A food writer prioritizes protein at all meals for weight management and to feel more full and satisfied.High protein pantry items including canned and dried beans, walnuts and even plant-protein pastas are staples thanks to their versatility.These pantry protein options are also budget-friendly to keep grocery bills in check.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s 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<\/a>, which helps you feel more satisfied and keeps you feeling fuller 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\u2019t on the menu once I committed to a high-protein meal plan<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n While most of my dinners at home focus on lean meat (or plant-based proteins<\/a>) and vegetables, my busy workdays require me to keep things simpler at lunch and snack times. Buying some high-protein staples that don\u2019t 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.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n 1. Chickpeas <\/p>\n I\u2019m far from a vegetarian, but I appreciate the lean protein offered by using chickpeas<\/a> as the centerpiece of a meal. I may have learned to cook them first as part of Indian recipes<\/a>, but the legumes are super-versatile. I like crisping them up and coating them in everything seasoning for a snack<\/a>, but few recipes feed my need for creamy, tomatoey goodness quite like using chickpeas in a meat-free version of Marry Me Chicken<\/a>. It\u2019s like a hybrid of my beloved Indian stews and the best of Italy.\n<\/p>\n 2. Beef Jerky <\/p>\n Though there\u2019s nothing quite like making your own jerky with an at-home dehydrator<\/a>, I am among the majority of people that simply don\u2019t 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.\n<\/p>\n 3. Almond Butter <\/p>\n My mother eats an early dinner, then finishes the evening with what she calls a \u201ctummy filler.\u201d Using her as inspiration, when I\u2019m still hungry after dinner, my favorite \u201ctummy filler\u201d is slices of Macintosh apple with almond butter. An open secret? This is even better with a dusting of cinnamon<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n 4. Canned or Dried Beans <\/p>\n When I lived in Texas, you wouldn\u2019t 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\u2019m more likely to do an inexpensive riff using canned pinto or Great Northern beans in a recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n 5. Prepared Soups <\/p>\n When I lost 30 pounds<\/a> 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\u2019ve discovered that when I don\u2019t 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<\/a>, including Italian wedding soup, which boasts around 160 calories per can and keeps me full until dinner.\n<\/p>\n 6. Chickpea Pasta <\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing wrong with eating regular pasta sometimes (just ask our in-house dietitian<\/a>), but when I\u2019m trying to get a little extra protein out of my noodle dish<\/a>, I lean on wheat replacements like Barilla\u2019s Protein+, which is made with a blend of conventional flour, chickpeas, lentils and peas. It doesn\u2019t cook up grainy like old-school \u201chealthy\u201d pastas, so I don\u2019t feel guilty serving it to the rest of my family.\n<\/p>\n 7. Higher-Protein Bread <\/p>\n 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<\/a> made my life happier. My favorite is the sliced seeds and grains loaf from The Avocado Bread Company. It\u2019s a hearty, rustic cousin to my old favorites from Dave\u2019s 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.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n 8. Walnuts <\/p>\n My mother started adding walnuts to salads for heart health<\/a> when I was a teenager. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, the crunchy superstars have 4 grams of protein per ounce<\/a>. I still toss them into salads<\/a>, but I like them even better incorporated into noodle dishes for a slap of texture<\/a>.\u00a0 They\u2019re also great ground into stews like Georgian satsivi and Persian fesenjan<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n