Sometimes you want lunch to be a list instead of a meal that requires steps to prep. For example, no bread, no sandwich stuff, and no thinking. Plus, protein bars tend to fall short and snack plates with the usual components remind you of dinner time.
Days when snack plates can be made are a certain kind of special. For instance, yogurt, jerky, cheese, or greek yogurt (which contains 32 grams of protein or more) provide a source of protein; you can use chopped veggies or chopped fruit to provide some color. You also don’t have to spend an eternity making it/ It really does take about 2 minutes to make, and it is just as filling as a ‘real’ lunch!
Contents
The Quick Rundown
- High-Protein Snack Plate, before the details: A no-cook snack plate built around jerky, cheese, fruit or vegetables, and a single-serve Greek yogurt.
- Why it works: Jerky and cheese together hit 30 grams of protein fast. Fruit or veggies add freshness and fiber. Yogurt adds another 10–15 grams of protein with no extra effort.
- Time: About 2 minutes. Most of that is opening packages.
- Key tips: Check labels on jerky (sodium varies wildly), pick a real cheese in chunks or slices, and add yogurt if you want the protein count to clear 40 grams.
What Goes on the Plate
- Jerky (2–3 oz): Beef, turkey, or bison. Check the label, sodium varies widely between brands.
- Cheese (2–3 oz): Cheddar, gouda, manchego, or a wedge of brie. Cut into thick slices or cubes.
- Fruit or cut vegetables: A handful of grapes, sliced apple, baby carrots, cucumber spears, snap peas, or cherry tomatoes.
- Greek yogurt (one single-serve container, optional): Plain or vanilla, full-fat or 2% for staying power.
- Optional crunch: A handful of almonds, a few crackers, or olives.
Instructions
1) Prepare the protein. Grab a small plate and put the jerky and cheese stick on it. The goal is to trick them into thinking it is lunchtime and not just a little snack.
2) To make your plate more colorful, add some fruits or sliced vegetables with your protein. The more colorful, the better! Using at least three different colors can change a snack to a meal!
If you are using yogurt, you can add that now. You can also drizzle some honey on the yogurt or add a couple of berries for a nicer look. Now take the lid and put it on the plate and grab a spoon.
4) You can eat the dish at this point. There is nothing else to add.
Free lesson · 3 min
Watch The Hot Pan Rule, free from the Technique Library
Good Combinations
- Beef jerky, sharp cheddar, apple slices, almonds, vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Turkey jerky, gouda, baby carrots, cucumber spears, plain Greek yogurt with honey.
- Bison jerky, manchego, grapes, marcona almonds, plain Greek yogurt.
- Chicken jerky, brie, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, single-serve cottage cheese in place of yogurt.
Small Tips, Big Difference
- Read the jerky label. Sodium varies from 200 mg per serving to over 700 mg. If you eat jerky regularly, find a brand on the lower end.
- Pick cheese in chunks or slices, not the shredded bag. Better texture, better flavor, less filler.
- Skip pre-cut fruit if you can swing it. Whole fruit you slice yourself tastes better and costs about a third as much.
- Add a small handful of olives or pickles if the plate feels like it needs a salty-acid bite.
- If you don’t eat dairy, swap the Greek yogurt for cottage cheese, a hard-boiled egg, or a small tin of oil-packed tuna. All carry similar protein without much more effort.
One Last Thing
This makes me not cook and not feel guilty. I know it’s not the cutest thing to post on Instagram, but it takes care of the lunch dilemma in 2 minutes, has 30 grams of protein, and is actual food. Not too shabby if you ask me.
