10 Healthy High Protein Prepackaged Foods

When your trying to eat healthy and lose weight, you don’t want to derail your progress due making the wrong food choices. So why not select some ready to go, healthy, high protein prepackaged foods, right? It’s so easy to find these foods in your supermarket, and big box stores. Even when traveling, convenience stores, gas stations, rest stops, and airports are well stocked with an amazing selection of these healthy options.

Why choose high protein foods?

Eating good quality, healthy protein is vital for our overall health and well being. According to HelpGuide.org, protein helps you feel full longer, reducing cravings, which in turn, decreases the urge to snack and overeat.

How much protein should I eat?

This is something I needed help to figure out and discovered a wonderful resource, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The amount of protein you need depends on your age, sex, and activity level, among other things. Check it all out by clicking the link to find out just how much protein you should be eating each day.

What are some healthy high protein prepackaged foods?

Greek Yogurt
Tuna & Individual Canned Fish (Salmon, Sardines)
100 Calorie Nut Packs
Protein Bars
Protein Shakes
Hard Boiled Eggs
Cottage Cheese
Jerky
Cheese Sticks
Roasted Chickpeas

Note: In addition to the portion control benefits, these prepackaged high protein selections are budget friendly and great time savers for weekly meal prep.

Here’s a list of 10 healthy high protein prepackaged foods.

Greek Yogurt

As you can see when you stroll down the dairy aisle, there’s a HUGE selection of yogurt brands to choose from. You’ll need to read the labels to select the best options which are: Plain, Organic-Grass Fed, and no sugar added. Some of my favorite brands are: Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla, Dannon Greek Plain, Dannon Light & Fit Zero, Fage, Chobani, Siggi’s,

Tuna & Chicken Individual Packaged Fish (Salmon, Sardines)

2.5 – 3 oz packages or cans. I prefer using the pouches since they are more convenient than cans, travel well, and don’t take up a lot of space in my handbag or backpack. Look for Wild Caught Fish and Organic Chicken pouches or cans. Check out Wild Planet for their amazing selection of wild caught individual packaged fish and organic chicken.

Pro Tip: A good choice when it comes to tuna is chunk light instead of albacore since the chunk light is packaged by using smaller fish varieties and will have lower levels of mercury than albacore.

100 Calorie Nut Packs

I recommend these prepackaged nut packs more for portion control since one of my biggest issues with nuts is, well, going NUTS and eating way too much. Although nuts are very filling even when you eat just a small portion, they are high in calories and fat. This is why I prefer 100 calorie nut packs.

Protein Bars

I’m always so amazed with amount of good quality protein bars on the market. I tend to buy protein bars by the case , so when it comes time to replenish my stock, there’s usually something new to try. I often hear negative comments about protein bars, in that they taste chalky or like crushed up vitamins. Truth be told, it will take you some time to find the bars that you enjoy. Just as with other foods, you’ll have to experiment to see what you prefer.

I recommend check online stores such as The Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Quest, and Premier Protein. Many of these companies will sell mix and match single bars. If you prefer to purchase in person, check out your local supermarket, Whole Foods , Publix , Wegmans, or ShopRite. All of the large grocery stores now offer an amazing selection of protein bars that you can purchase by the bar or the box.(Quest, Premier Protein, Kind, are a few favorites, etc.) Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s also have fantastic a selection of high protein bars.

Protein Shakes

Since I routinely have a protein shake each day, I’ve done extensive testing on pre-made and powder options shake options. (Just look at this photo which is LITERALLY my refrigerator!) There are also so many Smoothie shops that offer protein shakes, which makes things easy. Just be sure to read the labels and look for any added sugar, which you want to stay away from. The list of my favorite protein shakes is quite long, so just to name a few of my favorite per-made brands are: IsoPure, Premier Protein, Quest, Core Power, and Muscle Milk.

Note: Stay Tuned for more on protein shakes! I will have a series coming up soon!

Hard Boiled Eggs

Whether you boil up a batch at home and store in your refrigerator or grab some on the road, hard boiled eggs are now offered in so many places. Just keep in mind that eggs cannot be kept out in the heat and should be stored in a cool place such as a lunch box with ice packs, a cooler or refrigerator.

Cottage Cheese

Available in 4 oz. and 5 ounce cups, cottage cheese is making a come back ! When selecting cottage cheese, I recommend selecting a plain variety and add your own fresh fruit and sweetener (Stevia or Monk Fruit). The – varieties with fruit on the bottom are LOADED with added sugar. Check out Good Culture! They’ve come out with an amazing new line of cottage cheese with fruit that’s only 3 grams of sugar. I tried to find them in my local area but they haven’t been available yet. If you try them, please let me know what you think.

Jerky

I wasn’t a big fan of Jerky. I found it to be too chewy and salty. Nowadays, the selection of good quality jerky has literally exploded. There’s all types from bison and beef, turkey and pork. This is a low calorie, low fat, and filling option! I’ve now discovered few varieties that I really enjoy.

Take note: read the labels and carefully look at the sodium content. The goal here is to select a jerky with less than 500 mg of sodium per serving.

Check out Chomps. I first discovered this brand in Trader Joe’s, but you can purchase directly from their website. Their beef jerky is 100% grass fed, lower in sodium than other brands, zero added sugar, and a great high protein choice. Oh yeah, it tastes great too!

Cheese Sticks (String Cheese)

Cheese sticks always remind me of children since when I’m out and about, I routinely see a cheese stick in hand to keep the little munchkin quiet. But cheese sticks aren’t just for kids anymore! With all sorts of options available, even in gas station and quick marts around the globe, you will routinely be able to pick up a couple of these sticks for a quick and filling bite on the go. Check out Organic Valley which is a brand offfering high quality, wholesome ingredients.

I always have cheese sticks in my refrigerator as a quick add in to salads, as cheese and veggie skewers, or roll them up with some sliced deli meat. Any way you serve them, they taste great, will fill you up, and are easy on your wallet.

Roasted Chickpeas

I first discovered Roasted Chickpeas (also known as Channa) many years ago in Trinidad & Tobago. It’s a widely popular snack throughout the Caribbean and served as a savory and spicy snack instead of cheese and crackers or other finger food choices. It’s filling, nutritious, and super crunchy.

Fast forward to today and there’s all sorts of Roasted Chickpeas available on the market.

I recommend selecting the roasted with sea salt, or pepper varieties rather than other choices that include sugar. Check out Saffron Road which is a popular brand that offers organic varieties.

If you prefer to make a batch of your own, they are simple to make. Check out this link to Allrecipes and bake up a batch for yourself.

Pro Tip: The key to making a super crunchy batch is to be sure you thoroughly pat dry the chickpeas before you roast them. I learned this the hard way as my first two batches didn’t have the extra crunch I expected!