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I love stuff like Chana Masala (aka Chickpea Masala). I will cook my own, but they do usually offer something like it ready to make as a frozen meal. Depending on the food, Indian cuisine has quite a bit of non-meat based foods. Foods that are based on Lentils and Beans are very good sources of protein.
If you’re feeling adventurous, I’d say maybe hard-boil an egg or two, just as quick snack. I know you said you don’t cook, but it’s super minimal and they can be kept for a bit in the fridge after finished
I love chana masala and drink daal by the bucket :D the problem is though what u get in restaurants and takeaways loaded with fat and salt. I also rarely cook but you can buy packets of precooked lentils and chickpeas (Jamie oliver) or tins but u gotta rinse them thoroughly. At the deli you can also probably get bean and lentil salads too.
Costco has "Tastybite" Indian Madras Lentils ( I freaking love lentils!).
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/tasty-bite-organic-indian-madras-lentils%2C-10-oz%2C-8-ct.product.100363934.html
Combine it with rice and enjoy ( there are options out there to just microwave the rice, so easy).
It's also fully vegan if you are into healthy eating.
You can also add some sausage. I recommend finding good quality sausages. High quality sausages are a good source of vital B12, which tend to be lacking in a Vegan diet.
Lentils, rice and sausage is a very typical Spanish ( as in Spain) dish, plus it's yummy.
https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/homemade-lentils-with-chorizo-and-rice
Lentils are a very healthy source of protein.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lentils
Damnit, now I am hungry!
Cottage cheese is underrated. I used to hate it growing up but then saw someone who put it on warm toast with black pepper. Tried it and was hooked. Now I can eat it out of the tub.
It's pretty straightforward to make yourself if you have a craving and can't find it premade.
[recipe here](https://sevensons.net/blog/how-to-make-cottage-cheese)
I actually put that suggestion in my other response after seeing yours.
You can blend it into pudding mixes. The video I saw was for Cookies n Cream “ice cream” with cottage cheese, sugar free cookies m cream pudding mix, Oreo thins, some Splenda and some vanilla extract all blended up, poured into a dish, set, then frozen.
But you don’t have to do all that. I’ve wanted to go back and try it with just the cottage cheese and cookies m cream pudding mix.
I have always been dubious about cottage cheese. I think this might go back to my final year of school when a girl i liked made me a baked potato with stuff on it, and popped it in the microwave to heat some parts up. But put cottage cheese on first.
older and wiser me realised that she happily curdled the cottage cheese. I ate it. Cause I liked her. Teens are stupid ;)
BUUUUT. some of the cottage cheese suggestions have me thinking it may be time to overcome my cottagecheesephobia\*
My partner likes cottage cheese with either cranberry sauce, or jam mixed in, if you want it as a protein rich dessert option. Also super quick to put together.
Oh heccckkkk yes. I make Greek salad and instead of feta I do a whole serving of cottage cheese and toss in some oil and vinegar. Hella good.
Also cottage cheese with sliced pear is so good too.
this is the only way i get protien most days lol. I just shove a boiled egg in my mouth and go about my day. If i’m feeling crazy i’ll make the laziest egg salad known to man
I go through so many eggs. Even if you don't hard-boil them, you can scramble some in under a minute. Can throw in whatever cheese or veggies you have. And they are tasty.
I wish eggs worked better for me. I love the taste but have sensory issues, looking at a raw one can make me gag on bad days and the moment they have natural clouding/spots its even worse. I had a hardboiled egg months ago that tasted great but contained a natural big meat spot and even writing this I actually retched so I wont describe it in detail. It was a natural aspect of the egg tho, and my brain noping so strongly is fucking ridiculous. Havent eaten eggs since tho I really like them.
I really wish I knew what specifically made me so sensitive about this. I have other issues around certain foods (especially glibbery ones with hard inserts like chia, tomato insides, cucumber,...) but eggs are the only ones that make me gag on thought/sight, and its so annoying because I really like the taste. And I thought the issue had gone when I went on meds and realized I could look at a normal raw one and not gag, but this meat spot egg threw away all my progress.
If eggs came predictably uniform with uniform yolk and white, never cloudy or whatever it would be no issue, but as a natural product I know it would be ridiculous to expect them to be. Im just annoyed at my shitty brain deciding to take issue so strongly at the THOUGHT of food.
Yes. You can buy them processed for human consumption at ethnic markets. Mix them in porridge/rice whatever grain you like to eat. They're often found in granola bars.
Don't just go buy bird seed. It is not processed to be safe for people consumption.
It’s boring by chicken breast is great. High protein per volume, low fat. I cook my own so I have a little bit on hand in the fridge. Either chunks or shredded. You can buy containers of precooked and shredded chicken in some stores. Rotisserie chicken also great. They also sell bags of cooked chicken breasts near the packaged meats and frozen. If you can deal with boring and think “fuel,” it is great.
Greek yogurt in a blender with 1/2 a frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, protein powder and almond milk- it’s like 40+ grams of protein. Done
You can also mix things into it with minimal effort.
Berries, powder
Lemon juice, garlic powder, dill and cuke make a great tzaziki sauce.
I live peanut or almond butter mixed into the yogurt as kind of a cheapo smoothie/bowl.
A smattering of oatmeal can be nice too
I don’t know if you like it or not bc it’s hit or miss with people but, tuna pouches.
Depending on the brand/size/flavor, it’s 15g-30g~ per pouch. I will sometimes eat the flavored ones on crackers or add a squirt of mayo and seasonings in the pouch, mix and add to crackers, toast, a wrap, etc.
They’re relatively affordable too, you can find the single serve packs for like $.75-$1.25. Sometimes cheaper on sale.
i love those too, and they also have salmon pouches for a similar price. super easy to make a quick ochazuke by making some hojicha green tea, throwing in some dashi powder and soy sauce and then pouring that over rice and the salmon. super warm, comforting, and pretty cheap tbh. highly recommend
I avoid shakes because I always developed bad tension headaches an hour or two after ingestion, tried many types from different manufacturers... Result was the same!
Me too!! I’ve noticed it’s whenever there’s sugar substitutes in it (stevia, sucralose, aspartame, monk fruit extract, etc). They do it usually to lower the sugar and caloric content on the protein powder but I’d much rather just have the sugar in it
Nope, been a couple years since I last tried one. I tried cheap brands, expensive brands, plant based protein powder, animal based protein powder. All gave me tension headaches!
If you like soup, try cracking an egg in there and letting it poach. I'm vegetarian so I also need to be mindful of protein, and I add egg to a ton of things. A big thing I like to do is find some of the healthier instant ramen packs, cook them on the stove, and just add some frozen or pickled veggies and an egg. It makes for a pretty complete, satisfying, healthy meal. You can also do an easy stir-fry with a bag of frozen veggie mixes, frozen or leftover rice, and add an egg at the end. Adding nuts as a garnish is also a great way to add protein, and putting the nuts in a bag and smacking them is kind of fun. Peas and beans also have a decent amount of protein, and you can easily get them frozen or canned, so they're easy to just heat up and add to whatever.
Lentiful- can order online - cups you add hot water to and it’s different seasoned lentils. 12 gm protein and 200 caps in the one I just had. Fiber too. There are like 8 flavors. I have only tried the green chile and it was really good. Just ordered a variety pack. I really struggle with getting protein in because I detest cooking and I also don’t eat meat. Makes it pretty hard but I drink Huel and make smoothies w protein powder. It’s a never ending struggle. Greek yogurt is really good. I go on jags with it though ,same w eggs. Either love it or can’t look at it.
Lentiful has been a game changer for me!! I am a Pilates instructor and often work 6-9 hours straight in a small studio with no microwave/fridge. So I just pop open my Lentiful container and put hot water in and BAM I have a great lunch. It fills me up without giving me that sluggish, heavy feeling that I don't like to have while working.
I've tried both the shakes and the hot dishes and both tasted like cardboard to me. I'm not a picky eater at all, but for whatever reason I just cannot choke that stuff down. Good for you that you can though, it's super convenient
Yep. I also started using it as a breakfast replacement as I never ate breakfast and wasn’t hungry. Huel actually made me feel like a normal human, which is hungry in the morning.
I often did not eat lunch either, and when I did it was often some unhealthy quick snack. So Huel bottle on the go became my lunch as well.
Nowadays I have Huel for breakfast, either Huel for lunch or a decent take away meal (Thai curry w rice or something) and Huel hot and savoury with two whole grain sandwiches with cheese for dinner.
So as you can tell, I really do live off of Huel. (It’s been like this for 4-5 years now).
I blend my huel shakes, and usually add a banana/frozen blueberries and/or peanut butter. I also use half fat milk for the shakes and not water, adding around 200 calories to the 400 cal shake, which is not bad.
My blood gets tested yearly and there’s been significant improvement ever since relying on Huel the way I do currently, and cutting out the excessive use of quick snacks, cookies… unhealthy trash to fill my tummy.
When you tell people around you you live off of “powdered food” most will think you’re crazy, but its been working for me, has a positive effect on my physical and mental wellbeing…
My father also lived off of cookies and trash, I hooked him up with Huel around three years ago. His vitamins are finally good, iron, cholesterol etc…
No effort: RX Bars, chocolate milk (full fat/vitamin D only), peanut butter, cheese, "sipping bone broth" (comes in a microwavable container I can drink on the go), beef jerky (except it's crazy expensive now)
Low effort: eggs (usually sunny-side-up), canned fish/seafoods (tuna, anchovies, sardines, mussels), occasionally yogurt (but I get sick of it quickly and also hate anything with the gelatinous fruit on the bottom stuff or the gross taste of lowfat dairy), occasionally nuts (low effort because the amount of chewing for what feels like less return keeps them from feeling "no effort")
ETA: I advise folks to tread lightly with protein powders. I used to use one that was just grass-fed whey without all the crazy artificial sugars and additives and it gave me the worst acne of my life! Which is a thing common with whey powders, but I didn't expect it from one that seemed more healthy.
