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A 24 HOUR DIET PLAN TO ACHIEVE 80G-90G PROTEIN IN A DAY
enquiries@thedietologist.co.uk
One of the most frequent questions I am asked by patients post surgery is how to consume the correct amount of protein each day. Protein is particularly important after surgery as it helps to heal the body, increases feelings of fullness and preserves muscle mass and it is recommended that the average patient consume between 80g-100g of protein a day (your protein requirements are different for each individual and should be calculated by your dietitian). However, eating too much protein can actually have a negative effect on the body and weight loss, and can also potentially cause damage to the kidneys, so it is important to get a balance.
Meeting our protein consumption each day can be tricky (poll conducted in The Dietologist TRIBE community), particularly if we are busy with family life, running a home and having a stressful job. The key to ensuring that we consume enough protein each day is to plan our meals in advance, have high protein snacks to hand and work out where and how we eat enough protein.
Generally, your daily protein target should be split between 3 meals or if you are struggling to eat, 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. You should aim for 20-30g protein at each meal and 5-10g protein per snack.
Over time you will learn how much protein is in each food, but particularly in the initial stages of meal planning it can be difficult.
Here is a 24 hour diet plan of how your meals and snacks can be balanced in a single day to consume 90g protein
Breakfast: 2-egg omelette: 14g protein
Snack: 250ml glass of milk: 10g protein
Lunch: 1 fillet of salmon with vegetables and 2 new potatoes: 23g protein
Snack: ½ apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter: 5g protein
Dinner: 100g cooked chicken with vegetables and 2 new potatoes: 28g protein
Snack: 100g Skyr yoghurt: 10g protein
Total protein intake for the day: 90g protein.
Meal planning doesn’t have to be boring when it comes to getting extra protein in! There are lots of different ways that you can add protein to your food, including adding a 30g scoop of protein powder to smoothies, soups and stews, sprinkling 28g grated cheddar or adding a boiled egg to salads or stirring in 2 tbsp high protein yoghurt or a dollop of cream cheese or tofu. Have fun with your meal planning and get creative!
DON’T FORGET adding extra protein also adds extra calories so aim to get a balance of protein sources and calories, lots of juggling to do, but not for my patients as I do it for them, the beauty of The Dietologist support!
Are you struggling with achieving the right protein balance in your diet?
If you need help with improving your protein intake or support getting to your dream weight after bariatric surgery, why not
book a Discovery Call?
