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Protein Snack Boxes – Convenient or Costly?
January 13, 2020 | Human Sciences Extension and Outreach
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.