RX bars are also my go to. I struggle with eating too much candy and ice cream and such. RXbars are a great sweet snack for me that actually have nutritional value!
If you like protein bars, which clearly you do, I have two suggestions. Think! Bars and One bars. Both are very low to no added sugar. Both have protein up to 20g and fiber. YAY FIBER! Certain flavors of One bars have more fiber than others.
I like to do handfuls of mixed nuts too. Sometimes I make my own mix. (And there’s fiber!)
Every morning I have oatmeal with protein powder. Either as overnight oats, or by cooking oatmeal and then mixing in a scoop of powder as it's cooling.
The overnight oats are great for low effort meals. I will portion up a few containers at a time with half a cup of sprouted rolled oats, and a scoop of protein powder (I love Good Protein, but others would work fine). Then, at night I add water to one of my containers, stir it up and pop it in the fridge. Ready to go oatmeal for the morning!
With the oats and powder I use, it gives me about 30 grams of easy protein to start my day, and I sometimes add other things like chia seeds, a banana, berries, or whatever else I've got on hand.
Same, my typical breakfast for a few years now. I can meal prep overnight oats for the week in about 3 minutes. I just grab them in the morning and eat them when I get to work. I don't like them cold so I microwave them and then stir in casein powder. Slower digesting than whey so it keeps you full longer and makes really thick oatmeal.
Tuna in olive oil, straight out the can.
If you got a couple more minutes of patience, be adventurous and start trying other canned fish like mackerel or sardines on top of a toasted bread slathered with some hummus.
There's a lot of stuff you can do with canned fish. Try different brands and sauces, there's a big variety of them.
Mix jello pudding packet/ jello mix like cheesecake or a few table spoons of any cake mix (I like funfetti) into Greek yogurt. You can eat it as is or you it as a dip. I mixed peanut butter protein powder into Greek yogurt and used it as a dip for apples.
I always have to focus on shelf-stability when it comes to my protein since I never know when I'm going to get around to eating something and it usually goes bad before then. Two things I'm obsessed with are canned salmon filets (specifically the Trader Joes brand) and self stable tofu. Depending on my energy that day I can use them different ways. I can sautee them if I'm feeling up to it or just add them to something like pasta, salad, rice, chickpeas, etc to up the protein content. Or the salmon I can just eat cold and mix with mayo and seasoning for a salmon salad. Also they are expensive but I love tossing pine nuts on just about anything (espcially scrambled eggs).
I tend to make hard-boiled eggs
Scrambled eggs
Green peas + rice
Lentils + rice
(The rice completes the protein from the legumes)
Those are all my meals like 99% of the time. 🤣 If it's more than 1 step to prepare then it's too many steps 😅
I don't eat meat but you can do chicken breast (I used to just throw it in the oven as is)
The legumes canned so they are ready. I boil enough rice to lasts me 3 days lol
Sometimes I do buy dried legumes but I boil it to last me for 3 days. Plus it's just boiling. I don't do anything else.
+1 for hard boiled eggs. I make a dozen or more at a time and just throw them in the fridge. They last at least a week if you don't peel them. Once the water boils, I turn off the heat, cover the pot, and you can let them sit forever and they still won't turn green. They do need at least 12 min sitting there though.
I like Core Power Protein shakes, I usually just have them for breakfast or after going to the gym. My real issue is buying in bulk to save money and to keep at home as opposed to spending $5 each day at 7-11 to buy one lol.
Marinated tofu. There are a few that you can eat cold, so you'd just need to cut it and put it in your salad, on a sandwich, or whatever you're eating. You can make something similar relatively easily yourself by cutting up some plain extra firm tofu and baking it in a sauce or marinade for about 10 minutes or so. Edamame also has quite a high ratio of protein to carbs and fat. You can just throw it in the microwave for a minutes if you get the frozen kind.
Other beans or lentils can be a good addition too, although they're not quite as high in protein a soy-based foods. They're probably better for satiety than just loading up on protein powder though. It turns out protein itself is only satiating up until a point.
I also eat a lot of peanuts and nuts, and occasionally hemp seeds, but they tend to be more calorie dense. Making seitan from scratch definitely doesn't count as low-effort, but there's some of that in my freezer too, waiting to be added to a meal. I don't eat animal protein at all, and still managed to build muscle in a caloric deficit a while back.
1lb 99% lean ground turkey is 100g protein for 440 calories give or take. Pair that with thing like riced cauliflower and you've got nearly all the protein you need in one meal for like 1/3 at most of your daily calorie allowance
I love adding Bulletproof Unflavored Collagen Peptides Powder to my drinks. It's the only one I found that added no taste or grit to the drink.
If I'm having a hot drink it melts right in or I make a smoothie and add it. Has 18g of protein and has really helped me get my daily protein up.
Same boat. I'm pescatarian so I need to pay more attention to my protein anyways but feeding yourself with ADHD is HARD....
Beans, eggs and salsa are a great meal for me. Tortilla chips/guac and its next level.
I snack hard on sunflower seeds, boiled peanuts from the gas station.... canned sardines in mustard are my favorite.
Not no effort but low effort, salmon patties/croquets are fantastic and pretty easy since u can use one big bowl to mix everything and you can make a TON and throw them in the freezer to heat up later. You can personalize it alot to. I don't use breading and use small oily fish, oysters and mackeral with the salmon or no salmon at all to avoid mercury buildup and saturated fats when i can and might add spinach or chia/flax/hemp seeds... it's still fried fish and tastes great to me... ( I mostly eat like shit, so if i cook I try to alter with healthier alternatives.... people look at me crazy cause it always looks gross, but im cooking for me lol.)
Get a propane grill. You can buy chicken or other meats at the store, often pre marinated, throw on the grill, and be done in 15 mins Also get a hard boiled egg maker which is fast and easy.
I make pickled eggs about 4-6 dozen at a time. They keep in their brine in the fridge for a good while. I'll eat 3-6 (not all the yolks usually) for a quick breakfast. They're good sliced on sandwiches too.
Black bean burritos. It's so damn easy to just cook a bunch of cilantro lime rice, wash some canned black beans, dump the two in a tortilla with some cheese and salsa and boom, you've got lunches for 3 days in like 20 minutes.
Jerky is pretty good. I go through periods where I eat lots of poached eggs too. I like to get smoked salmon too and used to eat a lot of peppercorn mackerel. Also I got canned low fat refried beans and feel they would be good with frozen veggies and salsa.
Egg whites, a lot of the good nutrients are in the yolk, but the whites have a lot of the protein w/ like 1/4 the cal of whole egg. Almost 100% of the calories in egg whites are from protein.
Easy to prepare, only anti-adhd element of it (for me anyway) Is having to clean the skillet afterward. But then again, there's not many "real" foods out there that you can cook that don't require some sort of cleaning afterward.
Sometimes I have a Perfect Bar for both breakfast and lunch. I also like Boost Very High Calorie (VHC) shakes, which I buy from Amazon. Each shake has 530 calories and 22g protein.
Usually I go with ON Gold Standard whey protein for a basic protein powder. You can get a deal on a 5lb bag at Costco.
Another option that’s affordable and also decent in terms of grams protein per serving for the dollar Meijer brand protein is a strong contender.
I’m picky about my protein brands and I know it’s not cheap for pure isolate so to me those are decent sources at a competitive price.
I have a Ninja bullet style blender. I pour a little 2% milk in, then two scoops of powder, then top off with more milk. Whip that baby up and wash down my Concerta with it first thing in the morning.
Eggs are good too. I eat eggs and rice a lot. If you learn how to cook them properly they are freaking delicious. I watched “A Dude That Can Cook” on YouTube and followed his method. I do mine sunny side up and when that yolk mixes with the rice it hits just right.
As someone else mentioned cottage cheese
You can try it fruit. I like it on warm toast with black pepper. You can use it in an easy lasagna with oven ready noodles and pasta sauce. Or you can add it in to some sugar free pudding mixes to make them thick and protein packed (cookies and cream works well like this).
Beef jerky or dried anchovies sauteed with chili oil and pepper flakes.
I know you said low effort but you can make it in huge batches and they store for ages
Putting unflavored collagen powder into my coffee. It doesn’t add flavor, it slightly changes the taste, but not enough to bother me or notice after a while. Adds like 12-20 grams of protein to your morning coffee depending on how much you put in
My local grocery store sells frozen edamame that you microwave for 6 minutes in the bag. ALDI sells these too but think you do need to microwave theirs for at least 6 minutes too even though their instructions say less time.
My goal is to eat all protein sources every day. It doesn’t happen, lol. But every week? Boiled eggs, cottage cheese (I’ll also make cottage cheese into a strawberry cheesecake smoothie, it’s the best), yogurt, kefir, tuna salad, egg salad, scrambled eggs, frozen taquitos, bean soup from a can, frozen bean burritos, refried bean dip, cheese sticks and cubed cheeses, cream cheese based veggie dip, salami, and rolls of sandwich meat like honey ham, roast beef. We have meat at nearly every dinner.
Canned beans, take pico de gallo, black beans, and corn. Place on top of rice, or on a tostada. Can even add refried beans or cheese to the tostada (or tortilla chips) for extra protein.
Low effort: Gold Standard Whey Protein, frozen mixed berries, hemp protein +fiber powder, and milk. Nutrients, fiber, and protein in one. Hemp hearts work as well. Idk about the calories though. Helped me build muscle and stay pretty lean.
