Cheap protein snacks for work

floggg

I am currently trying to up my protein intake to 200g + a day, but trying to keep overall cals below 2500 and keeping the carbs low.

Has anybody got any ideas for cheap and handy protein snacks to bring into work? In particular, something i can snack on at my desk during the day thats no too messy etc.

At the minute, i'm resorting to eating a pack of chicken breast slices at 11.00 and 3.00, as well a can of tuna with some salad at lunch time. Also drinking a pint of milk at lunch and eating some nuts.

Any other ideas to shake it up a bit, that won't break the bank? This habit is getting expensive!

Also, how much worse are the prepackaged chicken breasts slices than a cooked chicken breast? Should i stay away from them or should they be ok - they're far handier than having to cook up a couple of chicken breast every evening!

MagicMarker

Well to be fair, it takes about 5 minutes to cook two chicken breasts:)

BossArky

A 200g pack of almonds can last a few days. High in protein and good fats. Maybe too many cals though for your purposes.

Töpher

floggg wrote: »

Also, how much worse are the prepackaged chicken breasts slices than a cooked chicken breast? Should i stay away from them or should they be ok - they're far handier than having to cook up a couple of chicken breast every evening!

I'm no expert, but would imagine that many of the sliced products are reformed, or at the very least contain an abundance of salt and other preservatives. It'd be cheaper to cook them yourself, if thats an issue, and they last a few days so you wouldn't have to do it every day.

onemorechance

http://shopping.kelkoo.co.uk/ctl/do/search?siteSearchQuery=aspire+40&fromform=true

These bars have 40g protein each.
[URL="javascript:uxViewLink('L2N0bC9nby9zaXRlc2VhcmNoR28.LnRzPTEyMzk3OTczODE2MTAmLnNpZz1ZeEVFc2w0cEJ0ZC4xZm9ETlZLdUVicTByU2ctJm9mZmVySWQ9ODQ1Zjc3ZmJkZjFjM2QxZmU3YzQzZDM4YmY1MzQ5ZWImY29udGV4dFZpZXdUeXBlPWxpc3QmY29udGV4dFBhZ2VTaXplPTE1JmNvbnRleHRMZXZlbD0xJmNvbnRleHRLZXl3b3Jkcz1hc3BpcmUrNDAmY29udGV4dENhdElkPTEwMDE2NDAxMyZjb250ZXh0T2ZmZXJQb3NpdGlvbj0xJm9ydw__',%20true);"]Garnell Nutrition Aspire 40[/URL]

rediguana

Stick to proper chicken breasts.

I know you mentioned nuts - cashew nuts are great.

estariol

If you're gonna go the protein bar route, I'd recommend http://www.bodyactive-online.co.uk/Shopping/PdPeakBody-Pro50bar.asp 50g of protein and 350 cal's.

As a vegetarian find these the only way to get enough protein (can't deal with shakes).

floggg

MagicMarker wrote: »

Well to be fair, it takes about 5 minutes to cook two chicken breasts:)

Well i generally try to oven roast them which takes 30mins!

floggg

rediguana wrote: »

Stick to proper chicken breasts.

I know you mentioned nuts - cashew nuts are great.

yea, guess you're right. Will do from here on. That Crunchy oatmeal chicken that was posted here a while back was delish. Will just cook up a big batch at weekends.

Does anybody know any good butchers in Ranelagh/Rathmines that do good offers on chicken breasts? Preferably that opens late, as in work all day till past 6.

slicus ricus

floggg wrote: »

Well i generally try to oven roast them which takes 30mins!

Why not cook 4 or 6 at a time then? It still only takes a half hour to roast them. The one's you're not using the next day, you can put them in tin foil in the fridge and they will stay fresh.

It will definately work out cheaper than buying the ready packed stuff and will most likely contain more protein. Easy to bring to work as well - ideas include in wraps, sandwiches, or tupperware.

MagicMarker wrote:

Well to be fair, it takes about 5 minutes to cook two chicken breasts

Just out of interest, how are you managing to cook them in 5 minutes? If there actually is a way of doing so, I want to know about it!

dave80

slicus ricus wrote: »

Just out of interest, how are you managing to cook them in 5 minutes? If there actually is a way of doing so, I want to know about it!

with a george foreman grill it takes about 5 mins

MagicMarker

dave80 wrote: »

with a george foreman grill it takes about 5 mins

^^

What he said.

Besides, even if you're frying them (olive oil of course!) they would still cook in about 5 minutes in a pre heated pan.

slicus ricus

dave80 wrote: »

with a george foreman grill it takes about 5 mins

I must invest so, that would save sh*t loads of time! Do the fillets taste nice when cooked in the foreman grill? I know it's far from the main priority but when you're eating 3 of them a day, it helps if they taste somewhat decent!

floggg

Maybe i just over cooked them but i always found that when you grill chicken fillets they tend to taste pretty dry. I imagine same might apply to the foreman grill as well?

by the way, how long you been on 3 a day? Are you not sick of them by now?

slicus ricus

floggg wrote: »

Maybe i just over cooked them but i always found that when you grill chicken fillets they tend to taste pretty dry. I imagine same might apply to the foreman grill as well?

by the way, how long you been on 3 a day? Are you not sick of them by now?

