While reading through posts today, I answered a new member's question
about whether Carnation Instant Breakfast could serve as a protein drink.
After looking up nutritional info at the Carnation site the answer is a resounding NO!
We stand to compromise our health, lose more hair, crave more empty calories,
stay hungrier and feel much less energized when we short ourselves on protein.
So I wanted to post my response separately here so that you all could see these
figures as well. Please feel free to add to this thread!
re-post

Carnation instant breakfast has 5 grams of protein per serving according to their web site here:

http://www.carnationinstantbreakfast.com/P...0-F71FE3B91D04#
Compare:
Carnation Instant Breakfast 5 grams of protein per serving
Body Fortress Whey Protein 52grams of protein per serving!
And PROTEIN is THE most important substance we consume throughout the day.

You can get the flavored protein supplement, Body Fortress, at any WalMart for $13 for a huge tub
of the stuff. This stuff comes in Chocolate and Vanilla and lots of people use the SF Davinci syrups
to spice them up a bit. The recommended serving provides 5 times the protein as SF Instant Breakfast.
The Body Fortress can be used with water and ice...no milk necessary. Which makes it, or any of the dozens
of other powdered protein supplements, VERY convenient AND if you are like many post-WLSers, you will come to
find you have become lactose intolerant...ie. you can eat cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (any fermented milk
product) BUT milk makes us woozy and sick feeling. The Whey powder protein sup. do not contain milk per se
and can be used for shakes and coffee drinks without repercussions.
So scurry off to the nearest WallyWorld and look for Body Fortress protein supplement in the drugstore
section of the store...near the vitamins. There are loads of recipes here and you'll enjoy using it, I'm sure.
Hope this helps...

mickee, a lot of people try using the Carnation because they find it less expensive to buy than the large containers of whey or whatever their protein of choice is. I warn them when I can because not only is there only 5g of protein, but some of us, me included can't tolerate the sugar in it even if it is the sugar free version. Kaye has warned us repeadly about the 'sugar alcohols' in these products. They still cause dumping even though they are not technically viewed as sugar. That is another reason we need to be careful eating 'sugar free' products too.

I am scared for anyone who uses this product in lieu of the more healthy proteins out there.

Thanks celadon.. I even read one new member say her Doctor told her to use it!
No wonder we often get less than perfect results.. our professionals are parcelling
bad information! Frightening....

Mickfeefynn, Oh my gosh, what good advise, thanks soooo much!! My question is how doeas it taste and where do you get the davinci syrups I keep reading about. Thanks so much Isabella

My surgeon and nutritionist did recommend that I use the Sugar Free Carnation Instant breakfast mix. It does offer a bit more protien when you mix it with milk. However, I couldn't tolerate the milk. I am one of the many who have become lactose intolerant. I also soon realized that I could get more protien in a smaller quantity if I used another protien powder. Needless to say, I didn't use the carnation mix for very long at all. Hugs.

I just tried the Xrated Whey protein from Hi Health. I must admit, even though, I don't like chocolate, the Triple Chocolate was very good. It also disolved quickly in water. And the best thing, buy 1 get the 2nd at 1/2 price. It comes in Triple Chocolate, Strawberry cream, & French Vanilla.

Paula

Here's the thing... we as morbidly obese never had a problem spending $10-15 total on a breakfast all you can eat buffet at Shoneys, including drink & tip... But after wls, we get grouchy cause we have to spend $25 or more on a large container of protein powder. What? Don't you want to make sure you get a good quality drink, that actually tastes great (ok maybe not great, but good) so that you get all the required nutrition? I had another wls patient say to me when I bought AchievOne (averaged $2.50 or $3 per drink) "I think that's a lot of money." I said, "well this is my BREAKFAST... My meal for the morning... It's not expensive. $3? I could never eat at a buffet for that! Plus, this was good for me."

We knew when we had this surgery that it required a change of our mentality and lifestyle, and eating habits... we said YES to those changes when we signed our John Hancock on the dotted line and said, "OK doc... cut me open." I personally can't stand the instant carnation breakfast. It has too much sugar, not enough protein, tastes awful. I would much rather have a warm Labrada Lean Body Vanilla with my sf davinci syrup in it... my very own protein latte' for the day.

On the adding milk... even skim milk contains 12 g sugar! That is enough to cause a dumping episode for some folks, especially newbies to wls and who don't know better. I dont' know about these docs telling people some of this stuff...!

Don't even get me started on vitamins... and people who either don't take them... or buy cheapos that won't give you what you need as a wls patient!

I find Davinci syrups at WallyWorld... but other groceries will order it if you request it.
My FAVORITE protein supplement powder was recommended to me by the endurance
athlete here in the Forum, Damon. It's called CytoSport Muscle Milk. It is milled
extremely smooth and tastes delicious! Get this... the 3lbs tub costs $59-$69 at
GNC BUT you can order it for $18.90 ($25 w/ shipping) at www.cheapvitamins.com
WONDERFUL stuff... If you stick with the vanilla and use the Davinci SF syrups (only takes
a drop) you can have incredible variety! I am lactose intolerant and tolerate it well!
I would also recommend The Magic Bullet blender... Also search online for best price... you can
pay as little as $25 and as much as $100 for the same thing... try eBAY or Half.com...
I found mine at Amazon which you can link to from the opening page of this site. The Neighborhood
gets a portion of the sale! The Magic Bullet slushifies ice w/ no prob and make all the that
protein powder VERY Deliciously usable!

Mel,
I totally agree w/ you about the money. I told myself & my DH early on that we are saving so much money on my food that we can afford to spend on a protein that I like.

My Dr. and weight loss center also recommended CIB. So I loaded up on them. So now what I do is add a protein scoop to it and usually use yogurt and half the milk and I seem to tolerate it ok.

Mickeefynn: Where at Walmart do you find the divinci syrups at?

Denise

The sugar free Torani syrups www.torani.com work great as well. I have seen those at walmart, target and smart and final as well.

Happy shopping!