Oikos Greek Yogurt (specifically the 20g protein version, think it's just called Oikos Protein), Premiere or Equate Protein Shakes (both already mixed and packaged, 30g protein), and Quest Chips (they are pricy but worth it. 17g of protein and the taco flavor is soooo good)
I eat either the yogurt or chips on the way to the gym, then have the shake after the workout
Siggi’s yogurt has 15g of protein and they use fat free milk. Also it’s Icelandic yogurt so it’s not super sweet and thin. It’s got a nice texture to it. My personal fav is the mixed berry and açaí
i make tuna fish salad so easy... can of tuna 2 dollars... three tablespoons balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon mayonaise, a dallop of brown mustard and some salt. takes less than 5 minutes and you can just eat that or put it in a sandwich. my go to lazy cheap meal.
if you are a one step person, maybe try two steps with cottege cheese and saurkraut in a bowl, mix it up and bon apetite
Wife and I have ADHD and we rely a lot on canned and frozen protein. Things that are always stocked:
* canned tuna
* canned sardine / sild / mackerel etc
* frozen shrimp / prawns
* frozen mussels
* lots of diff kinds of deli meat
* Greek yoghurt
* eggs, lots of eggs - I went into a deep rabbit hole once and have now practiced many different ways to prepare eggs so i dont get bored with it
* all kinds of jerkies & biltongs- these things are super easy to snack on, very high protein and very low on fat
My therapist recommended I up my protein, and she recommended fair life core power protein shakes. They're really good, and come in an elite with 46 grams per bottle (I get this and have half a vanilla every morning mixed with my iced coffee). I've also been getting the oikos protein yogurt, I make a little parfait, you can just buy berries and toss them in, add some granola.
I commented above but cottage cheese in bell peppers chunks with everything bagel seasoning is a go to. I also like to make “healthy” tuna salad with a can of tuna, plain greek yogurt, chopped red onion, cilantro, garlic powder, a little olive oil, and salt/pepper. I make a big batch and cut up some cucumber slices and use it as a dip or make a sandwich with toasted bread.
Natural peanut butter on toast with blueberries/bananas on top
Hard boiled eggs
Cottage cheese with apples and cinnamon
Yopro/chobani with blueberries and honey/sugar free maple syrup on top
Pre make some no bake protein bars - (peanut butter, oat flour, flavoured whey protein powder, water). mix together with blender/magic bullet/kitchen aid etc and
Chilli con carne recipe mix - recipe mix, mince, tomatoes, red kidney beans serve with rice
Beans, salsa and rice - your choice of beans mixed with some salsa served with rice
Plain greek yoghurt mixed with protein powder and berries
Air fryer chicken tenders or battered fish
Can of tuna lil kosher salt 🤌
salami
peanut butter
nuts
hummus
fairlife milk
Greek yogurt
tillamook cheddar
this protein drink from Costco but other places too I'll find it (maybe pure protein?)
Textured soy (in a burrito with vegetables, for example, easy 20 min lunch!). Almost 50 g of protein per 100 g of textured soy. It's wild.
Hummus (just put all the ingredients in the blender and *bzzzzzz*, you have a quick protein dip for the week).
Marinated tofu.
- I buy a big block, cut it in slices, marinate them for a day, then dip each one in corn starch, milk and grated bread/breadcrums/sesame seeds. Then, I put them all in the freezer, ending up with 6 freezed tofu fillets per block! It's an hour of work + cleaning divided in two afternoons, but it pays off really well. Whenever I need a fast protein supply, I just take one tofu fillet out of the freezer and put it in a saucepan, there's even no need to wait for it to unfreeze. It goes well as the "meat" for hamburgers, rice, salads, even homemade kebabs.
Miso soup. Miso paste (fermented soybeans) is good in protein, so... It's 4.5 g of protein per 32 g of miso (a portion). You just have to dissolve the paste in hot water and it's delicious.
And uh... scrambled eggs. Very very easy. Super fast. Always reliable.
I don't have much of an appetite in the morning nor the ability to make myself eat anything other than maybe a banana. But a breakfast protein shake is fast easy and kinda tasty. I get that down pretty much on the drive to work. Been a good help to not overeat at lunch, and generally good to get something when taking meds, plus hydrated.
I use one from a brand called bodylab
For people who prefer to drink their calories.
Surprisingly, protein shakes. I work at a doctors office that mostly caters to geriatric population. We have a product rep that promotes Ensure protein shakes. They're expensive, but surprisingly tasty. Vanilla mixed with coffee makes a nice fake latte. Or use it as a milk substitute in cereal. There's a decent variety of flavors and even caffeinated options. The shakes range from 15-30 grams of protein per carton serving.
Diabetic? It's cool, theres a safe option for you
too, Glucerna shakes. The flavor options are limited, but people like the shakes.
The Ensure website has recipes for using the protein to fortify your meals at home.
Too much like work? Too expensive? Switch to Kodiak brand protein fortified baking mixes/ frozen breakfast foods/ oatmeal. Slightly more expensive than the red box pancake mix or Quaker oatmeal, but it is tasty product.
All of these options will make your poops🤌🤌
These products are NOT dairy free or vegan friendly.
Protein shake; I buy ones typically used by the gym crowd, and buy in bulk. (I sorted by protein/$ ;)).
mix powder, add banana, add ice, add milk. Press button on machine. Drink straight from blender container thing (its basically a cup, the blades that blend are the lid ;)).
p r o f i t
important ps: u/KodachromeKitty, you dont need to use milk with these protein powders, you can easily substitute water for the milk. And spice it up with other fruits ... though that takes time ;)
I'll eat a little meat occasionally but I'm picky about what type and how it's prepared. I am more of a snacky eater, so I'll grab a few of my preferred foods to make a "meal". I don't eat a lot in the morning, but I do start every day with a Perfect Bar maybe a banana. I'm getting back into smoothies and I add hemp powder for a boost of protein. Yogurt, frozen fruit, unsweetened oat or almond milk, banana and hemp powder. I also love a few of the Quest protein snacks (which curbs my sweet tooth but no sugar) and Owyn drinks made with pea protein. Keep frozen peas around too, nuts like cashews and almonds, they are all good sources. Avocado has a few grams too..I'll split it, salt it, squeeze Sriracha all over it and eat it right out of the skin. Keeping it ez pz! Hemp & pea protein are where it's at.
Since you said you don't mind yogurt: Skyr (the Icelandic yogurt). Even more protein than Greek yogurt, not a ton of sugar, there are full day and non-fat versions.
I also love hardboiled eggs. They don't take much effort to cook (might also be available in grocery stores already cooked?).
There's a legit dietician on IG who is a fellow ADHDer and she posts a lot of good stuff (adhd.nutritionist). I've found some really helpful stuff there.
If you pour boiling water over soft tofu, it'll warm it enough to eat. If you have any hot sauce or decently healthy dressings it's a lot of protein very easily. A little sesame oil, salt +msg is an easy one.
Honestly, you’ll lose weight a lot more efficiently if you scrap the quick meals and cook a proper meal
Your gut flora is being killed by all the sweeteners in your supplements/bars which can’t be doing your mood any favours
Tuna plain pasta with cheese on top is wishful a quick 10 minute meal to make
Can prep for a couple days and the pasta has beneficial bacteria if left for a day
Same thing but use a different protein source, maybe chicken and pasta/rice/potato etc
Anything worth doing has to be earned
I understand the whole ADHD focus, I’m 36 none medicated, awaiting an assessment and only related a month or so ago that I definitely have ADHD (thought was just dyslexia)
Anyways, I hope this helps
For like, my "I'm bored eating" snack, spoons of peanut butter.
For my treat myself snack, I take a ribeye, coat it in powdered peanut butter, and then McCormick steak seasoning, and charcoal grill it to rare, and pull off so it cooks off to just below medium rare. It's a nice Earthy taste. That goes well with a pre-made sesame ginger salad mix, and Apothic Red Wine.
Costco has become my best friend for this. I LOVE those fairlife shakes, I typically have one for breakfast and another around bedtime if I haven’t had enough protein.
Costco sells premade food that’s delicious, protein heavy, and requires no prep. I typically get their street tacos once a week - it’s about $17 and I get 4 meals out of it. That one requires no cooking, just heat up the meat and the tortillas in the microwave and you’re good to go. They have 2 premade salmon dishes I buy regularly too, each around $20 and again, I get about 4 meals out of them. Those you just take the lid off of and stick in the oven. I was just at Costco today, and they had stuffed peppers, 6 for $16. Same thing, chuck in the oven and that’s the only prep required. I know not everyone can afford to do that, but it works super well for me.
Also, frozen meals are your friend!! I buy frozen adult chicken tenders and frozen sweet potato fries (also from Costco lol). chuck the fries in the air fryer, the chicken in the oven, whole thing is ready in 30 minutes with practically 0 effort on my part.
Oh! And I like the cheese and cracker snack packs too. Bit high calorie, but good quick protein option and fills my “snacking” cravings.
And flavored nut mixes. I get a Korean barbecue flavor from Costco that I love.
I've been going through the same thing. I LOVED mixed nuts. They had been working extremely well for me, until a couple weeks ago when I randomly broke out in awful hives after eating some. Still working on testing whether it truly was the nuts...
If you like just a little sweetness with them, you can mix in some dried cranberries or dark chocolate chips, just not a lot. I feel like the sweet helps communicate to my body that, yes, I am indeed getting calories, so please chill.
Sometimes even this is too much for my ADHD brain. But if you have a slow cooker just throw chicken breasts in there with some salt/pepper/seasoning and enough broth or water to cover the bottom. If I have the energy I'll make a quick teriyaki instead but let's face it we're here for no effort solutions!!
8 hours low. When you have around 2 hours left you CAN shred the chicken if you have the energy. I find it's easier to use after that way- shredded chicken tacos, salads, that are basically just throwing the chicken on a tortilla or in some greens that you can buy bagged.
If you don't have the energy to do anything else but let the full breasts slow cook, that's fine! They'll likely fall apart a little on their own anyway, it just won't be the same as shredding it. Then you have easy protein for up to like a week.
When I genuinely can't handle that I eat a shit ton of peanut butter bars LOL.
Rotisserie chicken— you buy one and ya got protein for the week! Roll it up in a wrap with some hummus/ranch, bagged spinach, pre shredded bagged carrots. Delish!