Have been doing it for a while. Most days I bring 2 of them into work - one in a wrap, the other in a salad. Generally I'd have lunch out though, mainly to get out of the office to be honest, which would generally consist of a toasted chicken or beef sandwich. You do start getting a little bit sick of them but you just have to remember the reason you're eating them for. You can always mix it up the odd day and bring in something else if it starts getting too repetitive for you.

LightningBolt

If you're doing them on the George, slice the fillet in two by putting your palm on top of it and pressing firmly down, get a good knife and slice it carefully so you now have two thin fillets. Keep all their juices I find.

Another thing to do is throw them in a bit of marinade. Leave for an hour or so. When you cook em the marinade should stop them from tasting so dry.

Nate--IRL--

I usually get about 15-20 fillets boil'em in a big pot for 20mins, leave them to cool, and stick them in a sealed container in the fridge. Lovely and succulent for a few days and it boils all that crap they pump into the chicken right out of it.

My George Foreman leaves the chicken too dry I find (could be the way I'm doing it though)

Nate

rubadub

floggg wrote: »

Well i generally try to oven roast them which takes 30mins!

You should score them deeply on the thick parts. I cooked 10 last week in one go in 15mins. No time for them to dry out. I did about 6 deep slices on each fillet. I have skinned whole chickens and cut them all over like this and had it done in about 45mins. I break the chicken and lay it out flat. I get 10 fillets for €10 in my butchers, they are about 1.4kg so it is actually cheaper and less messy than doing full chickens for me.

slicus ricus wrote: »

Why not cook 4 or 6 at a time then? It still only takes a half hour to roast them. The one's you're not using the next day, you can put them in tin foil in the fridge and they will stay fresh.

I would cook them in the foil if planning to keep them, and do not unwrap them until needed, this way you are cooking "in a controlled environment". The air is full of contaminants, cooking will kill them and leaving in foil stops the introduction of new ones. Just be sure to give enough time as the foil will slow the heating, perhaps have a thick test one that you do unwrap and eat right away. Also the foil keeps them moist.

slicus ricus wrote: »

Just out of interest, how are you managing to cook them in 5 minutes? If there actually is a way of doing so, I want to know about it!

I cut mine in tiny bits, then fry them really quick in a saucepan, the saucepan stops spattering fat, but also I put in a tablespoon of water at the end and cover and just leave it. This steams them and keeps them moist while still being nice and golden.

LightningBolt wrote: »

If you're doing them on the George, slice the fillet in two by putting your palm on top of it and pressing firmly down, get a good knife and slice it carefully so you now have two thin fillets. Keep all their juices I find.

I do this too, it also allows more surface area for marinates and spices.

lala stone

MagicMarker wrote: »

Well to be fair, it takes about 5 minutes to cook two chicken breasts:)

Ya that's all sure.. if you want the squirts and salmonella at the end of your meal...

MagicMarker

lala stone wrote: »

Ya that's all sure.. if you want the squirts and salmonella at the end of your meal...

Wow.

That's it, I knew there was something different about me, but now I know it's true. I've never gotten sick from chicken in all these years. It can only mean one thing.......... I'm immortal.

kumate_champ07

hard boiled eggs, tuna with light mayo and cajun seasoning, sliced mozzerella cheese with vine cherry tomatoes or any other tomato and some olives would be nice with that, u could arrange them with cocktail sticks.

i bring a carton of cottage cheese with me now when i go out.

jayoo

Aldi have sardines for 35cent
125 grams in tomato sauce
203. calories
21 grams protein
1.75 grams carbs
12.3 grams fat

floggg

Ughck! Sorry, but i don't think i could handle sardines! Whole animals shouldn't come in tins. I'm not really mad on fish all that much TBH. Love salmon, like cod, and can tolerate tuna, but that's about it. its a mental think i guess, but not really willing to experiment too much with them.

And this is coming from a man who once ate a bag full of crickets fried in chilli, so i'm not generally all that squeamish.

Although, that said, i'm not too mad on weird cheeses either, so am reluctant to try cottage cheese. i've read horror stories on here before about it!

Satan Polaroid

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

i bring a carton of cottage cheese with me now when i go out.

Are people eating Cottage Cheese straight from the tub? With a spoon, and eating like a yoghurt? :eek:

I've been putting mine on sandwiches!

Jimmy Bottlehead

floggg wrote: »

Although, that said, i'm not too mad on weird cheeses either, so am reluctant to try cottage cheese. i've read horror stories on here before about it!

