Green smoothies

[Ldyenigma 0]

Hi! I'm wondering if it is ok to have a green smoothie 6 weeks post op. Before surgery I had one everyday. It had spinach, blueberries, banana, Peanut Butter, and almond milk in it.

I'm thinking it would be ok since it's liquid and everything is blended, but I'm not sure

[RickM 1,747]

It is probably OK, but one of those things to check with your program about. Some programs are very averse to their patients drinking calories, and even want them off of their Protein Drinks after X weeks. They do have a point in that one common failure mode for WLS is getting in the habit of drinking calorie rich drinks, whether they be soda, SBUX drinks, bullet proof coffee or whatever, it's easier to consume excessive calories if you drink rather than eat them, so caution should be the word with them.

That said, many continue to use Protein or other high nutrient drinks as a convenience long term post op and do just fine, so if you are tracking you intake and remain aware of what (and how much) of what you are consuming and how that fits in with your weight loss or maintenance, go for it. Like many things, it is a tool that can be used for your benefit, or misused for your detriment.

Side note, my wife is still highly restricted in how much she can eat, even after 15+ years, and has a daily smoothie of tangerine juice, banana, strawberries and protein powder along with her potassium and Calcium supplements as a way getting in more of her daily nutrition and that works fine (and the dog is absolutely enraptured by it, too), In your case as a presumably recent post op, I would probably throw in some vanilla or unflavored protein powder as protein is usually our emphasis for a while.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

I would assume it’s fine just watch the Peanut Butter calories. I know I never measured how many servings of peanut butter I was using but when I did it added up calorie wise very quickly. And of course figure all the calories into your daily counts. Adding Protein powder to it was a great suggestion.

[Tomo 1,191]

I am allowed to drink homemade Protein Shakes and I had surgery on August 4th. For example, I had GENEPRO Fruity Oh's flavor, kefir, strawberries, banana and 2 plums. I couldn't drink it all at once but over the course of the morning, it went down. Can always call your team and ask them. My team had no problem with it. Said I can start solids now.

[lizonaplane 1,612]

I would ask about berries because they have tiny seeds. Maybe blueberries are fine, but I'd be cautious about strawberries, raspberries, etc, that could irritate the staple line. I agree that if you're eating something that could fill you up, it should definitely have Protein powder, because almond milk isn't very high in protein.

[Bulabula 58]

I love green smoothies. I drink about 16oz 4-5 a week. I drink half before and after my workout. Mine usually consists of items like spinach, kale, pineapple, peach, celery, banana, apple, cucumber, ginger, beet powder, hemp hearts, ground up flax seed, lime or lemon juice, spirulina, vital Protein Powder, Protein Greek yogurt, ice, fairlife protein milk, and a tasteless protein powder. I don’t put all of that in, but it’s basically whatever fruit and veggies I have on hand. I do mostly veggies and add a few pieces of fruit to sweeten it up. Lime or lemon cuts the “grass” taste for me. If I want Peanut Butter, I use PB fit. Have you tried it? It’s good!

Btw, I used fresh raspberries the other day and it was delicious. However, there were so many little seeds, I had to strain the shake.