid. After reading lots of other blogs online however, I soon realized that... 1) I'm probably not going to feel like cooking (although I was lucky enough to have my mom and husband help me out after surgery); 2) Thin liquids are going to be way easier in the beginning (i.e. no pulp/chunks); 3) I'm going to have to consume an impossibly large volume of liquid to get in my homemade thinned meals/snacks.
So in the end, in those first weeks post-op, I did a combination of both meal replacements and pureed and thinned meals with added protein powder.
Meal replacements vs. Protein powder/Protein shakes
A common misconception is that it's okay to replace all of your meals with protein shakes and protein powders. This is FALSE. Meal replacements and protein supplements are very different products.
Remember that a balanced meal (and therefore meal replacement products) contain...
Protein + carbohydrates + fat
Vitamins + minerals
A good amount of calories to keep you full (i.e. 350-500 calories/serving)
Note that protein shakes and protein powders contain...
A good amount of protein, but very little (if any) carbohydrates and fat
Few vitamins + minerals
A low amount of calories (typically 90-180 calories/serving)
Bottom line: Meal replacement products should replace your meals more often than protein supplements because they are more balanced.
What should I look for in a meal replacement?
Assuming you are in good health, look for meal replacements with...
350-500 calories per serving
15-30 grams of protein per serving
I mixed chocolate Ensure Plus Calories + an espresso for breakfast for MANY MANY weeks after surgery. It's actually quite delicious.
For lunch (while I was on the liquid phase), I mixed Resource 2.0 (477 calories!) + frozen peaches or mangoes + a handful of raw spinach + liquid BioK (a probiotic) + water. This was the most calorically dense liquid meal I consumed. Resource 2.0 was a life saver!
NOTE: If you find products around 200-250 calories, these are more appropriate for snacks. For an idea of what I ate (or I guess drank) in a day while on the liquid phase, see THIS POST.
How can I use my protein shakes and powders to create a balanced liquid meal?
This is super doable, simply add a source of carbohydrates (e.g. 30-60 g) and a source of fat.
Here are some examples:
Chicken broth flavoured protein powder + lentil soup (carbohydrate) + frozen cubed avocado (fat) + water to thin
Unflavoured protein powder + fruit (carbohydrate) + 5-9% fat yogurt (fat) + water/milk to thin
Flavoured protein powder + oats (carbohydrate) + 1/4-1/3 cup nuts (fat) + milk to thin
What should I look for in a protein shake or powder?
Assuming you are in good health, look for protein products with...
20-30 grams of protein/serving
Protein source (check the ingredient list) = whey protein, soy protein, or egg protein
Low number of ingredients
I recommend you buy an unflavoured protein powder and a flavoured one. Given that my meal replacement shakes were either chocolate or vanilla, it was really nice to have a more savoury flavoured protein powder. The company below not only makes a delicious chicken broth flavoured protein powder, but also a Santa Fe chili protein powder!
If you're curious about my menu in the first week after surgery, check out THIS post.
And lastly, but MOST importantly... don't forget to try EVERYTHING you buy BEFORE your surgery. You don't want any surprises.
All my best,
-Monica, the Jaw Surgery Dietitian
P.S. Are you Canadian? Cool, me too! If you're looking for additional food and nutrition support in your journey and you're a resident of one of the following provinces, feel free to reach out for an online appointment. I'm able to work with patients in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Contact me here!
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