Getting Protein from Food Only

I'm a month out from surgery and I've found it almost impossible to keep down any kind of protein shake/drink I've tried (and its a LOT of kinds). Rather than committing myself to an extended period of discomfort I've decided to try getting my protein needs met through food only. I've posted before about cooking with protein powder and that helps quite a bit. I was just wondering if there was anyone else who has tried and succeeded to get their protein all from food this early out?  I have to be very diligent to make it work, but I get about 70g a protein a day from food. My NUT said we would all probably need a shake a day for the first year, but it was only because we couldn't get enough protein from food. If I'm able to make it work with food, are there any issues with foregoing the protein shakes?  Just looking for a variety of opinions on the topic. Thanks!

I know every office is different, but my NUT wanted me off of protein shakes by my 3 month visit saying that using protein shakes is just poor planning.

It is not easy to get it all in with food only, but it can definitely be done.

Though at a month out, you have to be really careful with what you are eating.

As long as you get all your protein, it doesn't matter if you get some from a shake or not.  People seem to look at protein shakes as if they are somehow very different than other high protein food choices, but I don't see how.  Most are made from whey isolate or whey concentrate, which is protein derived from milk.  It's not much different than drinking a glass of milk or eating a cup of yogurt for protein.  Would there be any issues if you got all your protein without drinking milk?  Nope.  Is there something magical about milk that means you must get protein from milk?  Nope.  At the same time, there are people who insist it's much better to get your protein from "food" instead of shakes, which isn't particularly reasonable, either.  A protein shake is simply one type of food that has a lot of protein in it.

I couldn't get enough protein without shakes until I was at least 18 months out, but that is partly because I don't eat meat.  Four ounces of beans does not have nearly as much protein as four ounces of meat.

Getting your protein from whole food means you stay fuller, longer and you get tons of additional nutrients.  That seems pretty reasonable to me.

My NUT told me to get my protein from food.  At a month out, I can't say I was doing this yet, and like you, I couldn't tolerate protein shakes so I started cooking with protein powder and adding it to yogurt.  Now at 6 months out I no longer use the protein powder.

I've never had protein shakes or bars and I've survived almost 10 years without any problems or protein deficiencies ...

Wasn't the whole protein shake objection born from the idea that you are wasting valuable calories in shakes as "liquid calories" instead of using food which is more filling?  Just curious.

That might be the case, if you then eat a lot of food in addition to drinking a protein shake.  But if I have a protein shake for breakfast and am satisfied until it's time for my morning snack, then how did I waste those calories?  I can see how it would be a problem if I drank my shake and then an hour later ate a second breakfast.  But if I don't?  What difference does it make if I consume 1500 calories a day and all 1500 come from food or if 1300 come from food and 200 come from a shake?  It's still 1500 calories for the day.

And in fact, some people, especially early out, have a hard time eating enough food to get all the calories they need.  Having a shake for one meal or snack might allow them to get the calories and protein they need.  In some instances, being able to drink calories might actually work for someone.  In which case I certainly don't think it's a waste at all.

I agree Kelly, and as a bandster, I used protein shakes for a long time because they did keep me full and it was a nice, refreshing way to get the protein.  But, I had always been told, by the surgeons office, try to get the protein from food, it is more dense.  While I understood what they were saying, I still had the shakes in leiu of food at times.

I couldn't stand any of the protein shakes, so after I finished my IsoPure zero carb liquids I went straight to getting my protein in food only. I average about 90-100g a day, all from food. I do rely on protein bars, which satisfy my need to chew my calories. I have never liked to drink my calories, even pre surgery. Just me.