Yummy protein foods. Do they exist?

I cannot say that I am the perfect bariatric patient.  I am far from it.  I have too many issues with food to be that perfect patient.  Acknowledging those issues, though, is going to help me win my battles against food.

Fatal Flaw 1:  I'm a snacker.

Snack time and snack foods are my weak spots.  I'll admit it.  I have a weakness for just about anything that could be considered a snack food.  So, what's a girl to do when carrots aren't classified as a snack food?  (They're a side dish, not a snack!)  I went on a mission a couple weeks ago and had a major victory.

I spent an hour scouring Amazon for protein snacks.  I search, read reviews, search more, read nutrition labels, and I find it.  One brand stands out.  Yes, there are mixed reviews.  But, I gave the line a try:  Kay's Naturals.  I ordered pretzel sticks, cookie bites, and veggie pizza puffs.  The flavor of each snack was fine; however, I really struggled with the texture of the pretzel sticks.       They left a funky feeling on the top of my mouth like it was coated with oil or something.  I was sorely disappointed because I love cinnamon pretzels and had high hopes for these.

Fatal Flaw 2: I don't always eat my protein first, which means I don't always get all of my protein in.

There are too many reasons to list why I don't get my protein first: I'm tired of chicken and fish; the crackers taste so much better; protein bars and protein drinks taste gross, etc., etc., etc.

I never actually found a protein bar that I enjoy.  I found a few that I thought were tolerable, but I never found one that I actually liked.  Again, I spent an hour or more scouring Amazon to stumble upon Quest Nutrition bars just as I was about to give up.  Wow.  $25 for a box of 12 of 1 flavor.  What if I hate them?  Oh, wait.  There's a sampler box that has one of every flavor?  That, I can do.  So, I ordered the sampler box and gave it a whirl.  I haven't eaten every one of them yet, but I have eaten more than half of them, and I have to say it.  It is actually possible to enjoy a protein bar.  EVERY flavor I have tried was yummy.  The texture didn't leave that funky coating on the top of my mouth or feel grainy.  I actually look forward to my daily protein bar.

Here's the deal with protein snacks, or any other high protein food actually:  The texture is weird, and you have to get used to it. Every person is different and will be able to tolerate different types of foods or textures.  (My hubby couldn't stand the cookie bites that I liked.)  The point is that you have to find what works for you.  Both of these brands had negative reviews because somebody had different taste and texture needs.  For me, they worked, and the best part is that they are well within the nutrition guidelines Dr. Billy and his staff gave me.