Easy High Protein Snacks and Meals

Getting enough protein in throughout the day can be one of the more challenging things you do. Especially if you’re trying to get in a higher amount based on training style or calorie counting.

I know for me, whether I had a bad relationship with food or a good one, protein has always been a hard one for me to do consistently.

Especially when you’re trying to get your other nutrients in, it can just get to be a lot of food, and not the fun kind that you’d rather be eating.

And that’s where this list comes in! It was originally going to be just protein snacks, but I’m a noodle girly, and if I can eat pasta all the time, I will!
So, in order to be a true advocate for healthy living without restrictions, I’m giving you all my protein snacks and hacks to really enjoy the meals you’re eating.

Of course, there’s a time and place for good, consistent, whole and clean meals. But this is for when you want to gremlin in a corner and still try and meet your protein goals.
Wow. What a change of pace this blog is going, so let’s dive in!

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Protein Shakes

I know, but hear me out! We aren’t doing the crazy nasty thing of just drinking the protein powder from a shaker bottle that smells a little sussy poo with just water. We’ve matured from our younger days! We all went through it, and now it’s time to enjoy it more!

Ok, well I will drink just Seeq protein powder in water, with ice though! Honestly, I’ve really enjoyed Seeq because it’s not just chocolate, vanilla, or something sweet along those lines.

Sometimes I just want a nice refreshing drink, but throw some protein in there! This has been such an easy way for me to get an extra 20 grams of protein in, and still having a “fun little drink”. I’m all about flavored water in order to drink more, because why be boring! I’ll share my other favorite water flavorings, but Seeq protein is my first recommendation.

Next is the regular protein powder, whatever flavor you want, but in a smoothie. This one can be a little tricky, because I’m picky with my smoothie flavorings. But an easy one is frozen banana, spinach, PB2 powder, chocolate protein powder, chia and flax seeds. If you don’t like the texture of chia or flax seeds, which some days I don’t like either, just keep it out.

Chocolate peanut butter banana!? Yes please! 

Or if it’s a tropical mix, vanilla protein powder works just fine, but I’d prefer an unflavored kind. Then it’s a tropical frozen fruit mix, spinach, protein powder, and chia or flax seeds if you’d like to add a little more to it.

But just get creative! Adding protein powder to a smoothie just helps you get your fruits and veggies in easier (which you’ll come to find out is my big theme: easy), and with spinach, you can’t taste it! I also prefer plant based protein powder when it comes to the sweet ones like chocolate or vanilla. I feel like they blend better too.

Any way you can find to get your health in a fun way, is a way you’ll be able to stick with.

Protein Bars

Now I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up in the bodybuilder college era, Quest bars were the thing! I would make cookies, cereal, sandwiches, anything out of those things! Maybe where my unhealthy approach to food started, because I couldn’t have any of those fun things unless it had protein in it! But now it’s just a fun thing to see how I can create ways to add more protein in, and I can eat whatever I want too.

Anyways! Quest bars don’t sit well with me, and I don’t like their blend of artificial sweeteners for the simple fact they don’t taste great to me.

I do however like the Barbell protein bars. I found a Pumpkin Spice one at Trader Joe’s this year and OH MY GOSH! That was amazing! But I waited too long and they sold out. So next year!

Otherwise, I went through a phase where that’s all I could eat in the morning, so I went through one a day during the work week. I’ve linked the variety pack I really liked, but it’s just a super simple thing to take on the go and have at work or in between meals. Pretty simple.

Adult Lunchables

We need to have more fun in our lives! When did we decide cheese and crackers were silly!? Well, maybe we never did, we just changed what they look like.

But grabbing a little lunchable, or the fancy ones they have at Target or other grocery stores are awesome! Also, just making your own is simple.

All you really need is your favorite cheese to eat, a few good crackers, meat of your choice, and if you want to get really fancy you could add olives, nuts, little chocolate chips or even dried fruit.

Sometimes I think the simple things get overlooked when it comes to healthy snacks. Or getting high protein meals means avoiding any other nutrients or non-protein foods.

If you want to live a balanced life, you need to find a way to make it all work. There’s no one specific food that’s bad for you (unless you have a medical condition of course). But in the grand scheme of things, moderation is key and not cutting things out for an extended period of time. I talk more about this in Why Diets Don’t Work.

Protein Pasta

This is the hill I WILL die on and my boyfriend likes to tease me about it, but this literally saved my life when I was restricting and then when I was plant based for about 6+ years.

Protein pasta is a MUST in your pantry. Period.

Right now, my hyper fixation is Shella Good Goodles and a Buffalo Tuna pack.
Did I ever think I’d like tuna in my noodles? Absolutely not.
Am I eating it every night for differ when I’m writing this blog? Yes I am.

