Below are just a few examples of some popular choices for protein.

These are just a few examples of foods like this and it may be surprising to you to see which foods land in what category because they all are wholesome foods that are "Healthy" in their own right but there's a few shouldn't be considered a source of protein, and there's a few that are protein sources and there's a few that are superior protein sources.

To start with the Poor Choice category, the ones in that section are all what's considered "Calorie Dense" foods. These are foods that have a surprising amount of calories for the serving, and sadly with these choices and with many calorie dense foods the reason they are so heavy on the calories is because they have so much fat.

Nuts? 1 oz, I'll say right now that nuts are physically heavy enough to mean that's NOT a lot of nuts and if you are more than 1 year out from surgery it's unlikely that 1oz of nuts would be a satisfying and filling snack. But just one ounce of mixed unsalted nuts has 170 calories. In those are 15 grams of fat. Now we've spoked about Fat before, but 1 gram of fat has 9 grams of calories. So of the 170 calories, 135 are from Fat. that's most of the calories and since the same oz of nuts only has 6 grams of protein? Well there's more fat than protein. So you really can't count it as a smart protein snack. Sure it's a better snack than a bag of Dorito's. Just keep in mind what you are eating and what you are telling yourself when you chose your snack.

Over in the Average column I want to talk about Beans because there's a lot of misconceptions about Beans in our community. Beans are a fantastic and healthy food, it has protein but it's not a top protein source. Could you make it the protein source of your meal? YUP. But there's something you need to be aware of because beans also pack a few other things that confuse people.
Carbs. While we don't embrace all carbs with open arms, we understand a few things about them and love the RIGHT kind of carbs. They are important for our body. But cutting them TOO low (many post-ops believe the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer than 30 grams of carbs a day, if you actually add up a day of eating on the Inspire Diet you'd see it's more carbs than that but it's the RIGHT kind of carbs that actually promote weight loss). So let's talk about Beans for a moment.

Using a can of plain Pinto Beans as an example, a serving is 1 cup. In that one cup is about 200 calories of beans which most post ops, even the veteran ones, would find very filling.
That cup contains 11 grams of protein, which isn't as much as the same amount protein that Chicken has for the same serving but it isn't terrible. The protein is a bit low considering the calorie involved but because its a filling and satisfying food it's a great choice.

But what about the Carbs? Well there are over 35 carbs in that same cup....however....these aren't empty sugar carbs. They are carbs that also contain 11 gams of Fiber. Fiber is a REALLY vital micronutrient that our body desperately needs to digest food and keep our bowels healthy. Fiber is also fairly tricky to get in a low carb diet, even when you are on the Inspire Diet so it's a good choice to make every now and then. They also contain a ton of potassium, calcium and even a good bit of iron. The trick? Don't eat them every day and don't pair them with a ton of sour cream or cheese and other "stuff" like cooking with bacon or loading them up with butter. They can still be a great low fat food choice. You just need to be aware of portion size and how you are serving them.

In the Best Choice we picked a few options that are popular but also budget friendly and EASY to prepare. Chicken is there and so is Tuna but any fish can fit in there as long as it' hasn't spent some time in a deep fat fryer....and likewise lean cuts of Pork (tenderloin, some pork chops and even some pork roasts) Beef and Turkey can be there too, we can't list every food so we picked comical choices. Inspire is there because it packs 20 grams of protein and you can make it with as little as 1/2 a cup of milk so it's quick, portable, affordable (a serving is less than $2!) and EASY to get your protein in. Remember it's the PROTEIN itself that keeps you satisfied. NOT how much you drink. You don't need a giant thick frosty shake to get the benefit of protein as a satisfying meal....Fatbrain may feel otherwise, but the protein alone is what creates the satiety.

So with that I have to ask...is there a food you consider to be a Protein choice that's not listed here and you aren't sure where it fits? Let us know in the comments.
We're also curious... Is there a food here that SHOCKED you to see it in it's category? Which one?