Convenient Protein Foods for under $4 per serve!

Protein makes up a crucial part of our diet; not only because every cell in our body contains it, but it also helps with repairing cells and making new ones. Eating high protein foods and increasing protein in our daily food intake can help us feel fuller for longer, as protein (the food group) takes longer to digest and metabolise in the body, meaning that more calories are required to be used by the body to process and digest them. Aside from including it in your meals, you can also find ways of adding it to your day in snacks and convenient on the go options.

Here is a list of different protein foods for under $4 per serve:

	1. Tinned Tuna – 95g tins Protein - 15-20g Not only is tinned tuna a very lean protein, but it's also a great source of Omega 3 and B vitamins. Historically viewed as a little bland or dull, there are so many varieties and flavours of tuna now that you can now choose from such as Korean BBQ (by John West) and Lemon and Pepper (Coles). If you’re looking for a safe option, stick with tuna in spring water and avoid those varieties in oil. Team your tuna with avocado on top of rice cakes or mix together with torn kale and egg to create a delicious salad – perfect for mid-week lunches or snack on them on their own.
	2. Almonds - 30g Protein - 6.9g When it comes to nuts, 30g is what is recommended as a serve (approx 20 almonds) Although some may have room for a 50g serve. Either way, it is hard to gauge what you get unless you are weighing (when using pick n mix at the supermarket) The tubs or packs you buy of 100-200g are great, but still can be tricky for portion control. Some brands have small boxes that are portioned out for you. e.g Lucky pre-boxed packs of 30g. Or when buying bulk, you may portion them out and have them ready in little containers or ziplock bags (don't forget to re-use your bag) If almonds aren't your fave, check out our list for others!
	3. Mayver's Peanut Butter 40g pots Protein - 10g A great little tub to take with you. Enjoy with sliced apples or carrot sticks (don't knock it if you haven't tried it!)Macros based on consuming the full pot. You can halve it if you like. or pop a serve of peanut butter in a little tub & pop in your bag.
	4. Protein Shake (RTD and powder) 30g sachet of 1 RTD bottle. Protein - 25-30g Most of us have a protein shaker, so popping a scoop or 2 in a shaker before you leave the house takes seconds! Protein Powders that you make up yourself are a better option because they are cleaner, no preservatives etc. Me personally, I look for the low in carb, no fancy or filler additions, short ingredients and anything above 20g+ per serve. We've got 3 flavours That are super easy to shake up with your milk of choice! Grab a water bottle you can use this as a shaker if you get your hands on a sachet of powder from your nearest Health Food store. e.g Protein Supplies Australia have sachets in stores. READY TO DRINK - If you forgot to grab a shaker and powder before you left the house, there are some RTD options. Some of the RTD options have other ingredients added to make them shelf-stable.
	5. PBCo. Protein Muffins (1 muffin) Protein - 12g PBCo. Protein Muffin Mix is so versatile you can create your favourite muffins each time. if you prefer lower carbs simply change up the additions. You can check out some great Protein Muffin Recipes here.
	6. Eggs (2 boiled eggs) Protein - 10-12g Egg protein can vary on size. but approx 5g per egg. You can also find 2 boiled eggs with some baby spinach in Caltex Foodary locations and at some Coles and Woolies in the premade salad sections. That's a handy 10g protein on the go!
	7. Protein Yoghurt (170g) Protein - 12-17g Convenient little tubs ready to grab and go with an assortment of flavours. 1 tub is approx 170g, which is a really good serving size too! You can also enjoy just plain greek yoghurt with a little sweetener or berries as a snack which would be cheaper!
	8. Protein Pancakes/ Waffles to go (110g) Protein - 21g Make up a triple batch of Protein Pancakes on Sunday and have some quick and easy grab & go snacks on standby- no time for toppings, add a touch of sweetener, sugar-free choc chips AND or a TB of milo to a batch (trust me on that 😍) and they are the perfect treat with a coffee.
	9. Protein Bars - 30-50g bar Protein - 10-45g When it comes to protein bars, people have their faves. There are so many! A lot of these bars have a long ingredient list and contain sugar alcohols that can upset some tummies, so always check the ingredients. A good guide is 5g or less carbs per serve and anything above 15g protein is a good choice (some bars that have up to 45g protein) and the shorter the ingredients, the better. You can find a range of protein bars in your supermarket, as well as health food stores, either in mini or full size.
	10. PBCo. Protein Cookies (40g cookie) Protein - 9g Protein Cookie Mix is a base mix you can mix & match your favourite cookie flavours. Make a half batch and save the other half of mix for another flavour. 1 half-batch makes 10 cookies, that's just under 2 weeks of snacks!! Check out some great cookie recipes here.
	11. Edamame / Fava Beans 25g serve. These are a great little salty snack on the run. Ingredients are just the bean (soy/ broad) and salt. These are also great added to salads for some extra protein & crunch!
	12. Beef jerky 30g Not under $4 but worth a mention. Most brands seem to add sugar to their jerky. 'Kooee brand' doesn't seem to have sugar added so that is a win! They are higher in price. There are other brands - Jack Links, Local Legends and Woolies have their own too. Anything under 5g carbs and 15g protein + and with minimal ingredients is a good way to pick one. Also, Woolies have it in their deli section.