How to Add Protein to Salads: High Protein Salad Ideas to Boost Your Meal

Bagged salads come in clutch when you want something quick and healthy, but don’t have a whole lot of time (or desire) to work for it. They take all the most annoying parts of prep off your plate—like washing and chopping lettuce or whipping up a vinaigrette to perfection—so you can get to eating that much faster. Basically, they’d be the perfect lunch or dinnertime solution, if not for one kind of major shortcoming: A lot of options don’t deliver all that much protein.

Closeup view of poke bowl with salmon, edamame beans and vegetables

If you’re looking for high protein salad ideas to keep you full and satisfied, you’re in the right place.

Protein is key for feeling satisfied from one meal to the next, but this essential nutrient is often missing from bagged salad mixes, or only there in small amounts in the form of a smattering of nuts, cheese, or beans, Claire Shorenstein, RD, CSSD, tells SELF. You’ll get a few grams per serving from some of the most popular options, but that’s a far cry from the 15 to 20 grams per meal that most dietitians recommend.

The good news? All it takes is the right combo of ready-made ingredients to get the protein fix you need. That include everything from classic protein boosters like canned fish and pre-boiled eggs, to surprising picks like edamame and Baybel cheese (yes, you read that right), all of which serve up an extra 15 grams of protein or more from practically no extra effort. With these RD-recommended pairings, a satisfying lunch or dinner isn’t just possible—it’s in the bag.

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1) Tuna and Sunflower Seeds

1 single–serve packet of tuna + 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds = 16.5 g protein

Canned fish is a good option if you have access to a can opener, but an even simpler solution is taking advantage of one of the many pouches of tuna that are now widely available, says Shorenstein. They come in tons of different flavors that could suit a whole host of different salad styles—from a spicy Cajun offering that pairs well with a Tex-Mex-inspired mix to ginger-infused options that will complement an Asian-style slaw. What’s more, a single pouch delivers 15 grams all on its own, but you can take it even further by including a handful of sunflower seeds for a bit more protein plus a solid dose of healthy fats—and an irresistible crunch that complements the tender tuna oh so well.

2) Hard-Boiled Eggs and Chickpeas

2 hard-boiled eggs + ½ cup chickpeas = 17 g protein

What’s more, chickpeas are ready to eat straight out of the can, and provide five grams of fiber per one-half cup along with approximately the same amount of protein. Harbstreet enjoys this combo over a bed of romaine- or spinach-based bagged salads. “When paired with a creamy dressing, shredded cheese, and extra veggies, it’s reminiscent of a Cobb salad or chefs’ salad,” she explains.

3) Cooked Shrimp and Peanut Butter

3 ounces frozen, cooked shrimp + 1 tablespoon of peanut butter = 15.5 g protein

Sure, without context, this duo sure sounds like an odd one, but Harbstreet swears it’s better than it sounds, and not just because of its hefty combined protein count. Frozen, pre-cooked shrimp take just minutes in the microwave to prepare, and you have a handful of ways to make it a realistic lunchtime option. Keep a pack in the freezer at work and nuke as needed when you’re ready to eat. Don’t have those tools available to you when you’re on the clock? Take care of the task before leaving home and keep the shrimp in a separate container until it’s time to dine.

As for where the peanut butter fits in, look no further than your bagged salad’s dressing packet. With this combo, you’ll want to stick exclusively to Asian-inspired packages, because the flavors may feel a little off in another type of mix—but pair excellently with a sesame slaw or Asian chicken salad variety. Pour the sauce into a bowl along with the tablespoon of peanut butter and mix, mix, mix until it’s thoroughly combined. Dress your shrimp directly in the sauce to ensure they’re thoroughly coated, then heap onto a plate of greens and dig right in.

4) Babybel Cheese and Edamame

2 Babybel cheese rounds + ½ cup frozen edamame = 17 g protein

Yes, your favorite childhood cheese can be the ticket to a bagged salad with a higher protein count, but not by itself. Shorenstein says that pairing two Baybel cheeses with another protein-rich ingredient like edamame will kick it over that 15 gram threshold—and, believe it or not, those two foods complement each other surprisingly well. The creamy texture and subtle crunch from this pairing are equally well suited to Asian-style bagged salads as they are to Caesar or ranch-based options, so it’s all up to you where and how you use them.

The one catch here is that you will have to find a way to defrost the edamame before you’re able to add them to the mix. Microwaving them for a couple minutes is your best plan of action if you want to eat ASAP, but they’ll also arrive at the right temp by the time you plan to have lunch if you pack them with the rest of your salad in the morning before heading out.

5) Lentils and Walnuts

⅔ cup frozen, pre-cooked lentils + 1 ounce walnuts = 17 g protein

Lentils are time consuming to make from scratch, but opting for frozen, pre-cooked alternatives like those from Trader Joe’s allows you to reap the nutritional benefits of the legumes without the work, Rhyan Geiger, RDN, owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, tells SELF. She likes to eat this in tandem with walnuts and in a Mediterranean-style bagged salad mix, where the two ingredients complement the other flavors at play and greatly boost both the protein and fiber count.

Again, you’ll need access to a microwave to make this addition a reality, so save it for dinnertime if a tool like that isn’t available to you at your place of work. Or feel free to warm them up in advance—just be sure to keep them refrigerated once you get where you’re going so they don’t enter the temperature danger zone—the point in food safety lingo when food is at a greater risk of developing harmful bacteria.

6) Tofu and Almond Butter

3.5 ounces marinated tofu + 1 tablespoon melted almond butter = 17.5 g protein

Tofu is an excellent option for beefing up a bagged salad (without any actual meat), says Geiger, but which you choose is of the utmost importance. It’s great if you have the time to fry or bake it to crispy perfection, but a marinated version tastes great served raw and diced. It’s an ideal accompaniment for Asian-style salad mixes that contain ingredients like chopped cabbage and fried wonton strips, she explains.

You’ll get about 14 grams of protein from that addition alone, but you can put it past the 15-gram mark with just one tablespoon of almond butter, too. As with the peanut butter trick, you’ll want to incorporate it into the dressing provided by the bagged salad. Mix the two together in a bowl or add them both individually to your greens and take a bit of extra time to toss to ensure everything is thoroughly incorporated.

7) Black Beans and Feta

¾ cup canned black beans + ¼ cup feta = 15.5 g protein

This combo is about to become your new favorite way to make a Southwestern-style bagged salad both tastier and more filling, says Shorenstein. In addition to over 15 grams of protein, it’s also a standout in terms of fiber and fat—you’ll get roughly 8 grams of the former and six grams of the latter.

When it comes to how to prep them, you have a couple options, and which you choose will depend on what your schedule is like. Don’t mind spending a few minutes on extra prep? Drain and rinse the beans, then season them with a mix of spices like paprika, garlic or onion powder, and cumin. Short on time? Toss them in raw and let the dressing packet take care of seasoning your salad.

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