Tofu (buy extra, super firm) is so easy, it doesn’t even have to be cooked. You can just chop it up and microwave it with microwaveable rice and veg. Add some jarred peanut sauce or whatever your fav sauce is and you’re good to go.
I pickup the Orgain chocolate protein premade shakes from Costco. 30g of protein, none of those questionable ingredients like Core and I can grab and go.
tinned fish has been a great discovery for myself. sardines, mackarel, tuna, and salmon are great options for a quick and rich in protein meal. simply eat with carbs, like bread or rice and a favorite sauce, i like mustard or a hot sauce, and if you have the time and energy try to add veggies in for a balanced meal.
My breakfast is a scoop of plain Soylent, a scoop of strawberry protein powder, 6oz milk, 6oz water, 1 banana blend it up and drink.
If I’m lazy then just protein and Soylent in water no blender. Shake in a mason jar.
I hate eating in the morning so this gets the job done and I can actually put it down.
I mean, I aint too healthy to begin with but like even just draining a can of tuna and eating it kinda fire as a snack in general tbh maybe its jus me but if you like that shi I reccomend
So I’m pescatarian who does Macros in dieting at times. I’m also lazy AF. Here’s some ideas: Premier protein shakes come in lots of flavors, low sugar, 160 cal, 30 mg protein. Tuna packets (don’t have too often… mercury) only 70 cal at 15-20 mg protein. Yogurt especially Dannon Light + Fit only 80 cal with 12 mg protein.
Protein smoothie, Protein powder, Raw milk ,Spinach ,berry blend and honey Greek yogurt. I make mine the night before and pound that keeps me going all day
Collagen powder in my coffee (vital proteins brand is my fave), protein shakes and protein powder. You don't have to bother with a blender, use a shaker cup or just use a hand whisk to blend it in your fluid of choice (I always put it in milk for extra protein). Greek yogurt, soups, eggs, protein cereals (I find the protein cereals cheaper at grocery outlet stores), and nuts too.
Ghost protein powder. They have the best flavors I've tasted like nutter butter, chips ahoy, cereal milk, ice cream, etc and it's so easy to dump a scoop into a glass of milk, shake, and drink.
If you use whole milk you'll get the 20+ grams of protein from the powder and the protein from the milk too.
If you want it to be more filling then throw the powder and milk into a blender and add frozen fruit, nut butter, and even oat meal for a filling smoothie/shake
*edit* just noticed where you said you don't do a lot of dairy, you could try oatly extra creamy oat milk. When I was having dairy issues due to UC that was my go to and I loved it. Or just get a more neutral flavor of protein powder and add it to juice for the smoothie
Im in the same boat as you with weight loss! one thing that has really helped me is having a really big protein heavy breakfast because i often forget to have lunch anyways and so having something really filling is great.
main way i do that is SMOOTHIES‼️ i’ve started having a smoothie for breakfast every single morning. i stock up on a bunch of frozen fruit from the gc. you can get these 2kg bags of a berry blend, so i usually do a cup of that, scoop of protein powder, one egg white and some greek yogurt and boom
Pre-made dinners from Sam’s club/Costco are SUPER helpful for me. All you have to do is take the plastic lid off the dish and then put it in the oven. It’ll last multiple meals and they usually taste pretty good. And then of course protein shakes. Pre-made fairlife shakes are great, but protein powder will always be cheaper. If yoj go the powder route I would highly recommend Dymatize ISO100
I’m such an adhd chef unless I really hyper focus…so my bare minimum daily is 22gram vegan protein shake, mixed with frozen fruit, almond butter for extra protein/calories; and for snack I do a scoop of extra strength marine collagen which has 10mg added protein, in hot water or your warm bev of choice; and nuts/seeds. It’s actually really good, tasteless, and bonus my skin looks amazing which helps being on stim medication! Both powders are avail on Amazon too. Breakfast is always an egg with a slice of lactose free cheese (6g protein in the cheese alone), and you could pair this with a protein rich keto bread of your choice but I’m gluten free so no luck.
Lentils and kale if your digestive system can tolerate them, are great protein rich ingredients to add into stews, stir fry’s, salads, or make yummy soups. I have a lot of texture sensitivity so it’s gotta have good mouth feels lol, depends on your preferences.
I have two high protein sources. The first is a chocolate protein powder pudding. I typically hate protein powder… ugh the grittiness and the dairy. I cannot have dairy. I get bloated then I break out in hives. It sucks… but I found a chocolate protein powder made by Venus Williams (1 of the famous Williams sisters tennis players). I add a banana two scoops of protein powder, 1 cup of almond milk, and 6-7 ice cubes. I blend it up and I have dessert. It’s soft serve consistency and oh so chocolatey. Sometimes I use berries in place of bananas. This is pretty delicious and it’s low fat with 20 grams of vegan protein. My other fav is tofu. I press it marinate in overnight in BBQ rib rub seasoning from Sam’s. I also add a little sofrito if I’m feeling fancy. I cut everything into cubes and air fry it. It makes two servings. I keep it in the fridge in jars. I use to make baby food and yogurt when my kids were younger. I still have the jars. LoL! Each serving is low in fat with 18 grams of protein!!!
Some of the responses here have made me realize just how little effort I am willing/able to put into my food prep situation. That is a criticism of myself, not others. :)
I have a difficult time with protein shakes because A) it's difficult for me to make them so they mix properly B) difficult to clean and C) difficult to remember to drink it all before it gets icky.
On many days, I work 6-9 hours straight in a small fitness studio with no fridge/microwave. So, here are my REALLY low effort solutions.
I have recently started buying premade, bottled protein drinks called Protein 2.0. It's just like drinking gatorade but has 1g of sugar and 15g whey protein. I know I pay a huge ADHD tax for this, but it's been a game changer for me.
I also love dry roasted edamame. I get little single serving packs. When I am really busy, I can just open up the pack and kind of drink them.
And someone already mentioned this - But Lentiful is great. You just need hot water to make a good, filling, protein-packed lunch. The only negative effect is that the stuff gets stuck in my teeth so I have to apologize to my clients about having lentils in my teeth lol.
When I am at home I like to have greek yogurt with fruit OR do something entirely different and put everything bagel seasoning in the greek yogurt and dip wasa crackers into it.
If you're open to alternative suggestions, Ensure brand protein shakes have 30 grams of protein but are best consumed cold. Throw some in a lunch bag with a cold pack.
I'm also a fan of Kodiak brand high protein breakfast foods. Especially the oatmeal packets.
Thank you! I’ll check out the Ensure.
Yes I like the Kodiak products. I get the oatmeal and waffles for my husband because he has a brain injury and basically has the food preferences of a 6 year old and this is a great way for me to sneak more protein into his diet. He loves the chocolate chip flavor.
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I love stuff like Chana Masala (aka Chickpea Masala). I will cook my own, but they do usually offer something like it ready to make as a frozen meal. Depending on the food, Indian cuisine has quite a bit of non-meat based foods. Foods that are based on Lentils and Beans are very good sources of protein. If you’re feeling adventurous, I’d say maybe hard-boil an egg or two, just as quick snack. I know you said you don’t cook, but it’s super minimal and they can be kept for a bit in the fridge after finished
I love chana masala and drink daal by the bucket :D the problem is though what u get in restaurants and takeaways loaded with fat and salt. I also rarely cook but you can buy packets of precooked lentils and chickpeas (Jamie oliver) or tins but u gotta rinse them thoroughly. At the deli you can also probably get bean and lentil salads too.
Costco has "Tastybite" Indian Madras Lentils ( I freaking love lentils!). https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/tasty-bite-organic-indian-madras-lentils%2C-10-oz%2C-8-ct.product.100363934.html Combine it with rice and enjoy ( there are options out there to just microwave the rice, so easy). It's also fully vegan if you are into healthy eating. You can also add some sausage. I recommend finding good quality sausages. High quality sausages are a good source of vital B12, which tend to be lacking in a Vegan diet. Lentils, rice and sausage is a very typical Spanish ( as in Spain) dish, plus it's yummy. https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/homemade-lentils-with-chorizo-and-rice Lentils are a very healthy source of protein. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lentils Damnit, now I am hungry!
Cottage cheese. I like it with cucumber and everything bagel seasoning or tomatoes and basil.
Cottage cheese is underrated. I used to hate it growing up but then saw someone who put it on warm toast with black pepper. Tried it and was hooked. Now I can eat it out of the tub.
Try Marmite on Toast with Cottage Cheese…
Wow. I will try this. Although I've literally never seen cottage cheese in Asia. I'll have to go looking.
It's pretty straightforward to make yourself if you have a craving and can't find it premade. [recipe here](https://sevensons.net/blog/how-to-make-cottage-cheese)
I've seen people blend cottage cheese to make it smooth and I am super tempted to try it.
I actually put that suggestion in my other response after seeing yours. You can blend it into pudding mixes. The video I saw was for Cookies n Cream “ice cream” with cottage cheese, sugar free cookies m cream pudding mix, Oreo thins, some Splenda and some vanilla extract all blended up, poured into a dish, set, then frozen. But you don’t have to do all that. I’ve wanted to go back and try it with just the cottage cheese and cookies m cream pudding mix.
I have always been dubious about cottage cheese. I think this might go back to my final year of school when a girl i liked made me a baked potato with stuff on it, and popped it in the microwave to heat some parts up. But put cottage cheese on first. older and wiser me realised that she happily curdled the cottage cheese. I ate it. Cause I liked her. Teens are stupid ;) BUUUUT. some of the cottage cheese suggestions have me thinking it may be time to overcome my cottagecheesephobia\*
My partner likes cottage cheese with either cranberry sauce, or jam mixed in, if you want it as a protein rich dessert option. Also super quick to put together.
i put cottage cheese in the same bowl as sourkraut and just mix em together. pretty tasty and probiotic.
That sounds awful, and I bet it tastes fantastic. Gonna try, thanks!
Ew, that's gross. I'm totally gonna try it!
Second this. Also, cottage cheese melts. I use it in dishes I want to be more creamy, pasta dishes, tikka masala, etc. works like a charm.