Tried cottage cheese last week - first and last time! Its nasty, even with a shedload of fruit chopped up and thrown through it.

metamorphosis

i focking love cottage cheese. 300gm tub in lidl. just eating a tub of it after training as i type . just over 80 kcal per 100gm and and 12gms protein per 100gm too. goes lovely with some brazils and banana and a large coffee. it's ll i need to be a happy man. i know that makes me sad but as long as i gots me cheese i couldn't give a flying f*uck :P

McNulty

the thought of cottage cheese was always disgusting to me...then I tried it and it's lovely - either just with a spoon or on a ryvita, bit of toast or with some chicken or something
Also loving the eggs or porridge for breakfast at the moment. Once you get into it, not too bad.

I suppose hardboiled eggs could be an OK work snack?

slicus ricus

McNulty wrote: »

Also loving the eggs or porridge for breakfast at the moment. Once you get into it, not too bad.

Porridge for breakfast is class, love the stuff. Recently, i've started adding in milled sunflower and flax seed - great source of healthy fats and adds another 5-7gs of protein as well. A good yoghurt is always a solid addition to a brekkie as well.

McNulty wrote: »

I suppose hardboiled eggs could be an OK work snack?

If you work in an office alone where there's no-one else around, it would be fine! Otherwise, the smell of it would probably gross a few people out while they're working! Eggs are a controversial one in terms of smell: I personally cannot stand the smell of them. But then again, I wouldn't be mad about the taste of them either!

agentgreen

LightningBolt wrote: »

Another thing to do is throw them in a bit of marinade. Leave for an hour or so. When you cook em the marinade should stop them from tasting so dry.

Any recipes for the marinades?

Thanks,

jayoo

Tescos has a yogurt, in similar packaging to their own brand cottage cheese (sorry for **** details, its late:pac:)

100grams gives 44calories and 7.8 grams protein, and very low carbs.
tastes good, and less than a euro for 500grams:D;)

will write up its actual name morro when i have a look at the pot, :pac:

and ya cottage cheese is pretty rough, put im eating it like a mad man at the moment, i mixed in some soya sauce:eek: and to be honest it didnt make it taste any worse:pac:

i think the problem is texture more so than its taste, im sure if you blended it up with milk and some choclate whey it would be pretty pleasant

Remmy

A little tip with the chicken breasts drying up.The thicker they are the longer they take to cook through so lose moisture.use a rolling pin and flatten them out a bit.also always use a roasting hot pan.

Does anyone regularly eat those meatballs in a can you see in lidl and aldi?They seem like a cheap source of protein but if they meat is substandard it negates this.

LightningBolt

agentgreen wrote: »

Any recipes for the marinades?

Thanks,

For say 4 chicken breasts I'd put in

150-200mls olive oil
teaspoon smashed garlic
lemon peel (use a grater)
lemon juice from one lemon
teaspoon paprika or some chilli powder
teaspoon or two of thyme

Nice tangy taste with a bit of kick!

Best bet to leave the marinade in the chicken for an hour or two. The george is pretty messy when using marinade so I do them in a pan.

Khannie

Blend cottage cheese with sugar free jelly for a mouse-y deliciousness. Perfect for snacking on in work. Hartleys Raspberry sugar free is the best I've found. Needs a bit of a shake after a while of being in the fridge or it can settle in layers.

I add 1 x 200g tub of cottage cheese to 400ml of jelly (the packet is supposed to make a pint -> 568ml) then blend it up with the hand blender.

Actually....I'm off to make some right now....

floggg

jayoo wrote: »

Tescos has a yogurt, in similar packaging to their own brand cottage cheese (sorry for **** details, its late:pac:)

100grams gives 44calories and 7.8 grams protein, and very low carbs.
tastes good, and less than a euro for 500grams:D;)

will write up its actual name morro when i have a look at the pot, :pac:

and ya cottage cheese is pretty rough, put im eating it like a mad man at the moment, i mixed in some soya sauce:eek: and to be honest it didnt make it taste any worse:pac:

i think the problem is texture more so than its taste, im sure if you blended it up with milk and some choclate whey it would be pretty pleasant

Any luck with remembering the name?

Although, my nearest Tesco being Rathmines, its not likely to be there when i go look for it. It has to be the worst Tesco in the country!

billyhead

If it has not already been mentioned you can go wrong with Beef Jerky as a healthy high protein low carb snack. I get loads of 25G packets from the Wildwest beef jerky website

http://www.wildwestjerky.co.uk/

floggg

Quick cottage cheese question. Is there much difference between extra low fat philadelpiha/soft cheese and cottage cheese. the low fat soft cheese works out circa 100 cals/11 grms protein per 100grams. Bit higher cal than cottage cheese, but protein content is similar. Could this be a good alternative?

