8 High-Protein Pantry Items I Buy Every Week, According to a Food Writer

There’s no question about it: it can be a challenge to switch from a carb-heavy eating plan to one that relies on eating more healthy protein, which helps you feel more satisfied and keeps you full longer. I started focusing on getting more protein in my meals when I set about losing the weight that I had gained during my heady first few years as a restaurant critic. So much of what I once considered convenience food simply wasn’t on the menu once I committed to a high-protein meal plan. 

While most of my dinners at home focus on lean meat (or meat replacement) and vegetables, my busy workdays require me to keep things simpler at lunch and snack times. Buying some high-protein staples that don’t require refrigeration makes my life easier and my wallet heavier, but most important, these staples leave me feeling good after I eat them. Here are my standbys. 

1. Chickpeas

I’m far from a vegetarian, but I appreciate the lean protein offered by using chickpeas as the centerpiece of a meal. I may have learned to cook them first as part of Indian recipes, but the legumes are super-versatile. I like crisping them up and coating them in everything seasoning for a snack, but few recipes feed my need for creamy, tomatoey goodness quite like using chickpeas in a meat-free version of Marry Me Chicken. It’s like a hybrid of my beloved Indian stews and the best of Italy.

2. Beef Jerky

Though there’s nothing quite like making your own jerky with an at-home dehydrator, I am among the majority of people that simply don’t have the time to do so regularly. As a devotee of Korean barbecue, I sometimes treat myself to the almost dessert-like charms of Golden Island pork jerky from Costco, but more often, I just buy Walmart-brand beef jerky, with its 13 grams of protein and 5 grams of total carbs per serving.

3. Almond Butter

My mother eats an early dinner, then finishes the evening with what she calls a “tummy filler.” Using her as inspiration, when I’m still hungry after dinner, my favorite “tummy filler” is slices of Macintosh apple with almond butter. An open secret? This is even better with a dusting of cinnamon. 

4. Canned or Dried Beans

When I lived in Texas, you wouldn’t have caught me dead adding beans to chili. But then a dear friend sent me a Rancho Gordo chili kit as an unexpected wedding gift. I realized that I loved both the texture and low-fat protein of the heirloom beans. Now I’m more likely to do an inexpensive riff using canned pinto or Great Northern beans in a recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

5. Prepared Soups

When I lost 30 pounds of my restaurant-critic weight a decade ago, my secrets were lean protein at dinner and filling soups at lunch. Often, that meant less-than-appealing protein-powder potages, but since then, I’ve discovered that when I don’t have time to make my own more flavorful options, cans of Progresso will do in a pinch. I prefer to stick to reduced-sodium options, including Italian wedding soup, which boasts around 160 calories per can and keeps me full until dinner.

6. Chickpea Pasta

There’s nothing wrong with eating regular pasta sometimes (just ask our in-house dietitian), but when I’m trying to get a little extra protein out of my noodle dish, I lean on wheat replacements like Barilla’s Protein+, which is made with a blend of conventional flour, chickpeas, lentils and peas. It doesn’t cook up grainy like old-school “healthy” pastas, so I don’t feel guilty serving it to the rest of my family.

7. Higher-Protein Bread

For years, I avoided having any kind of bread in my house. But I often went through my days feeling slightly hungry. Finding the right bread made my life happier. My favorite is the sliced seeds and grains loaf from The Avocado Bread Company. It’s a hearty, rustic cousin to my old favorites from Dave’s Killer Bread, but with 5 grams of protein per slice, less sweetness, and a hint of guacamole-style spices like cumin and paprika. I use it not just in sandwiches, but also as breadcrumbs in meatballs. 

8. Walnuts

My mother started adding walnuts to salads for heart health when I was a teenager. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, the crunchy superstars have 4 grams of protein per ounce. I still toss them into salads, but I like them even better incorporated into noodle dishes for a slap of texture.  They’re also great ground into stews like Georgian satsivi and Persian fesenjan. 

The Bottom Line

Although I have the luxury of not having to store all of my grocery buys in the pantry, it’s possible to supply healthy meals with just what I’m able to keep on the shelf. The best part is that the budget-friendliness of most of my favorites keeps my grocery bill mercifully low. That means I might have a little extra in my budget to splurge on higher-quality meats and organic fruits and vegetables.