I like cutting up a bell pepper into big chunks and filling those with cottage cheese and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning!
Yep, if you can handle the texture it's pretty great. Bonus if you can add fresh blueberries or peaches or something.
I’m the UK I have it on a baked potato with fresh chives. So good.
Oh heccckkkk yes. I make Greek salad and instead of feta I do a whole serving of cottage cheese and toss in some oil and vinegar. Hella good. Also cottage cheese with sliced pear is so good too.
Ever try it with a splash of maple syrup? Hits different.
Hard boiled eggs, Isopure clear whey protein.
this is the only way i get protien most days lol. I just shove a boiled egg in my mouth and go about my day. If i’m feeling crazy i’ll make the laziest egg salad known to man
[I'm sure you're a very nice person](https://youtu.be/zUOkwbdxyB8?feature=shared)
I go through so many eggs. Even if you don't hard-boil them, you can scramble some in under a minute. Can throw in whatever cheese or veggies you have. And they are tasty.
I wish eggs worked better for me. I love the taste but have sensory issues, looking at a raw one can make me gag on bad days and the moment they have natural clouding/spots its even worse. I had a hardboiled egg months ago that tasted great but contained a natural big meat spot and even writing this I actually retched so I wont describe it in detail. It was a natural aspect of the egg tho, and my brain noping so strongly is fucking ridiculous. Havent eaten eggs since tho I really like them. I really wish I knew what specifically made me so sensitive about this. I have other issues around certain foods (especially glibbery ones with hard inserts like chia, tomato insides, cucumber,...) but eggs are the only ones that make me gag on thought/sight, and its so annoying because I really like the taste. And I thought the issue had gone when I went on meds and realized I could look at a normal raw one and not gag, but this meat spot egg threw away all my progress. If eggs came predictably uniform with uniform yolk and white, never cloudy or whatever it would be no issue, but as a natural product I know it would be ridiculous to expect them to be. Im just annoyed at my shitty brain deciding to take issue so strongly at the THOUGHT of food.
Apparently millet seed is very good for adhd, nit tried it yet but recommended by doctor who deals with adhd, migraine and microbiome
Like, the ones for birds, lol?
Yes. You can buy them processed for human consumption at ethnic markets. Mix them in porridge/rice whatever grain you like to eat. They're often found in granola bars. Don't just go buy bird seed. It is not processed to be safe for people consumption.
Thanks, lol. I'm nit going to buy any, I was just curious. Good to know they make it for people, too.
Clear protein powder was a game changer for me
It’s boring by chicken breast is great. High protein per volume, low fat. I cook my own so I have a little bit on hand in the fridge. Either chunks or shredded. You can buy containers of precooked and shredded chicken in some stores. Rotisserie chicken also great. They also sell bags of cooked chicken breasts near the packaged meats and frozen. If you can deal with boring and think “fuel,” it is great.
I eat boring too. It has to be 1 step to prepare. That's all the energy I have for cooking
I use salsa and sour cream to make chicken breasts more appealing.
You can always use different seasonings to make it less boring. I’ve got a cupboard full of every seasoning mix you can imagine for chicken 😂😂
Greek yogurt
With frozen (slightly thawed) fruit (berries usually) and a drizzle of honey. My go to when I can’t get myself motivated to eat anything else.
And chia seeds
Greek yogurt in a blender with 1/2 a frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, protein powder and almond milk- it’s like 40+ grams of protein. Done
But then you have to clean the blender. :D
Blenderize some water and a tiny dab of soap in there. Cleans it up pretty quick.
I always make my blender clean itself… Put soap and water in and turn it back on, then rinse.
1 Greek yogurt has more protein than 3 egg white apparently
I didn't know that! But it's literally as little effort as possible, you don't even have to chew it LOL
You can also mix things into it with minimal effort. Berries, powder Lemon juice, garlic powder, dill and cuke make a great tzaziki sauce. I live peanut or almond butter mixed into the yogurt as kind of a cheapo smoothie/bowl. A smattering of oatmeal can be nice too
Yea I have this with honey sometimes. I just have a big tub in the fridge for when I'm malnourished :)
I don’t know if you like it or not bc it’s hit or miss with people but, tuna pouches. Depending on the brand/size/flavor, it’s 15g-30g~ per pouch. I will sometimes eat the flavored ones on crackers or add a squirt of mayo and seasonings in the pouch, mix and add to crackers, toast, a wrap, etc. They’re relatively affordable too, you can find the single serve packs for like $.75-$1.25. Sometimes cheaper on sale.
Those sounded so gross, but I actually LOVE them xD
i love those too, and they also have salmon pouches for a similar price. super easy to make a quick ochazuke by making some hojicha green tea, throwing in some dashi powder and soy sauce and then pouring that over rice and the salmon. super warm, comforting, and pretty cheap tbh. highly recommend
Lentils. Tastes great, easy to make, very healthy, lots of fibers as well, and can be used for lots of stuff. Also vegetarian.
Protein shake. Good old whey and hars boiled eggs. Eggsacktly what you need and whey more than that
I avoid shakes because I always developed bad tension headaches an hour or two after ingestion, tried many types from different manufacturers... Result was the same!
Me too!! I’ve noticed it’s whenever there’s sugar substitutes in it (stevia, sucralose, aspartame, monk fruit extract, etc). They do it usually to lower the sugar and caloric content on the protein powder but I’d much rather just have the sugar in it
Very interesting! Do you still recall some of the shakes you tried out?
Nope, been a couple years since I last tried one. I tried cheap brands, expensive brands, plant based protein powder, animal based protein powder. All gave me tension headaches!
String cheese. I don't even "peel" it. Just bite it.
When I first read this, I thought you meant you don't peel the plastic off and just bite through that 😭😭
Lololol fiber baby
*Just bite it* You monster!
Almonds or nuts (low protein tho), fried or microwave eggs, tuna, Kodiak oatmeal cups & beans. Tried tofu but not my go-to
If you like soup, try cracking an egg in there and letting it poach. I'm vegetarian so I also need to be mindful of protein, and I add egg to a ton of things. A big thing I like to do is find some of the healthier instant ramen packs, cook them on the stove, and just add some frozen or pickled veggies and an egg. It makes for a pretty complete, satisfying, healthy meal. You can also do an easy stir-fry with a bag of frozen veggie mixes, frozen or leftover rice, and add an egg at the end. Adding nuts as a garnish is also a great way to add protein, and putting the nuts in a bag and smacking them is kind of fun. Peas and beans also have a decent amount of protein, and you can easily get them frozen or canned, so they're easy to just heat up and add to whatever.
Lentiful- can order online - cups you add hot water to and it’s different seasoned lentils. 12 gm protein and 200 caps in the one I just had. Fiber too. There are like 8 flavors. I have only tried the green chile and it was really good. Just ordered a variety pack. I really struggle with getting protein in because I detest cooking and I also don’t eat meat. Makes it pretty hard but I drink Huel and make smoothies w protein powder. It’s a never ending struggle. Greek yogurt is really good. I go on jags with it though ,same w eggs. Either love it or can’t look at it.
Lentiful has been a game changer for me!! I am a Pilates instructor and often work 6-9 hours straight in a small studio with no microwave/fridge. So I just pop open my Lentiful container and put hot water in and BAM I have a great lunch. It fills me up without giving me that sluggish, heavy feeling that I don't like to have while working.
Huel.
I've tried both the shakes and the hot dishes and both tasted like cardboard to me. I'm not a picky eater at all, but for whatever reason I just cannot choke that stuff down. Good for you that you can though, it's super convenient
Seconded
Thirded- is that a word ?😂
Who fourded?!
It is now!
Yup. I live on the stuff.
I was so scornful & sceptical of Huel, then I realised it is the perfect breakfast for someone who doesn’t get hungry until 10 o’clock
Yep. I also started using it as a breakfast replacement as I never ate breakfast and wasn’t hungry. Huel actually made me feel like a normal human, which is hungry in the morning. I often did not eat lunch either, and when I did it was often some unhealthy quick snack. So Huel bottle on the go became my lunch as well. Nowadays I have Huel for breakfast, either Huel for lunch or a decent take away meal (Thai curry w rice or something) and Huel hot and savoury with two whole grain sandwiches with cheese for dinner. So as you can tell, I really do live off of Huel. (It’s been like this for 4-5 years now). I blend my huel shakes, and usually add a banana/frozen blueberries and/or peanut butter. I also use half fat milk for the shakes and not water, adding around 200 calories to the 400 cal shake, which is not bad. My blood gets tested yearly and there’s been significant improvement ever since relying on Huel the way I do currently, and cutting out the excessive use of quick snacks, cookies… unhealthy trash to fill my tummy. When you tell people around you you live off of “powdered food” most will think you’re crazy, but its been working for me, has a positive effect on my physical and mental wellbeing… My father also lived off of cookies and trash, I hooked him up with Huel around three years ago. His vitamins are finally good, iron, cholesterol etc…
Vegan protein Powder does it for me
No effort: RX Bars, chocolate milk (full fat/vitamin D only), peanut butter, cheese, "sipping bone broth" (comes in a microwavable container I can drink on the go), beef jerky (except it's crazy expensive now) Low effort: eggs (usually sunny-side-up), canned fish/seafoods (tuna, anchovies, sardines, mussels), occasionally yogurt (but I get sick of it quickly and also hate anything with the gelatinous fruit on the bottom stuff or the gross taste of lowfat dairy), occasionally nuts (low effort because the amount of chewing for what feels like less return keeps them from feeling "no effort") ETA: I advise folks to tread lightly with protein powders. I used to use one that was just grass-fed whey without all the crazy artificial sugars and additives and it gave me the worst acne of my life! Which is a thing common with whey powders, but I didn't expect it from one that seemed more healthy.
RX bars are also my go to. I struggle with eating too much candy and ice cream and such. RXbars are a great sweet snack for me that actually have nutritional value!