Also, how disimilar is cottage cheese to soft cheese in terms if tast/texture? Bought some of the low fat philly stuff last week and liked it. Encouraged, i bought myself a tub of cottage cheese today, but am scared to open it!

dioltas

floggg wrote: »

Also, how disimilar is cottage cheese to soft cheese in terms if tast/texture? Bought some of the low fat philly stuff last week and liked it. Encouraged, i bought myself a tub of cottage cheese today, but am scared to open it!

It's terrible stuff tbh. I got a tub of yoplait stuff before, not sure if it was proper cottage cheese though, it was creamy with lumps in it, is that the way it's supposed to be?

I think the fear is the worst thing though, I'd kind of set myself up to hate it before I even tried it...

MagicMarker

dioltas wrote: »

It's terrible stuff tbh. I got a tub of yoplait stuff before, not sure if it was proper cottage cheese though, it was creamy with lumps in it, is that the way it's supposed to be?

I think the fear is the worst thing though, I'd kind of set myself up to hate it before I even tried it...

Unfortunately, yes.

brianthebard

jayoo wrote: »

Tescos has a yogurt, in similar packaging to their own brand cottage cheese (sorry for **** details, its late:pac:)

100grams gives 44calories and 7.8 grams protein, and very low carbs.
tastes good, and less than a euro for 500grams:D;)

will write up its actual name morro when i have a look at the pot, :pac:

Its not greek yogurt is it? Compared to normal yogurt it has a decent nutritional profile, imo at least.

Assets Model

How is quorn the vegetarian protein substitute? Is it good? I have moral concerns about eating cheap chicken and I can'g afford the free range stuff so i'm eating tuna and eggs as snacks rather than crisps but i found lots of different quorn products in tesco and they're fairly tasty. I personally couldn't tell the difference between them and chicken. ARe they as good?

ragg

I tend to roast a very large chicken twice a week - costs about 15 quid and it is enough for both me and my girlfriend

Bottle_of_Smoke

I've heard of people meking protein cookies out of nuts and casein powder, i'll do a search

floggg

Assets Model wrote: »

How is quorn the vegetarian protein substitute? Is it good? I have moral concerns about eating cheap chicken and I can'g afford the free range stuff so i'm eating tuna and eggs as snacks rather than crisps but i found lots of different quorn products in tesco and they're fairly tasty. I personally couldn't tell the difference between them and chicken. ARe they as good?

I would have just as many ethical issues with factory manufactured foodstuffs like quorn as i would with tesco chicken. My rule of thumb is that if it does't grown in fields, run, swim or fly, i ain't eating it!

Go to your local butcher and you can get good quality chicken fillets relatively cheap.

BraziliaNZ

am i the only person who feels guilty about eating too much meat? snacking on chicken fillets just seems wrong to me!

Frogdog

Chicken fillets are 99 cent in Fresh on Camden Street if that's close enough to you in Rathmines/Ranelagh..........

floggg

Frogdog wrote: »

Chicken fillets are 99 cent in Fresh on Camden Street if that's close enough to you in Rathmines/Ranelagh..........

the butcher in Rathmines beside the old stella cinema does 7 extra large chicken fillets for 10euro as well.

Khannie

Assets Model wrote: »

How is quorn the vegetarian protein substitute? Is it good? I have moral concerns about eating cheap chicken and I can'g afford the free range stuff so i'm eating tuna and eggs as snacks rather than crisps but i found lots of different quorn products in tesco and they're fairly tasty. I personally couldn't tell the difference between them and chicken. ARe they as good?

Never tried it myself. What does the nutritional information on the side say?

ragg

im not sure of the details fully yet - but i was talking to a mate about protein & apparently non animal protein doesn't have all the amino acids required to build muscle.
So while quorn might be high in protein, you still might need to take in a different type of non animal protein also.

I plan on reading up about it more, as i'm not sure how true it is, does anyone know anything about this?

Assets Model

I heard that too ragg but I thought they meant cheese and beans and stuff I think quorn is kinda designed as a meat substitute surely it'd have everything nec?

itsallaboutheL

ragg wrote: »

im not sure of the details fully yet - but i was talking to a mate about protein & apparently non animal protein doesn't have all the amino acids required to build muscle.
So while quorn might be high in protein, you still might need to take in a different type of non animal protein also.

I plan on reading up about it more, as i'm not sure how true it is, does anyone know anything about this?

Hmmm, Whey Does generaly, Soya Protien doesn't IIRC buuut it does have more of certain AAs than Whey, and i couldn't be arsed trying to remember which one!!

Macha

Try making your own protein bars. I can PM details of some Precisin Nutrition recipes.

Make 10 or so at a time and freeze them. I throw one in a ziplock bag and by the time it's 11am it's defrosted. It really feels like I'm eating a slice of cake - without the guilt.