I’m a creature of habit, and if I find something I really like AND it includes pasta, I will be eating it as much as I can until I no longer like it.

Besides Goodles though, I really like Trader Joe’s protein pasta in the blue bag, it’s yellow lentil and brown rice pasta. Aldi also has some good protein plant based pasta, but it does get a little mushy. So be aware if you aren’t a fan of that. Otherwise Banza is a great and consistent protein pasta too.

Moral of the story, don’t worry about cutting pasta out of your life! And also, be aware that protein pasta is high in fiber.

French Toast

This is just a quick toss in because I’m a little weird with my protein, if you haven’t caught on. But I like to add more eggs to my french toast than needed for, you guessed it, extra protein.

What that looks like:
You prep your protein like normal. If you want it lower calorie, just use the 45 calorie slice bread, otherwise whatever bread you prefer. Now, here’s how I make a serving of french toast, which consists of 2 slices of bread. I put 2 whole eggs in the pan, then add egg whites until the pan is covered at the bottom, so no dry space. Add your milk and vanilla if you like, then break the yolks and mix everything together. Turn the stove on, sprinkle some cinnamon and then put the bread in. I let it soak up a bit then flip it. Yes, there will still be eggs there, just let them cook.
Once they’re somewhat cooked, flip what’s left in the pan on top of the bread and flip the bread over to cook on the other side. All the eggs should be on or under the bread at this point.

Hopefully this makes sense! The goal is to just use more eggs than needed, “hide” it under the bread to cook and then add your syrup, greek yogurt, cool whip, fruit or whatever you like to add to top your french toast.

Enjoy!

How to “Just” Eat Buttered Noodles

And finally, you know how I said sometimes you want to just be a gremlin and still healthy? Well this is my go-to when I’m in a mood, on my period, or just don’t want to do anything.

I make angel hair pasta (the best kind), not protein or anything special. Just the cheapest biggest box of angel hair pasta, I make a serving. Put butter and garlic salt on it, and have a Seeq protein drink with my Oli (for probiotic and more fiber).

THAT is my girl dinner.

Buttered noodles but make it healthy!

And no, you didn’t miss anything. I have buttered noodles, but make it “ok” by still having protein but not in a “food or edible” form. This only makes sense if you’re in the know, and if you are, then you’re welcome!
This is the sneaky club where we eat noodles, workout, go on walks, rot on the couch and eat our protein.
Even if we don’t want to.

Notable Mentions for Healthy Living

Hopefully, if anything, this blog helped you think outside the box, or feel better about your protein choices. But of course, I can’t just leave it there.

Because even if we’re healthy girlies and get our protein in, we also need to make sure we’re getting the rest of our health in.

Water Intake

Like how I said before that Seeq is my “fun flavored water”, this is how I get my other “healthy water” in. I use at least 1-2 water flavored packets a day. So between that, protein water, and an Oli, I get a good amount of water in (just for comparison, it’s a 32 oz plastic Aladdin mason jar I’ve been using for over 5 years now and can’t find anymore)

I like to use either Propell when I’m trying not to spend too much, otherwise I’ll go for Liquid IV or Key Nutrients. They both have really good flavors, and made me feel like I was hydrating myself a bit more.

Lunchbox/Purse/Bag

And this is a final quick toss in, since you’re eating your protein, grabbing your snacks, drinking your water and moving, you need something to carry it all in!

And I’m not a purse person. I will hold everything in my hands and figure it out from there. But when I was trying to hold 3 drinks, keys, wallet, and snacks for work, my boyfriend decided I needed a little help.

So he actually got me the best backpack for work, but also works great as an overnight bag too! The big reason is not only does it hold a lot in general, but it has 4 cup holder options. 2 inside and 2 outside. It’s my new favorite thing.

Now, some days I wish it was a bit smaller, or easier to carry around, and I found this duffle/purse bag by the same company. You may look at it and say it’s too big for a purse, but if I can fit a sandwich, all my drinks and some snacks in it, with my phone and wallet, then I say it works!

So, just to help a girl out that may be in the market for a new bag to carry all her snacks and drinks in, this would be my recommendation! Super happy with it, and will totally be buying again or a different one soon.

But there’s my Easy High Protein Snacks and Meals to take on the go, plus a couple other helpful things.

And if you’re ready for more support an steps that ACTUALLY work to make healthy eating simple for you, check out my signature 6-week course Sustainable Health Reset or contact me for 1:1 personalized coaching!

Health isn’t supposed to be hard or overtake your life. As I get older, I’m realizing I care more about how I feel and how the things I’m choosing to do in order to take care of my body make me feel day to day.

Some days will be harder, but I’ll no longer sacrifice my mental health and well being in order to hit a number on the scale.
I have too much pasta to eat!