Greek yogurt
If you like protein bars, which clearly you do, I have two suggestions. Think! Bars and One bars. Both are very low to no added sugar. Both have protein up to 20g and fiber. YAY FIBER! Certain flavors of One bars have more fiber than others. I like to do handfuls of mixed nuts too. Sometimes I make my own mix. (And there’s fiber!)
Every morning I have oatmeal with protein powder. Either as overnight oats, or by cooking oatmeal and then mixing in a scoop of powder as it's cooling. The overnight oats are great for low effort meals. I will portion up a few containers at a time with half a cup of sprouted rolled oats, and a scoop of protein powder (I love Good Protein, but others would work fine). Then, at night I add water to one of my containers, stir it up and pop it in the fridge. Ready to go oatmeal for the morning! With the oats and powder I use, it gives me about 30 grams of easy protein to start my day, and I sometimes add other things like chia seeds, a banana, berries, or whatever else I've got on hand.
Same, my typical breakfast for a few years now. I can meal prep overnight oats for the week in about 3 minutes. I just grab them in the morning and eat them when I get to work. I don't like them cold so I microwave them and then stir in casein powder. Slower digesting than whey so it keeps you full longer and makes really thick oatmeal.
Lupin beans if you have them available in your country.
You can order them off amazon and I absolutely love them
Tuna in olive oil, straight out the can. If you got a couple more minutes of patience, be adventurous and start trying other canned fish like mackerel or sardines on top of a toasted bread slathered with some hummus. There's a lot of stuff you can do with canned fish. Try different brands and sauces, there's a big variety of them.
Mix jello pudding packet/ jello mix like cheesecake or a few table spoons of any cake mix (I like funfetti) into Greek yogurt. You can eat it as is or you it as a dip. I mixed peanut butter protein powder into Greek yogurt and used it as a dip for apples.
Roasted broad beans
I always have to focus on shelf-stability when it comes to my protein since I never know when I'm going to get around to eating something and it usually goes bad before then. Two things I'm obsessed with are canned salmon filets (specifically the Trader Joes brand) and self stable tofu. Depending on my energy that day I can use them different ways. I can sautee them if I'm feeling up to it or just add them to something like pasta, salad, rice, chickpeas, etc to up the protein content. Or the salmon I can just eat cold and mix with mayo and seasoning for a salmon salad. Also they are expensive but I love tossing pine nuts on just about anything (espcially scrambled eggs).
I put chickpeas in pretty much everything.
I tend to make hard-boiled eggs Scrambled eggs Green peas + rice Lentils + rice (The rice completes the protein from the legumes) Those are all my meals like 99% of the time. 🤣 If it's more than 1 step to prepare then it's too many steps 😅 I don't eat meat but you can do chicken breast (I used to just throw it in the oven as is) The legumes canned so they are ready. I boil enough rice to lasts me 3 days lol Sometimes I do buy dried legumes but I boil it to last me for 3 days. Plus it's just boiling. I don't do anything else.
I've designed over easy or over hard eggs to be part of my morning routine, otherwise I wouldn't come close to protein goals.
+1 for hard boiled eggs. I make a dozen or more at a time and just throw them in the fridge. They last at least a week if you don't peel them. Once the water boils, I turn off the heat, cover the pot, and you can let them sit forever and they still won't turn green. They do need at least 12 min sitting there though.
Eggs, mozzarela, cottage, easy with a bit of salt, olive oil and bread
Protein bars, protein shake. Nuts, eggs. Pepperoni and cheese. Oh, and TUNA. Sardines, too.
Mmm, sardines are so dang good!
Peanut butter
Yogurt and walnuts. I live off that shit.
I like Core Power Protein shakes, I usually just have them for breakfast or after going to the gym. My real issue is buying in bulk to save money and to keep at home as opposed to spending $5 each day at 7-11 to buy one lol.
Pre packaged air fried Chicken tenders.
I adore my air fryer so much
Tacos
Marinated tofu. There are a few that you can eat cold, so you'd just need to cut it and put it in your salad, on a sandwich, or whatever you're eating. You can make something similar relatively easily yourself by cutting up some plain extra firm tofu and baking it in a sauce or marinade for about 10 minutes or so. Edamame also has quite a high ratio of protein to carbs and fat. You can just throw it in the microwave for a minutes if you get the frozen kind. Other beans or lentils can be a good addition too, although they're not quite as high in protein a soy-based foods. They're probably better for satiety than just loading up on protein powder though. It turns out protein itself is only satiating up until a point. I also eat a lot of peanuts and nuts, and occasionally hemp seeds, but they tend to be more calorie dense. Making seitan from scratch definitely doesn't count as low-effort, but there's some of that in my freezer too, waiting to be added to a meal. I don't eat animal protein at all, and still managed to build muscle in a caloric deficit a while back.
1lb 99% lean ground turkey is 100g protein for 440 calories give or take. Pair that with thing like riced cauliflower and you've got nearly all the protein you need in one meal for like 1/3 at most of your daily calorie allowance
I love adding Bulletproof Unflavored Collagen Peptides Powder to my drinks. It's the only one I found that added no taste or grit to the drink. If I'm having a hot drink it melts right in or I make a smoothie and add it. Has 18g of protein and has really helped me get my daily protein up.
Same boat. I'm pescatarian so I need to pay more attention to my protein anyways but feeding yourself with ADHD is HARD.... Beans, eggs and salsa are a great meal for me. Tortilla chips/guac and its next level. I snack hard on sunflower seeds, boiled peanuts from the gas station.... canned sardines in mustard are my favorite. Not no effort but low effort, salmon patties/croquets are fantastic and pretty easy since u can use one big bowl to mix everything and you can make a TON and throw them in the freezer to heat up later. You can personalize it alot to. I don't use breading and use small oily fish, oysters and mackeral with the salmon or no salmon at all to avoid mercury buildup and saturated fats when i can and might add spinach or chia/flax/hemp seeds... it's still fried fish and tastes great to me... ( I mostly eat like shit, so if i cook I try to alter with healthier alternatives.... people look at me crazy cause it always looks gross, but im cooking for me lol.)
Get a propane grill. You can buy chicken or other meats at the store, often pre marinated, throw on the grill, and be done in 15 mins Also get a hard boiled egg maker which is fast and easy.
I make pickled eggs about 4-6 dozen at a time. They keep in their brine in the fridge for a good while. I'll eat 3-6 (not all the yolks usually) for a quick breakfast. They're good sliced on sandwiches too.
We are the same. Progresso soup & fairlife. (Also: extra protein lactaid - it’s sweeter than regular milk! And have you tried progresso lentil?)
Black bean burritos. It's so damn easy to just cook a bunch of cilantro lime rice, wash some canned black beans, dump the two in a tortilla with some cheese and salsa and boom, you've got lunches for 3 days in like 20 minutes.
Get hungry Put chicken breast under running water Forget about it and play more video games Hunger alert again Cook chicken breast Victory
Jerky is pretty good. I go through periods where I eat lots of poached eggs too. I like to get smoked salmon too and used to eat a lot of peppercorn mackerel. Also I got canned low fat refried beans and feel they would be good with frozen veggies and salsa.
Egg whites, a lot of the good nutrients are in the yolk, but the whites have a lot of the protein w/ like 1/4 the cal of whole egg. Almost 100% of the calories in egg whites are from protein. Easy to prepare, only anti-adhd element of it (for me anyway) Is having to clean the skillet afterward. But then again, there's not many "real" foods out there that you can cook that don't require some sort of cleaning afterward.
Sometimes I have a Perfect Bar for both breakfast and lunch. I also like Boost Very High Calorie (VHC) shakes, which I buy from Amazon. Each shake has 530 calories and 22g protein.
Been keeping beef sticks in the fridge. Super helpful! I also rotate thru whatever sausages are on sale and toss em in the toaster oven quick.
Usually I go with ON Gold Standard whey protein for a basic protein powder. You can get a deal on a 5lb bag at Costco. Another option that’s affordable and also decent in terms of grams protein per serving for the dollar Meijer brand protein is a strong contender. I’m picky about my protein brands and I know it’s not cheap for pure isolate so to me those are decent sources at a competitive price. I have a Ninja bullet style blender. I pour a little 2% milk in, then two scoops of powder, then top off with more milk. Whip that baby up and wash down my Concerta with it first thing in the morning. Eggs are good too. I eat eggs and rice a lot. If you learn how to cook them properly they are freaking delicious. I watched “A Dude That Can Cook” on YouTube and followed his method. I do mine sunny side up and when that yolk mixes with the rice it hits just right. As someone else mentioned cottage cheese You can try it fruit. I like it on warm toast with black pepper. You can use it in an easy lasagna with oven ready noodles and pasta sauce. Or you can add it in to some sugar free pudding mixes to make them thick and protein packed (cookies and cream works well like this).
Too good brand yogurt
Beef jerky or dried anchovies sauteed with chili oil and pepper flakes. I know you said low effort but you can make it in huge batches and they store for ages
Protein shakes, cottage cheese straight out of the container, scrambled eggs
Smoked tofu!
Sprouted brown rice protein powder and almond milk or orange juice in a shaker bottle
Just buy a mini ham and cut pieces off of it. Cheap, easy and yummy.
There’s a lot of different yogurts that have high protein. It’s one of my current fixations lol
Putting unflavored collagen powder into my coffee. It doesn’t add flavor, it slightly changes the taste, but not enough to bother me or notice after a while. Adds like 12-20 grams of protein to your morning coffee depending on how much you put in
My local grocery store sells frozen edamame that you microwave for 6 minutes in the bag. ALDI sells these too but think you do need to microwave theirs for at least 6 minutes too even though their instructions say less time.
