Homemade Healthy Popsicle Recipes

A couple years ago, I had gastric bypass surgery. Immediately after surgery, I was on a clear liquid diet. Then I was on full liquids, then pureed foods, then soft foods. It was a couple of months before I was finally on a regular diet again.

Right after weight loss surgery, though, you can't really get by on a diet of watered down chicken broth and fruit-flavored popsicles. You need foods low in sugar and you need a diet high in protein. You won't heal from major surgery without protein.

You also need vitamins. You need 200% of the RDA of most vitamins every day, so that's the equivalent of two multivitamins. You may find it hard to swallow one of those big multivitamins, though.

You also need 1500 '" 2000 mg calcium citrate a day. If you buy the standard calcium citrate tablets in the drugstore, like Citracal, you can find a small pill with 200 mg per pill and take 8 or 10 a day. If you want a big pill, which you may find hard to swallow, you can find one with 315 mg per pill. Then you'd need to take 5 or 6 a day.

Getting all your vitamins, calcium and protein in the first few days or weeks after gastric bypass surgery is a challenge. I found it easy to eat popsicles, which count as clear liquids or full liquids, and if I bought my own popsicle molds, it was easy to make pops with good amounts of protein and vitamins. For instance, I could eat on chocolate peanut butter protein pop and one chocolate mocha protein pop over the course of the day, and I'd have the two multivitamins I needed for the day and just over 50 grams of protein. One more pop with some protein and calcium and I'd be in great shape for the day.

So here are the recipes I came up with. Use them to help you create your own.

My recipes used Adkins Advantage protein shakes, available at stores like Walmart; Isopure protein drinks, available at places like GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe; ENS vitamin and vitamin and protein drink mixes, available online at celebratevitamins.com; FitNutz, also available from Celebrate Vitamins; and Upcal D, available online from Colonial Medical or Amazon.com.

You can find popsicle mold at all kinds of places: Walmart; Target; Bed, Bath and Beyond; IKEA and other stores. You can also freeze your pops in paper cups with wooden sticks inserted, if you don't have any popsicle molds handy.

Enjoy your healthy frozen treats. I certainly do.

Alpine Punch Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Alpine Punch Isopure
4 packets Wild Cherry Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Caramel Ice Cream Pops

2 Atkins Advantage Caf© Caramel shakes
4 packets Upcal D (calcium citrate powder)

Pour both Caf© Caramel shakes and all 4 packets of Upcal D into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5.5 oz pop has approximately 6 grams protein and 500 mg calcium citrate.

Cherry - Grape Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Grape Frost Isopure
4 packets Wild Cherry Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Chocolate Mocha Protein and Vitamin Pops

15 oz water
15 oz decaf coffee
4 packets Chocolate Celebrate ENS

Pour water, decaf coffee and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 6 oz pop has approximately 25 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein and Vitamin Pops

30 oz water
4 packets Chocolate Celebrate ENS
4 tablespoons FitNutz powder (available from Celebrate)

Pour water, all 4 packets ENS and FitNutz into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 6 oz pop has approximately 28 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Icy Orange Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Icy Orange Isopure
4 packets Citrus Splash Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Pineapple Orange Banana Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Pineapple Orange BananaIsopure
4 packets Citrus Splash Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Strawberry Ice Cream Pops

2 Atkins Advantage Strawberry shakes
4 packets Upcal D (calcium citrate powder)

Pour both Strawberry shakes and all 4 packets of Upcal D into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5.5 oz pop has approximately 6 grams protein and 500 mg calcium citrate.

A couple years ago, I had gastric bypass surgery. Immediately after surgery, I was on a clear liquid diet. Then I was on full liquids, then pureed foods, then soft foods. It was a couple of months before I was finally on a regular diet again.

Right after weight loss surgery, though, you can't really get by on a diet of watered down chicken broth and fruit-flavored popsicles. You need foods low in sugar and you need a diet high in protein. You won't heal from major surgery without protein.

You also need vitamins. You need 200% of the RDA of most vitamins every day, so that's the equivalent of two multivitamins. You may find it hard to swallow one of those big multivitamins, though.

You also need 1500 '" 2000 mg calcium citrate a day. If you buy the standard calcium citrate tablets in the drugstore, like Citracal, you can find a small pill with 200 mg per pill and take 8 or 10 a day. If you want a big pill, which you may find hard to swallow, you can find one with 315 mg per pill. Then you'd need to take 5 or 6 a day.

Getting all your vitamins, calcium and protein in the first few days or weeks after gastric bypass surgery is a challenge. I found it easy to eat popsicles, which count as clear liquids or full liquids, and if I bought my own popsicle molds, it was easy to make pops with good amounts of protein and vitamins. For instance, I could eat on chocolate peanut butter protein pop and one chocolate mocha protein pop over the course of the day, and I'd have the two multivitamins I needed for the day and just over 50 grams of protein. One more pop with some protein and calcium and I'd be in great shape for the day.

So here are the recipes I came up with. Use them to help you create your own.

My recipes used Adkins Advantage protein shakes, available at stores like Walmart; Isopure protein drinks, available at places like GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe; ENS vitamin and vitamin and protein drink mixes, available online at celebratevitamins.com; FitNutz, also available from Celebrate Vitamins; and Upcal D, available online from Colonial Medical or Amazon.com.

You can find popsicle mold at all kinds of places: Walmart; Target; Bed, Bath and Beyond; IKEA and other stores. You can also freeze your pops in paper cups with wooden sticks inserted, if you don't have any popsicle molds handy.

Enjoy your healthy frozen treats. I certainly do.

Alpine Punch Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Alpine Punch Isopure
4 packets Wild Cherry Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Caramel Ice Cream Pops

2 Atkins Advantage Caf© Caramel shakes
4 packets Upcal D (calcium citrate powder)

Pour both Caf© Caramel shakes and all 4 packets of Upcal D into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5.5 oz pop has approximately 6 grams protein and 500 mg calcium citrate.

Cherry - Grape Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Grape Frost Isopure
4 packets Wild Cherry Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Chocolate Mocha Protein and Vitamin Pops

15 oz water
15 oz decaf coffee
4 packets Chocolate Celebrate ENS

Pour water, decaf coffee and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 6 oz pop has approximately 25 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein and Vitamin Pops

30 oz water
4 packets Chocolate Celebrate ENS
4 tablespoons FitNutz powder (available from Celebrate)

Pour water, all 4 packets ENS and FitNutz into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 6 oz pop has approximately 28 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Icy Orange Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Icy Orange Isopure
4 packets Citrus Splash Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Pineapple Orange Banana Protein and Vitamin Pops

20 oz Pineapple Orange BananaIsopure
4 packets Citrus Splash Celebrate ENS

Pour Isopure and all 4 packets ENS into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5 oz pop has approximately 10 grams protein and the equivalent of one multivitamin.

Strawberry Ice Cream Pops

2 Atkins Advantage Strawberry shakes
4 packets Upcal D (calcium citrate powder)

Pour both Strawberry shakes and all 4 packets of Upcal D into a large container with a lid and shake well. Then pour into four popsicle molds, dividing evenly. Freeze.

Each 5.5 oz pop has approximately 6 grams protein and 500 mg calcium citrate.