High protein smash recipes: make once, eat all week
If you already know you should be eating more protein but end up grabbing whatever’s easiest at 1pm, this fixes that. Eighteen high protein smashes, regular, vegetarian and vegan, that take five minutes to make on a Sunday and turn into proper, filling lunches all week without a single extra decision.
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You know protein matters. Fitting it in is the hard part.
When clients tell me they’re “eating well” but still struggling with hunger, cravings, or the 3pm slump, protein is very often the missing piece. Not because they don’t know it matters, but because it’s genuinely hard to hit consistently when life is busy.
These smashes exist because the problem was never knowledge. It was friction.
- Lunch defaults to whatever’s quickest, which usually isn’t the most filling or nutritious option
- Meal prepping feels like a whole project, so it never actually happens
- Shop-bought high protein lunches add up fast and often aren’t that exciting
- Hitting a protein target feels achievable at dinner but falls apart earlier in the day
- Decision fatigue by lunchtime means you eat whatever needs the least thought
Twenty minutes on a Sunday solves all five of these at once.
This isn’t a discipline problem. It’s a system problem.
Protein keeps you fuller, for longer
Gram for gram, protein beats carbs or fat for stopping the mid-afternoon crash before it starts.
Matters more from your 30s onwards
Muscle mass declines with age, faster through perimenopause. Protein is one of the few things you control here.
Make it once, forget it all week
Nothing left to plan or cook at lunchtime, exactly when decision fatigue is highest.
One batch. Five lunches. Zero decisions.
Which one are you making first?
One smash, used a dozen different ways
Something for everyone, six of each
5 to 10 minutes to make, stores 2 to 5 days, scoops straight into whatever you fancy that day.
Regular Recipes — meat and fish based
- 3 tins tuna in spring water, drained
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- Half a cucumber, diced small
- Squeeze of lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- Drain tuna thoroughly and add to a bowl
- Add Greek yoghurt, mustard and lemon
- Mix well then fold in spring onion and cucumber
- Season generously and refrigerate
- 400g cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 2 ripe avocados, mashed
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Small handful coriander
- Half a red onion, finely diced
- Salt, pepper, chilli flakes
- Shred cooked chicken into a large bowl
- Mash avocados and add to chicken
- Add lime, garlic, onion and coriander
- Mix well and season to taste
- 2 tins sardines in olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp capers, chopped
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- Black pepper, parsley
- Drain sardines and mash with a fork
- Add lemon juice and Greek yoghurt
- Fold in capers and spring onion
- Season well with black pepper
- 300g cooked king prawns
- 1 avocado, diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp sriracha or chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Sesame seeds, spring onion
- Roughly chop prawns if large
- Mix lime, sriracha and soy together
- Toss prawns and avocado in dressing
- Top with sesame seeds and spring onion
- 3 smoked mackerel fillets, skin removed
- 2 tbsp cream cheese or Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp horseradish sauce
- Juice of half a lemon
- Black pepper, fresh dill if available
- Flake mackerel into a bowl removing any bones
- Add cream cheese and horseradish
- Squeeze over lemon and mix well
- Season with black pepper
- 400g cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp hot sauce (Frank’s or similar)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- Celery stick, finely diced
- Shred cooked chicken into a bowl
- Mix yoghurt, hot sauce, garlic and paprika
- Toss chicken in the dressing
- Fold in spring onion and celery
I’m Tracey, a nutritional therapist in Nantwich, Cheshire
The Sunday smash is the single most effective habit I give almost every client. If it’s working for you already, that’s exactly the point.
If you’d like a plan built around your specific goals, The Well Fed Club is next, or book a free call if you’d rather talk it through.
Vegetarian Recipes — egg and dairy based
- 8 eggs, hard boiled
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- Salt, pepper, paprika
- Hard boil eggs for 9 minutes, cool and peel
- Roughly chop or use a fork to smash
- Mix in yoghurt, mustard and vinegar
- Fold in spring onions and season well
- 500g cottage cheese
- 2 roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Small handful fresh basil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Drain cottage cheese well
- Stir in paprika, olive oil and seasoning
- Fold in chopped peppers and basil
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- 300g feta cheese, crumbled
- 100g Greek yoghurt
- 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper, lemon zest
- Crumble feta into a bowl
- Mix in yoghurt and olive oil
- Fold in walnuts, oregano and lemon zest
- Season with black pepper only — feta is already salty
- 250g halloumi, grilled and diced
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- Small handful fresh basil
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
- Black pepper
- Grill halloumi slices until golden on both sides
- Dice and add to a bowl while warm
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, yoghurt and oil
- Roughly smash together and add basil
- 6 eggs, hard boiled
- Large handful spinach, wilted
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- Squeeze of lemon
- Nutmeg, salt, pepper
- Wilt spinach, squeeze out all moisture and chop
- Hard boil eggs, peel and roughly chop
- Mix yoghurt, lemon and seasoning
- Fold everything together gently
- 6 eggs, hard boiled
- 200g Greek yoghurt
- Half a cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh dill or mint
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- Hard boil eggs, cool and roughly chop
- Grate cucumber and squeeze out all moisture
- Mix yoghurt, garlic, lemon and herbs
- Fold in eggs and cucumber
Not sure how much protein you actually need?