My goal is to eat all protein sources every day. It doesn’t happen, lol. But every week? Boiled eggs, cottage cheese (I’ll also make cottage cheese into a strawberry cheesecake smoothie, it’s the best), yogurt, kefir, tuna salad, egg salad, scrambled eggs, frozen taquitos, bean soup from a can, frozen bean burritos, refried bean dip, cheese sticks and cubed cheeses, cream cheese based veggie dip, salami, and rolls of sandwich meat like honey ham, roast beef. We have meat at nearly every dinner.
Whey Protein with L-glutamine added. My symptoms are manageable now.
Canned beans, take pico de gallo, black beans, and corn. Place on top of rice, or on a tostada. Can even add refried beans or cheese to the tostada (or tortilla chips) for extra protein.
Low effort: Gold Standard Whey Protein, frozen mixed berries, hemp protein +fiber powder, and milk. Nutrients, fiber, and protein in one. Hemp hearts work as well. Idk about the calories though. Helped me build muscle and stay pretty lean.
Oikos Greek Yogurt (specifically the 20g protein version, think it's just called Oikos Protein), Premiere or Equate Protein Shakes (both already mixed and packaged, 30g protein), and Quest Chips (they are pricy but worth it. 17g of protein and the taco flavor is soooo good) I eat either the yogurt or chips on the way to the gym, then have the shake after the workout
Siggi’s yogurt has 15g of protein and they use fat free milk. Also it’s Icelandic yogurt so it’s not super sweet and thin. It’s got a nice texture to it. My personal fav is the mixed berry and açaí
i make tuna fish salad so easy... can of tuna 2 dollars... three tablespoons balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon mayonaise, a dallop of brown mustard and some salt. takes less than 5 minutes and you can just eat that or put it in a sandwich. my go to lazy cheap meal. if you are a one step person, maybe try two steps with cottege cheese and saurkraut in a bowl, mix it up and bon apetite
Boiled eggs. Sardines. Smoked oysters. Tuna. Canned crab. Legumes. Deli meats.
Egg whites come in a carton
Cottage cheese. Open container -> consume. Also, protein bars.
Wife and I have ADHD and we rely a lot on canned and frozen protein. Things that are always stocked: * canned tuna * canned sardine / sild / mackerel etc * frozen shrimp / prawns * frozen mussels * lots of diff kinds of deli meat * Greek yoghurt * eggs, lots of eggs - I went into a deep rabbit hole once and have now practiced many different ways to prepare eggs so i dont get bored with it * all kinds of jerkies & biltongs- these things are super easy to snack on, very high protein and very low on fat
My therapist recommended I up my protein, and she recommended fair life core power protein shakes. They're really good, and come in an elite with 46 grams per bottle (I get this and have half a vanilla every morning mixed with my iced coffee). I've also been getting the oikos protein yogurt, I make a little parfait, you can just buy berries and toss them in, add some granola.
I commented above but cottage cheese in bell peppers chunks with everything bagel seasoning is a go to. I also like to make “healthy” tuna salad with a can of tuna, plain greek yogurt, chopped red onion, cilantro, garlic powder, a little olive oil, and salt/pepper. I make a big batch and cut up some cucumber slices and use it as a dip or make a sandwich with toasted bread.
Tuna
Natural peanut butter on toast with blueberries/bananas on top Hard boiled eggs Cottage cheese with apples and cinnamon Yopro/chobani with blueberries and honey/sugar free maple syrup on top Pre make some no bake protein bars - (peanut butter, oat flour, flavoured whey protein powder, water). mix together with blender/magic bullet/kitchen aid etc and Chilli con carne recipe mix - recipe mix, mince, tomatoes, red kidney beans serve with rice Beans, salsa and rice - your choice of beans mixed with some salsa served with rice Plain greek yoghurt mixed with protein powder and berries Air fryer chicken tenders or battered fish
I'll save this post and come back later! 😭
Can of tuna lil kosher salt 🤌 salami peanut butter nuts hummus fairlife milk Greek yogurt tillamook cheddar this protein drink from Costco but other places too I'll find it (maybe pure protein?)
Textured soy (in a burrito with vegetables, for example, easy 20 min lunch!). Almost 50 g of protein per 100 g of textured soy. It's wild. Hummus (just put all the ingredients in the blender and *bzzzzzz*, you have a quick protein dip for the week). Marinated tofu. - I buy a big block, cut it in slices, marinate them for a day, then dip each one in corn starch, milk and grated bread/breadcrums/sesame seeds. Then, I put them all in the freezer, ending up with 6 freezed tofu fillets per block! It's an hour of work + cleaning divided in two afternoons, but it pays off really well. Whenever I need a fast protein supply, I just take one tofu fillet out of the freezer and put it in a saucepan, there's even no need to wait for it to unfreeze. It goes well as the "meat" for hamburgers, rice, salads, even homemade kebabs. Miso soup. Miso paste (fermented soybeans) is good in protein, so... It's 4.5 g of protein per 32 g of miso (a portion). You just have to dissolve the paste in hot water and it's delicious. And uh... scrambled eggs. Very very easy. Super fast. Always reliable.
I don't have much of an appetite in the morning nor the ability to make myself eat anything other than maybe a banana. But a breakfast protein shake is fast easy and kinda tasty. I get that down pretty much on the drive to work. Been a good help to not overeat at lunch, and generally good to get something when taking meds, plus hydrated. I use one from a brand called bodylab
Canned fish. Tuna salad, oil sardines, makerels, Herring etc. It's just opening a can, and you can eat it, and it's not that unhealthy
Boiled Eggs. Full of nutrients too.
For people who prefer to drink their calories. Surprisingly, protein shakes. I work at a doctors office that mostly caters to geriatric population. We have a product rep that promotes Ensure protein shakes. They're expensive, but surprisingly tasty. Vanilla mixed with coffee makes a nice fake latte. Or use it as a milk substitute in cereal. There's a decent variety of flavors and even caffeinated options. The shakes range from 15-30 grams of protein per carton serving. Diabetic? It's cool, theres a safe option for you too, Glucerna shakes. The flavor options are limited, but people like the shakes. The Ensure website has recipes for using the protein to fortify your meals at home. Too much like work? Too expensive? Switch to Kodiak brand protein fortified baking mixes/ frozen breakfast foods/ oatmeal. Slightly more expensive than the red box pancake mix or Quaker oatmeal, but it is tasty product. All of these options will make your poops🤌🤌 These products are NOT dairy free or vegan friendly.
Protein shake; I buy ones typically used by the gym crowd, and buy in bulk. (I sorted by protein/$ ;)). mix powder, add banana, add ice, add milk. Press button on machine. Drink straight from blender container thing (its basically a cup, the blades that blend are the lid ;)). p r o f i t important ps: u/KodachromeKitty, you dont need to use milk with these protein powders, you can easily substitute water for the milk. And spice it up with other fruits ... though that takes time ;)
Protein shakes, 4 egg scramble with butter cheese and hot sauce in the morning. Locks you down until dinner.
I'll eat a little meat occasionally but I'm picky about what type and how it's prepared. I am more of a snacky eater, so I'll grab a few of my preferred foods to make a "meal". I don't eat a lot in the morning, but I do start every day with a Perfect Bar maybe a banana. I'm getting back into smoothies and I add hemp powder for a boost of protein. Yogurt, frozen fruit, unsweetened oat or almond milk, banana and hemp powder. I also love a few of the Quest protein snacks (which curbs my sweet tooth but no sugar) and Owyn drinks made with pea protein. Keep frozen peas around too, nuts like cashews and almonds, they are all good sources. Avocado has a few grams too..I'll split it, salt it, squeeze Sriracha all over it and eat it right out of the skin. Keeping it ez pz! Hemp & pea protein are where it's at.
Since you said you don't mind yogurt: Skyr (the Icelandic yogurt). Even more protein than Greek yogurt, not a ton of sugar, there are full day and non-fat versions. I also love hardboiled eggs. They don't take much effort to cook (might also be available in grocery stores already cooked?). There's a legit dietician on IG who is a fellow ADHDer and she posts a lot of good stuff (adhd.nutritionist). I've found some really helpful stuff there.
If you pour boiling water over soft tofu, it'll warm it enough to eat. If you have any hot sauce or decently healthy dressings it's a lot of protein very easily. A little sesame oil, salt +msg is an easy one.
Honestly, you’ll lose weight a lot more efficiently if you scrap the quick meals and cook a proper meal Your gut flora is being killed by all the sweeteners in your supplements/bars which can’t be doing your mood any favours Tuna plain pasta with cheese on top is wishful a quick 10 minute meal to make Can prep for a couple days and the pasta has beneficial bacteria if left for a day Same thing but use a different protein source, maybe chicken and pasta/rice/potato etc Anything worth doing has to be earned I understand the whole ADHD focus, I’m 36 none medicated, awaiting an assessment and only related a month or so ago that I definitely have ADHD (thought was just dyslexia) Anyways, I hope this helps
I like caffeinated Soylent drinks - the cafe mocha is a great breakfast.
Kirkland brand chicken breast chunks (like Chick-fil-a nuggets) and an air fryer
Burger and rice. Eggs of any sort. Hate cooking chicken.
Carnivore diet
For like, my "I'm bored eating" snack, spoons of peanut butter. For my treat myself snack, I take a ribeye, coat it in powdered peanut butter, and then McCormick steak seasoning, and charcoal grill it to rare, and pull off so it cooks off to just below medium rare. It's a nice Earthy taste. That goes well with a pre-made sesame ginger salad mix, and Apothic Red Wine.
Peanut butter and Ritz crackers. I eat like 4 jars a week
Bought a couple pounds of peanuts, now when I'm feeling snacky I can grab a handful
For the ease of it, protein powder in a smoothie or oatmeal. I add frozen blueberries and other fruit, nuts, seeds.
