Day 3 (5 Day Pouch Test)

Day 3: Soft Protein

The next three days you get to eat as much as you want as often as you want! Ahhh, but there's a catch: it has to be solid protein and you only get 15 minutes each time you sit down to eat. No drinking 30 minutes before or after meals and no drinking with your food. A dry pouch will hold your soft protein longer helping your to feel full and fed longer.
Protein Recommendations: canned fish (tuna or salmon) mixed with lemon and seasoned with salt and pepper, eggs cooked as desired seasoned with salt pepper and/or salsa, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy), baked or grilled, and lightly seasoned.

Recipes for Day 3

Newbie Coddled Egg for One

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Directions:
Bring water to full boil in saucepan over high heat. Add salt and stir. Carefully crack egg and add to water. Remove pan from heat. Cover and let sit for 6 minutes.
Contributor's note: Coddled eggs are what helped me get through the newbie stage. My tender pouch tolerated them much better than scrambled.
Serves 1. Per serving: 66 calories, 5 grams protein, 4 grams fat (1 saturated) and 1 gram carbohydrate.

Turkey Bacon & Egg Oven Omlette

Ingredients:
12 slices of turkey bacon
6 slices of fat free American cheese
8 eggs
1 cup 1% milk
cooking spray
Directions:
Cut cheese slices into halves, arrange in bottom of a lightly sprayed 9-inch pie pan. Beat together eggs and milk, in medium bowl. Add 6 slices of cooked chopped bacon. Pour egg mixture over cheese and bake in pre-heated 350F degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove omelet from oven and top with remaining 6 slices of cooked crumbled bacon. Cook for 10 minutes longer. Let omelet stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Contributor's note: I microwave my bacon to make it crispy. If you don't like turkey bacon regular will work, but watch out for extra fat content.
Serves 6. Per serving: 203 calories, 18 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate and 12 grams of fat (4 saturated).

Parmesan Tuna Patties

Ingredients:
1 (6 3/4-oz) can albacore tuna
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ground Flaxmeal
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash onion powder
1 dash salt

Directions:
Drain tuna. Blend all ingredients in a medium size bowl and form into patties. Fry in oil (I use olive oil, but you may use cooking spray) until brown on edges. Turn. Fry until done.

Editor's Note: Flaxmeal, made of ground flaxseed, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which appear to help lower the risk of heart disease. Flaxseed adds a mild nutty flavor to foods and should be included regularly in a healthy diet.

Weight loss surgery patients should use ground Flaxmeal rather than flaxseed for digestibility reasons.

Recipe serves four. Per serving: 284 calories, 32 grams protein, 15 grams fat (3 saturated) and 4 grams carbohydrate.

Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 (4-oz) tilapia filets
1 egg white
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
2 (1-oz) slices low fat Swiss cheese
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Rinse fish and pat dry. Beat the egg white with the Old Bay Seasoning. Coat the filet in the seasoned egg. Sprinkle half a tablespoon of breadcrumbs on one side of the filet. Lay the filet, crumb side down, on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Place a slice of cheese on top of the filet and sprinkle the remaining half-tablespoon of breadcrumbs on top of the fish. Repeat with the other filet. Spray the tops of the fish with more coking spray, but be careful not to blast the bread crumbs all over with the gust of air! Bake for 20 minutes. This is one of my favorites!

Serves two. Per serving: 235 calories, 31 grams protein, 9 grams fat (5 saturated) 6 grams carbohydrate and a trace of dietary fiber.