quick grab and go protein options list – with links!
Be prepared with filling grab and go protein when you are counting macros to MAKE SURE you keep on track. NO sugar craving induced binges or stops at fast food when you have quick and tasty options waiting for you at home (or in your purse!)
Remember, you don’t need to be perfectionistic about the quality of your food. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into believing you must have only home cooked food 100% of the time. Aim for 80% and BE REALISTIC – be prepared for scenarios that YOU KNOW will come up. You will end up feeling better as a result. It is ok to enjoy cooking but give yourself options for if you are ill or have other priorities come up.
Choosing a grab and go protein heavy treat regardless of if it’s home cooked or not will result in you FEELING BETTER than if you choose something without protein. It will also keep you on track for with any weight-related goals you may have, give you an energy boost, and put a damper on any moods!
quick grab and go protein options list
Quest Cheese Crackers
These taste surprisingly good and are close to a real cheese it. I wouldn’t be eating a cheese it because they are 1) unhealthy and 2) empty carbs. Now I can circumvent one of these problems. So I keep these on hand if I need a quick craving fix.
BELL AND EVANS CHICKEN TENDERS
I was shocked how the macros actually panned out with these. They can cook from frozen in less than 30 minutes (15 minutes in an air fryer), have decent ingredients and tasted great. Who thought I’d be able to eat chicken tenders again AND lose weight? I’m thrilled!
Throw these on top of a salad for an on the go meal or mix up some honey and mustard for homemade honey mustard. Put in a wrap, bun, or lettuce wrap for a chicken sandwich!
shredded, cooked and frozen chicken breast
This can be a home cooked grab and go protein option! You can roast or boil chicken breasts and then shred and put in the freezer. Pop it out and add to canned soups, homemade ramen with bone broth, or microwavable rice bowls.
Herb and Garlic Tuna Packets
Mixed with cottage cheese these make for a very high protein and quick on the go meal. Grab some dill pickles, cut up cucumbers, or crackers (either Wasa or Mary’s) to go with these.
NITRATE FREE DELI HAM
Roll around a cheese stick or just eat roll ups of ham with some veggies on the side. Surprisingly high protein, lasts awhile, and convenient.
SIMPLY TERAS GRASS FED whey PROTEIN POWDER
I hate artificial sweeteners and even don’t like the taste of stevia but they did a good job with it in this protein. Smaller containers, smaller scoops, great taste. Whip it up with some kefir and a ripe banana in a tall mason jar and a stick blender for the quickest, least dishes method. Check out this post for some recipe suggestions.
BAREBELLS PROTEIN BARS – CHOCOLATE DOUGH
Definitely not a clean snack, but if you are low on protein and having a sweet craving, these things taste like a candy bar. Junk food wouldn’t be the healthiest option anyways, right?
CHOMPS TURKEY PEPPERONI JERKY STICKS
Great grab and go protein source. Add some cheese and crackers to round it out.
SAFECATCH YELLOWFIN CANNED TUNA
This tuna is healthier and higher protein than the alternatives. Desperation mode eat it out of the can, mix with cottage cheese, or mix with mayo (don’t use a lot!) and eat with Mary’s Crackers.
SWANSON CANNED CHICKEN
Apparently canned chicken is all about which brand you buy. I’ll put this with sharp cheese in between two tortillas to make an awesome quesadilla with salsa and skyr. I can eat about half and then feed half to my hubby.
Mix with Skyr and Frank’s Red Hot, top with shredded cheddar cheese and warm it up. Eat with crackers or tortilla chips for a delicious, quick buffalo dip.
Add to canned or homemade soups at the last minute for extra protein.
PASTURE RAISED EGGS
Boiled and peeled eggs are a great convenience snack. Eat with some dill pickles and Wasa crackers.
LIFEWAY FULL FAT KEFIR
So convenient to blend up with a banana and some protein powder for a quick breakfast or snack on the go. You can even use your stick blender to avoid taking out the “big” blender!
SKYR YOGURT
Skyr has higher protein than ‘normal’ greek yogurt. Perfect for a yogurt bowl with protein granola and fruit. I like to keep diced peaches and diced pears (make sure they are in juice and not in syrup) in case I don’t have any fresh fruit available. I like to sub the granola for pecans or slivered almonds that keep well in the freezer.
FRIENDSHIP 4% COTTAGE CHEESE
This is the only kind of cottage cheese I will eat! Perfect in a cottage cheese bowl with pecans and pineapple tidbits, with a little dark maple syrup. Or try with diced peaches, pecans, and shredded unsweetened coconut.
finding the perfect grab and go protein for you
I hope this list of quick grab and go protein ideas inspires you with some options to keep ready for when needed! It’s SO important to not be set on perfection, but be realistic with your lifestyle needs and bandwidth for time spent cooking or prepping. It IS possible to eat healthy with convenience foods. Being prepared for ’emergencies’ or illness is wise too.
Have grace on yourself. You matter and sometimes it’s necessary to accommodate yourself when you’re getting started. It’s hard to start a new thing and it requires quite a bit of emotional and mental strength to learn new habits!
Once you are more established, things will fall into a routine of eating regular meals that you know work for your macros. You may find yourself expanding your my repertoire of recipes and having more desire to cook complex things on occasion. It’s nice not to have that driving pressure to cook when you have easy options to fall back on. Enjoy! 🙂
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