Trashy Frappies and a bit about coffee in general.

I've discovered that many Bariatric patients, myself included, are coffee addicts.(I'll note here that I am not a Dr and your Dr may tell you to limit caffeine or to avoid coffee because of it's acidity, listen to your Dr and your body.) I love coffee not just for it's caffeine, but the flavors, the aroma, and often for the warmth. I am one of those strange people that not only drinks hot coffee in the middle of the summer, but even drinks decaf at night. I've been a Starbucks Rewards Gold card member since 2009 after a dear friend in TX introduced me to the program and it's benefits. My usual is a Quad Venti Skinny Caramel Latte. For those of you who don't speak Starbucksese, that's 4 shots of espresso, steamed nonfat milk, and sugar free caramel syrup. I don't normally have to specify that I want it hot, but I do have to say Hot Quad Venti Skinny Caramel Latte in the summer, because otherwise they're likely to make it iced because it's hot outside here in GA. Yes, I get strange looks in the afternoon and evening, when my drink changes to a Hot Decaf Venti Skinny Caramel Latte, usually people say it's like drinking hot water, but I tell those people to shut up because it tastes good to me and I get some protein from the milk, too. The other day, I read online about Starbucks Smoothies, how they have protein powder they can add to them that has 30 calories and 6g of protein per scoop. So after a burlesque dance class, I popped into one and said... hey can you make me a tall light Mocha frappuccino and add protein powder to it?  I made sure to specify Nonfat milk and all sugar free, and of course, no whip (whipped cream, for the Starbuckese challenged). She put two scoops of protein powder in it, and all told I'm gonna guess I got 15g of protein in my 12oz treat. It also fixed my chocolate and food cravings so I wasn't bitchy before bed later that night, I always need a snack after exercise, or I'm not a nice person. Is it THE BEST THING I could have chosen to eat/drink? Probably not, but it was tasty and a much better choice than just a plain light frapp, because at least it had a decent hit of protein.  No, I don't have a picture, but it didn't look any different than a normal light frapp. There was a protein powder smell and a slight aftertaste, but if you're a Bariatric patient you're used to that.   Have any of you tried adding protein powder to Starbucks drinks?  What was your experience?

Trashy Tapioca

Kozy Shack makes a no sugar added tapioca pudding. The stat's aren't all that bad as you can see on their website, but I'm working to increase protein in my meals and snacks so I decided to trash this one up a bit. I have a packet of Bariatric Advantage unflavored whey protein, the pack has 43g in it, and that gives you 27g of protein. I put 1/2 of it into my pudding. It blended in well, and while they say "unflavored" it still tastes like whey protein, but the pudding masks most of that. A dash of cinnamon helped cover up what lingered and there you go. Trashy Tapioca with about 14g of protein. Not too bad for a snack!