The free protein calculator gives you a personal starting point in under a minute.
Vegan Recipes — fully plant-based
- 2 tins chickpeas, drained
- 3 tbsp tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin, salt, paprika
- Drain and roughly smash chickpeas with a fork — keep chunky
- Mix tahini, lemon, garlic and olive oil
- Combine with chickpeas
- Season with cumin and paprika
- 400g frozen edamame, defrosted
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 spring onions, sesame seeds
- Defrost edamame and smash roughly with a fork
- Mix miso, lime, sesame oil and ginger
- Combine with edamame
- Top with spring onion and sesame seeds
- 2 tins green lentils, drained
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Olive oil, salt, coriander
- Fry garlic in olive oil for 1 minute
- Add spices and cook 30 seconds
- Add lentils and tomatoes, simmer 5 minutes
- Roughly mash to a thick consistency
- 400g firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 3 roasted peppers from a jar
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Smoked paprika, garlic, salt
- Press tofu well and crumble into a bowl
- Finely chop peppers and tomatoes
- Add nutritional yeast, olive oil and spices
- Mix well and adjust seasoning
- 2 tins black beans, drained
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Half a red onion, finely diced
- Small bunch coriander, salt
- Drain beans and smash roughly with a fork
- Add lime juice, cumin and paprika
- Fold in red onion and coriander
- Season well and taste — add more lime if needed
- 2 tins cannellini beans, drained
- 6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt, pepper, chilli flakes
- Drain beans and smash roughly with a fork
- Stir in olive oil, garlic and rosemary
- Fold in sundried tomatoes and lemon
- Season well with salt, pepper and chilli
How working together looks
Free 15-minute call
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Consultation
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Your plan
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Ongoing support
Check-ins as habits stick and results show.
Wherever you’re based, this works the same
Based in Nantwich, Cheshire, working with clients across Cheshire and right across the UK. Every consultation is by video, so there’s no clinic to travel to, wherever you are.
Curious what a personalised plan could achieve for you specifically?
Book Your Free 15-Minute Call →Clients who’ve made small changes stick
“After trying every diet known to mankind and constantly repeating the same painful cycle of yo-yo dieting, by the age of 53 I’d almost given up. Tracey has been a breath of fresh air, no shakes, no calorie counting and most importantly, no restriction. The progress I have made goes far beyond losing weight, my sleep has improved significantly, I feel less stressed, and I have completely shifted my mindset.”
Joanne Hignett“If you are sitting on the fence wondering if Tracey can actually help you, then all I can say is ‘get off that fence!’ I have spent years trying to lose weight and eat healthily but my health and weight were getting worse. Since getting Tracey’s help I have lost 10lbs, without even trying, and my health has improved a lot.”
Linda SteeleHigh protein smashes, answered honestly
How much protein do I actually need?
It varies by body size, activity level and goals, so there’s no single number that fits everyone. My free protein calculator gives you a useful personal starting point, or a consultation can pin it down precisely for your situation.
Can I freeze these smashes?
Bean and lentil-based smashes (chickpea, black bean, white bean, spiced lentil) freeze well. Anything with fresh dairy, yoghurt, egg or avocado is best kept in the fridge and eaten within the storage window given, as freezing changes the texture.
Do I need to eat these exactly as written?
Not at all. Swap proteins, herbs and spices to what you have or prefer. The method and ratios matter more than sticking rigidly to the exact ingredient list.
I’m not sure how many grams of protein I need at each meal. Can you help?
Yes, this is exactly the kind of thing a personalised plan sorts out properly, rather than guessing from a generic online chart. It’s also free to start with a 15-minute call to talk it through.
Is this only for weight loss?
No. Clients use these for weight loss, muscle maintenance through perimenopause and menopause, simply feeling less hungry and less foggy in the afternoons, and just having lunch sorted without daily decision fatigue.
Should I get The Well Fed Club or book a free call?
They suit different people. The Well Fed Club is a self-guided £14.99 e-book for women who are done with dieting, no calorie counting or restriction, just an evidence-based approach to losing weight and keeping it off. A free 15-minute call is better if you want a plan built specifically around your own health history, symptoms and goals. Plenty of clients start with the book and book a call later, or the other way round, there’s no wrong order.
If I want more personalised support, are consultations done online or in person?
Entirely online. Every 1:1 consultation is delivered by video, so it works exactly the same whether you are in Cheshire or anywhere else in the UK.
Related resources
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