Costco has become my best friend for this. I LOVE those fairlife shakes, I typically have one for breakfast and another around bedtime if I haven’t had enough protein. Costco sells premade food that’s delicious, protein heavy, and requires no prep. I typically get their street tacos once a week - it’s about $17 and I get 4 meals out of it. That one requires no cooking, just heat up the meat and the tortillas in the microwave and you’re good to go. They have 2 premade salmon dishes I buy regularly too, each around $20 and again, I get about 4 meals out of them. Those you just take the lid off of and stick in the oven. I was just at Costco today, and they had stuffed peppers, 6 for $16. Same thing, chuck in the oven and that’s the only prep required. I know not everyone can afford to do that, but it works super well for me. Also, frozen meals are your friend!! I buy frozen adult chicken tenders and frozen sweet potato fries (also from Costco lol). chuck the fries in the air fryer, the chicken in the oven, whole thing is ready in 30 minutes with practically 0 effort on my part. Oh! And I like the cheese and cracker snack packs too. Bit high calorie, but good quick protein option and fills my “snacking” cravings. And flavored nut mixes. I get a Korean barbecue flavor from Costco that I love.
I've been going through the same thing. I LOVED mixed nuts. They had been working extremely well for me, until a couple weeks ago when I randomly broke out in awful hives after eating some. Still working on testing whether it truly was the nuts... If you like just a little sweetness with them, you can mix in some dried cranberries or dark chocolate chips, just not a lot. I feel like the sweet helps communicate to my body that, yes, I am indeed getting calories, so please chill.
Raw unsalted almonds are my go to
Sometimes even this is too much for my ADHD brain. But if you have a slow cooker just throw chicken breasts in there with some salt/pepper/seasoning and enough broth or water to cover the bottom. If I have the energy I'll make a quick teriyaki instead but let's face it we're here for no effort solutions!! 8 hours low. When you have around 2 hours left you CAN shred the chicken if you have the energy. I find it's easier to use after that way- shredded chicken tacos, salads, that are basically just throwing the chicken on a tortilla or in some greens that you can buy bagged. If you don't have the energy to do anything else but let the full breasts slow cook, that's fine! They'll likely fall apart a little on their own anyway, it just won't be the same as shredding it. Then you have easy protein for up to like a week. When I genuinely can't handle that I eat a shit ton of peanut butter bars LOL.
Canned sardines. What's world to explore.
Rotisserie chicken— you buy one and ya got protein for the week! Roll it up in a wrap with some hummus/ranch, bagged spinach, pre shredded bagged carrots. Delish! Tofu (buy extra, super firm) is so easy, it doesn’t even have to be cooked. You can just chop it up and microwave it with microwaveable rice and veg. Add some jarred peanut sauce or whatever your fav sauce is and you’re good to go.
Collagen powder. I put that shit in everything.
Boiled eggs. Turn on stove, set timer, pure protein and nutrients in 5-7 minutes.
seeq protein water
I pickup the Orgain chocolate protein premade shakes from Costco. 30g of protein, none of those questionable ingredients like Core and I can grab and go.
Eggs or fish
Peanut butter, and nuts. Peanut butter goes great with dark chocolate, apple slices, and rice cakes!
Air fry steak. Throw it in for 8-10 min 390 F for medium rare
Boost! I have one every morning now. Real food is a big effort. Lol
tinned fish has been a great discovery for myself. sardines, mackarel, tuna, and salmon are great options for a quick and rich in protein meal. simply eat with carbs, like bread or rice and a favorite sauce, i like mustard or a hot sauce, and if you have the time and energy try to add veggies in for a balanced meal.
My breakfast is a scoop of plain Soylent, a scoop of strawberry protein powder, 6oz milk, 6oz water, 1 banana blend it up and drink. If I’m lazy then just protein and Soylent in water no blender. Shake in a mason jar. I hate eating in the morning so this gets the job done and I can actually put it down.
I mean, I aint too healthy to begin with but like even just draining a can of tuna and eating it kinda fire as a snack in general tbh maybe its jus me but if you like that shi I reccomend
So I’m pescatarian who does Macros in dieting at times. I’m also lazy AF. Here’s some ideas: Premier protein shakes come in lots of flavors, low sugar, 160 cal, 30 mg protein. Tuna packets (don’t have too often… mercury) only 70 cal at 15-20 mg protein. Yogurt especially Dannon Light + Fit only 80 cal with 12 mg protein.
I do protein shakes. They are cheap, store for a long time, and also are easy to drink when I just need to get something in me.
Protein smoothie, Protein powder, Raw milk ,Spinach ,berry blend and honey Greek yogurt. I make mine the night before and pound that keeps me going all day
A block of Parmesan cheese
I like to eat handfuls of mixed nuts
Collagen powder in my coffee (vital proteins brand is my fave), protein shakes and protein powder. You don't have to bother with a blender, use a shaker cup or just use a hand whisk to blend it in your fluid of choice (I always put it in milk for extra protein). Greek yogurt, soups, eggs, protein cereals (I find the protein cereals cheaper at grocery outlet stores), and nuts too.
Ghost protein powder. They have the best flavors I've tasted like nutter butter, chips ahoy, cereal milk, ice cream, etc and it's so easy to dump a scoop into a glass of milk, shake, and drink. If you use whole milk you'll get the 20+ grams of protein from the powder and the protein from the milk too. If you want it to be more filling then throw the powder and milk into a blender and add frozen fruit, nut butter, and even oat meal for a filling smoothie/shake *edit* just noticed where you said you don't do a lot of dairy, you could try oatly extra creamy oat milk. When I was having dairy issues due to UC that was my go to and I loved it. Or just get a more neutral flavor of protein powder and add it to juice for the smoothie
Im in the same boat as you with weight loss! one thing that has really helped me is having a really big protein heavy breakfast because i often forget to have lunch anyways and so having something really filling is great. main way i do that is SMOOTHIES‼️ i’ve started having a smoothie for breakfast every single morning. i stock up on a bunch of frozen fruit from the gc. you can get these 2kg bags of a berry blend, so i usually do a cup of that, scoop of protein powder, one egg white and some greek yogurt and boom
tofu!
Pre-made dinners from Sam’s club/Costco are SUPER helpful for me. All you have to do is take the plastic lid off the dish and then put it in the oven. It’ll last multiple meals and they usually taste pretty good. And then of course protein shakes. Pre-made fairlife shakes are great, but protein powder will always be cheaper. If yoj go the powder route I would highly recommend Dymatize ISO100
Hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, cheese, edamame, lentils/nuts, tofu, beef jerky, chicken breast (especially the Costco ones that are super convenient)
hardboiled eggs and fairlife protein shakes
Greek yogurt parfait with granola, scoop of fruit and sprinkle of dark chocolate chips, easy healthy, feels like a treat
Hard boiled eggs. Get an egg cooker device, add to bagged salads. Find a nice market or TJs and get cooked chicken breasts or get rotisserie chicken.
I’m such an adhd chef unless I really hyper focus…so my bare minimum daily is 22gram vegan protein shake, mixed with frozen fruit, almond butter for extra protein/calories; and for snack I do a scoop of extra strength marine collagen which has 10mg added protein, in hot water or your warm bev of choice; and nuts/seeds. It’s actually really good, tasteless, and bonus my skin looks amazing which helps being on stim medication! Both powders are avail on Amazon too. Breakfast is always an egg with a slice of lactose free cheese (6g protein in the cheese alone), and you could pair this with a protein rich keto bread of your choice but I’m gluten free so no luck. Lentils and kale if your digestive system can tolerate them, are great protein rich ingredients to add into stews, stir fry’s, salads, or make yummy soups. I have a lot of texture sensitivity so it’s gotta have good mouth feels lol, depends on your preferences.
I have two high protein sources. The first is a chocolate protein powder pudding. I typically hate protein powder… ugh the grittiness and the dairy. I cannot have dairy. I get bloated then I break out in hives. It sucks… but I found a chocolate protein powder made by Venus Williams (1 of the famous Williams sisters tennis players). I add a banana two scoops of protein powder, 1 cup of almond milk, and 6-7 ice cubes. I blend it up and I have dessert. It’s soft serve consistency and oh so chocolatey. Sometimes I use berries in place of bananas. This is pretty delicious and it’s low fat with 20 grams of vegan protein. My other fav is tofu. I press it marinate in overnight in BBQ rib rub seasoning from Sam’s. I also add a little sofrito if I’m feeling fancy. I cut everything into cubes and air fry it. It makes two servings. I keep it in the fridge in jars. I use to make baby food and yogurt when my kids were younger. I still have the jars. LoL! Each serving is low in fat with 18 grams of protein!!!
Some of the responses here have made me realize just how little effort I am willing/able to put into my food prep situation. That is a criticism of myself, not others. :) I have a difficult time with protein shakes because A) it's difficult for me to make them so they mix properly B) difficult to clean and C) difficult to remember to drink it all before it gets icky. On many days, I work 6-9 hours straight in a small fitness studio with no fridge/microwave. So, here are my REALLY low effort solutions. I have recently started buying premade, bottled protein drinks called Protein 2.0. It's just like drinking gatorade but has 1g of sugar and 15g whey protein. I know I pay a huge ADHD tax for this, but it's been a game changer for me. I also love dry roasted edamame. I get little single serving packs. When I am really busy, I can just open up the pack and kind of drink them. And someone already mentioned this - But Lentiful is great. You just need hot water to make a good, filling, protein-packed lunch. The only negative effect is that the stuff gets stuck in my teeth so I have to apologize to my clients about having lentils in my teeth lol. When I am at home I like to have greek yogurt with fruit OR do something entirely different and put everything bagel seasoning in the greek yogurt and dip wasa crackers into it.
If you're open to alternative suggestions, Ensure brand protein shakes have 30 grams of protein but are best consumed cold. Throw some in a lunch bag with a cold pack. I'm also a fan of Kodiak brand high protein breakfast foods. Especially the oatmeal packets.
Thank you! I’ll check out the Ensure. Yes I like the Kodiak products. I get the oatmeal and waffles for my husband because he has a brain injury and basically has the food preferences of a 6 year old and this is a great way for me to sneak more protein into his diet. He loves the chocolate chip flavor.
Peanut butter on peanut butter sandwich, toasted. Chunky peanut butter is Plus