From work or school to sports practices, events and everything in between, finding time to eat during the day can be difficult! It seems like grabbing a quick snack at the grocery store is a perfect solution…until you compare the cost to individual servings of protein foods. Yes, I will admit that I am guilty of buying these little convenient protein packs to stash in my lunch for a quick afternoon snack before I head out the door to my next event. However, I might rethink how much I’m spending on this packs.
Below are some common protein packs, which vary from 1.5 – 2 ounce portions. There are many brands that make these packs. I chose these three because they are common national brands and not because of any particular attributes of the products. The average cost from a smaller grocery store was $1.89, the price at a larger supermarket was $1.28 and from a convenience store was $1.75
| Cost/Serving Grocery Store | Cost/Serving Supermarket | Cost/Serving Convenience Store | Calories* (kcal) | Protein* (grams) | |
| Oscar Mayer P3 (ham, almonds, cheddar – 2.3 ounces) | $2.19 | $1.50 | $1.99 | 190 | 12 |
| Sargento Balanced Breaks (white cheddar cheese, almonds, dried cranberries – 1.5 ounces) | $1.49 | $1.09 | $1.69 | 180 | 7 |
| Hormel Natural Choice (ham, white cheddar cheese, dark chocolate pretzels – 2 ounces) | $1.99 | $1.25 | $1.59 | 180 | 10 |
| Average Cost: | $1.89 | $1.28 | $1.75 |
*Calorie and protein information from supermarket website
After researching the pre-packaged protein packs, I wanted to check pricing on individual items. Here is what I found.
Individual costs of protein foods
| Cost/Serving Grocery Store | Cost/Serving Supermarket | Calories* (kcal) | Protein* (grams) | |
| Ham – 2 ounces | $0.62 | $0.36 | 60 | 10 |
| Almonds – ¼ cup | $0.55 | $0.35 | 160 | 6 |
| Peanuts – 1 ounce | $0.19 | $0.12 | 160 | 7 |
| Cheddar cheese – 1 ounce | $0.25 | $0.21 | 110 | 7 |
| String cheese – 1 each | $0.29 | $0.24 | 70 | 7 |
| Eggs – 1 each | $0.12 | $0.05 | 70 | 6 |
| Hummus – 2 tablespoons | $0.29 | $0.19 | 70 | 2 |
| Peanut butter – 2 tablespoons | $0.11 | $0.09 | 190 | 7 |
| Turkey jerky – 1 ounce | $1.83 | $0.94 | 80 | 13 |
*Calorie and protein information from supermarket website
Some of these have more protein in them as a single item than the snack pack as a whole! I even have many of them on hand at home. Next week, I will share how I put together some of these snack packs in my own kitchen.
This blog was written by Iowa State University Dietetic Intern Laurynn Verry.
