Ep 7: WLS Food | 3 Simple Ways to Build More Protein Into Your Diet
This post is a companion to Episode 7 of the Bariatric Nutrition Coach Podcast. Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Struggling to hit your protein goals after weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Between your reduced stomach capacity, lowered appetite, and the fact that protein is already a highly satiating nutrient (meaning it fills you up faster), getting enough protein every day can feel really challenging — especially in the early to medium days post-surgery.
Here are three practical ways to build more protein into your day without dramatically increasing the volume of food you're eating.
1. Fortify Your Meals
Fortifying simply means adding small amounts of high-protein ingredients to meals and snacks to boost their protein content without significantly increasing the volume. Some ideas:
- Add unflavoured protein powder to mashed potato, soups, scrambled eggs, cereals, or overnight oats
- Use high-protein cottage cheese or cheddar in savoury dishes
- Add lentils or legumes to casseroles and soups
More protein per bite — without eating more food. That's the goal.
2. Follow My Protein Bites Ratio
This is one of my most-used tools. The protein bites ratio is simple: eat three bites of protein for every one bite of "other" (wholegrains, vegetables, or fruit) if you're under one year post-surgery, or two bites of protein to one bite of other after one year.
Plating up in this way ensures protein is always the star of your meal, and helps you naturally prioritise it at every eating occasion — no weighing or counting required.
3. Choose Higher-Protein Versions of Staple Foods
Small swaps across your day add up significantly over time. Look for:
- Higher-protein yoghurts (low sugar, low fat, high protein options are increasingly available)
- High-protein milks
- Higher-protein cereals
- Legume-based pastas
- High-protein cottage cheese and ricotta
One important note: I'm not talking about high-protein versions of discretionary foods like protein ice cream or protein chocolate bars. These are purely marketing. Have a small serve of the real thing and enjoy it — don't be fooled into thinking the "protein" label makes it a health food.
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