3 min read
IF YOU REMEMBER the 1990s, you probably remember SnackWell’s. The brand of fat-free cookies and crackers capitalized off a public health push to fight weight gain and reduce heart disease. (Just in case you want to relive SnackWell’s “Cookie Man” ad blitz, some Internet hero has compiled 23 of the spots here.)
While SnackWell’s contained no fat or cholesterol, the cookies did contain a good dose of refined carbohydrates, including added sugar. After the fat-phobia of the late 90s and early 2000s subsided, people realized that SnackWell’s were just glorified ultra-processed food (before that term even existed).
SnackWell’s aren’t really a thing anymore, but their legacy lives on in modern food branding. Right now, we’re a public who isn’t so much scared of fat (unless you count seed oils), but propelled by protein. From chips to mac ’n’ cheese to yes even cookies, “high-protein” is everywhere—and usually in ultra-processed packaged foods. Where SnackWell’s earned its health halo by taking away certain nutrients, protein-ified products polish theirs by adding in whey, pea, or soy protein.
If you’ve tasted any of these high-protein products, you know that they’re … not great. Their flavor is okay, at best. But when you’re eating for #gainz, who cares, right?
Well, we care. Because if you’re being really, truly honest with yourself, you can’t honestly say that a bag of high-protein tortilla chips tastes any different than a SnackWell’s Devil’s Food Cookie Cakes—at least in spirit. They taste bizarre, like not real food.
Which is exactly the answer to this high-protein, low-flavor packaged food trend: real food.
To come up with snacks that are high in protein, but also other important nutrients, we worked up 25 recipes that are rooted in real food. Because how can high-protein chips compete with high-protein pepperoni chips dunked into a creamy dip? How can bagged high-protein popcorn challenge chocolate-drizzled, peanut-studded, freshly popped popcorn? How can boxed high-protein mac ’n’ cheese topple a mug of homemade chicken ’n’ stars soup with real chicken? They can’t.
So if you’re ready to reclaim real food as part of your high-protein diet, here are 25 easy recipes that’ll help you do just that.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF
Here are just three examples of the real-food recipes you’ll find inside.
Julia Gartland
Easy Shrimp Summer RollsProtein: 30g
Dip a sheet of rice paper into water until pliable and transfer to a work surface. Layer 3 medium cooked and peeled shrimp, ¼ avocado (thinly sliced), ¼ cup coleslaw mix, and 2 mint leaves. Fold the left and right edges towards the center and roll the paper over the ingredients to seal. Repeat for another roll. In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp peanut butter powder, 1 Tbsp water, 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp maple syrup, ½ tsp sriracha. Dip and eat. Makes 1 serving
Julia Gartland
Chocolate PB PopcornProtein per serving: 19g
In an air popper or on the stovetop, pop 3 Tbsp popcorn kernels. In a small pot over medium-low, melt 2 Tbsp coconut oil. Stir in 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter and a scoop of chocolate protein powder. Drizzle over the popcorn and toss. Sprinkle with 1 tsp flaky sea salt and transfer to the fridge to harden the drizzle, about 10 minutes. Toss with 2 Tbsp chopped peanuts and serve. Makes 2 servings
Julia Gartland
Deviled Eggs and BaconProtein per serving: 14g
Halve 3 hardboiled eggs lengthwise and pop the yolks into a small bowl. Mix in ¼ cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Crumble in a crispy bacon slice and stir to combine. Load the mixture into the egg white halves and eat. Makes 2 servings
Hungry for more?
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF
Photography by Julia Gartland
Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men’s Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men’s Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.
Julissa Roberts is a recipe developer who has created incredible dishes for tons of brands, including Women’s Health, Runner’s World, and Bicycling.
