Best high-protein pantry and freezer foods
Tuna pouches, protein pasta, cereal and waffles, ranked by protein per calorie.
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Our Meals category covers foods you keep in the pantry or freezer: tuna and chicken pouches, protein pasta, protein cereal and protein waffles. We ranked all 11 by grams of protein per 100 calories.
High-protein pantry and freezer foods, ranked
| # | Item | Protein | Calories | Protein / 100 cal | Leaderboard rank | Price / serving | $ / 10 g protein | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 70 | 24.3 | #1 | $0.90 | $0.53 | label |
| 2 | StarKist Albacore White Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 80 | 21.3 | #4 | $2.06 | $1.21 | label |
| 3 | StarKist Premium White Chicken (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 13 g | 80 | 16.3 | #36 | — | — | label |
| 4 | Legendary Foods Protein Pasta Plus – Mac & Cheese (47g) 1 cup | 47 g | 290 | 16.2 | #37 | — | — | label |
| 5 | Legendary Foods Protein Pasta (2 flavors) Garlic Parmesan (35g), Mac & Cheese (35g) · 1 cup | 35 g | 220 | 15.9 | #38–39 | — | — | label |
| 6 | Magic Spoon Protein Cereal – Birthday Cake about 1 cup (39 g), dry, no milk | 14 g | 150 | 9.3 | #105 | — | — | label |
| 7 | Magic Spoon Protein Cereal – Cocoa about 1 cup (37 g), dry, no milk | 13 g | 140 | 9.3 | #106 | — | — | label |
| 8 | Magic Spoon Protein Cereal – Blueberry Muffin about 1 cup (38 g), dry, no milk | 13 g | 150 | 8.7 | #110 | — | — | label |
| 9 | Kodiak Homestyle Power Waffles 2 waffles (70 g) | 16 g | 210 | 7.6 | #113 | — | — | label |
| 10 | Kodiak Chocolate Chip Thick & Fluffy Power Waffles 1 waffle (70 g) | 10 g | 230 | 4.3 | #138 | — | — | label |
What stands out
Pouches lead. StarKist's tuna and chicken pouches take the top three spots, led by StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) (24.3), the #1 product on our whole leaderboard.
Protein pasta is the big-serving pick. Legendary Foods Protein Pasta Plus – Mac & Cheese (47g) has 47 g per cup for 290 calories (16.2), the most protein in this group and the second-highest single-serving total on the site.
Cereal and waffles trail. Magic Spoon lands at 8.7–9.3, and Kodiak's two waffles differ a lot: 7.6 for Homestyle vs 4.3 for Chocolate Chip Thick & Fluffy.
How to use this list
- Per calorie vs per serving: two light tuna pouches would be 34 g of protein for 140 calories; one Pasta Plus serving is 47 g for 290. Pouches win on efficiency, pasta on a single big serving.
- Price: only the two StarKist tuna pouches have a confirmed price so far ($0.90 and $2.06 a pouch, from Amazon listings).
- Breakfast boxes vary: Kodiak's Homestyle waffles have 6 g more protein than the Chocolate Chip Thick & Fluffy for 20 fewer calories, so check which box you buy.
Want to cook with these? See our high-protein recipes, or for breakfast, high-protein breakfast picks.
Caveats
Magic Spoon numbers are for dry cereal without milk; protein pasta is per cup as Legendary lists it. Numbers come from each brand's or restaurant's published nutrition info, linked in the table, and can change. Flavors with identical label numbers are grouped into one row. We track 143 products, not every product on the market, so a missing product isn't a verdict on it. We rank by protein per calorie only and don't track sugar, fat, sodium or ingredients. General information, not dietary advice.
See all 143 products on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.