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30 Minutes or Less

High Protein Snack Boxes (4 ways!)

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Back to basics high protein snack box with fresh strawberries, boiled eggs, cheese, and almonds.

I’ve been itching to develop more high protein snack recipes. So when I set out to create these snack boxes, I knew just who to call! My friend Natalia (find her on Instagram as @nutritionbynarlie) is the protein QUEEN. She’s also the most knowledgable person I know when it comes to nutrition. She helped me build the most well-rounded, nutrient dense, and high protein snack boxes possible. Each of these boxes contain a whopping 25 grams of protein! And don’t worry, we personally taste-tested every single box, and can vouch for their deliciousness. I really think you’re going to LOVE these high protein snack boxes that we put together!

overhead image of all four high protein snack boxes, each containing 25 grams of protein.

I purchased these meal prep glass containers on Amazon, linked HERE!

Which High Protein Snack Box is Right For You?

Back to Basics: This classic combination is simple yet effective. Boiled eggs provide a substantial protein boost, while almonds and cheddar cheese add extra protein and healthy fats. The berries offer a refreshing burst of antioxidants and natural sweetness.

Greek: Inspired by Greek cuisine, this box features salami and feta cheese for a savory protein punch. Greek yogurt pairs perfectly with cucumber and dill for a refreshing snack, while pistachios and figs add a delightful mix of crunch and sweetness.

American: This American-themed box combines turkey, Swiss cheese, and a pickle for a flavorful and protein-packed roll-up. The kettle corn popcorn and peanuts bring a nostalgic Crackerjack vibe, while the orange slices add a citrusy zing!

Dairy-Free: For those avoiding dairy, this box offers a delicious mix of hummus with gluten-free crackers, salami, turkey, almonds, and apple slices. It’s a well-rounded option that doesn’t compromise on flavor or nutrition!

back to basics high protein snack box
greek themed high protein snack box
american themed high protein snack box
dairy-free high protein snack box

Tips and Tricks

  • Save time during the week by preparing your high-protein snacks in advance. Boil eggs, slice veggies, and portion out nuts and cheese on the weekend so you can easily assemble your snack boxes each morning.
  • Keep things interesting by rotating different protein sources and accompaniments. This prevents snack fatigue and ensures you’re getting a range of nutrients.
  • Use small containers or silicone muffin cups to portion out your snacks. This helps you keep track of serving sizes and prevents overeating.
hand holding up Greek themed high protein snack box

Additional High Protein Snack Ideas

Looking to switch things up? Here are some other high-protein snacks that can be swapped into your boxes:

Cottage Cheese: A ½ cup serving contains about 14 grams of protein.
Protein Bars: Choose bars with at least 10 grams of protein and minimal added sugars.
Jerky: Beef, turkey, or chicken jerky provides a portable protein punch, with about 10 grams of protein per ounce.
Edamame: One cup of edamame contains about 17 grams of protein, making it a fantastic plant-based option.
Tuna Packs: A single serving tuna pack can offer up to 20 grams of protein, perfect for a quick and easy addition.

overhead image of the dairy-free high protein snack box
5 from 1 vote

High Protein Snack Boxes (4 ways!)

These high-protein snack boxes are perfectly balanced with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs, making them an ideal choice for anyone on the go. Each box contains a whopping 25 grams of protein, ensuring you stay fuller and more satisfied for longer. Whether you’re heading to work, school, or the gym, these snack boxes will keep you energized and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
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Ingredients

Back to Basics Snack Box

  • 2 boiled eggs
  • 1 ounce almonds
  • 1 ounce cheddar cheese, cubed
  • small handful fresh berries

Greek Snack Box

  • 3 slices salami, or Loza
  • 1 ounce feta cheese, cubed
  • 3 ounces Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1 ounce shelled pistachios
  • 2 figs, sliced in half

American Snack Box

  • 1 pickle
  • 1 ounce sliced turkey
  • 1 slice Swiss cheese
  • 1 ounce kettle corn popcorn
  • 1 ounce shelled peanuts
  • 1/2 orange, sliced

Dairy-Free Snack Box

  • 3 ounces hummus
  • 6-8 gluten-free crackers
  • 3 slices salami
  • 1 ounce sliced turkey
  • 1 ounce almonds
  • 1/2 apple, sliced

Instructions

  • Choose which snack box you’d like to make and prepare all ingredients.
  • Then, place ingredients into snack containers.
  • Seal the containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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30 Minutes or Less

Christmas Antipasto Wreath

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overhead image of antipasto wreath with fresh rosemary on a large plate.

On the lookout for a super easy Christmas appetizer? Look no further than this antipasto wreath! It’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Just a handful of ingredients, 15 minutes, and a little creativity is all you’ll need to make this holiday recipe.

close-up image of skewers on antipasto wreath.

What You’ll Need to Make an Antipasto Wreath

Small Skewers: The secret to the wreath’s charm! Opt for small skewers around 6-inches long to easily thread the delectable antipasto elements. I’ll link to the skewers I purchased on Amazon HERE.

Grape Tomatoes: These little bursts of freshness add a pop of color and flavor to each bite.

Mini Mozzarella Balls (Ciliegine): The cuteness factor is off the charts! These tiny mozzarella balls are the perfect size for our wreath.

Pitted Olives: A mix of green and black olives not only brings variety but also that signature antipasto briny-ness.

Salami: Roll up some savory slices of salami to add a hint of smokiness and a meaty touch.

antipasto wreath on a large plate with extra tomatoes, olives, and salami on the side.

Tips and Tricks

  • Mix and Match: Don’t be afraid to get creative with your antipasto selections. Add marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, or even pickled veggies to your wreath for extra variety.
  • Wreath Building 101: Start by threading grape tomatoes onto your skewers, then alternating between mozzarella balls, olives, and salami rolls. Continue until you’ve formed a wreath shape. You’re the artist – feel free to customize!
  • Make It Ahead: The beauty of the Antipasto Wreath lies in its simplicity and make-ahead magic. Prepare it a few hours before your gathering and store it in the fridge. When it’s time to impress, bring it out and watch your guests’ eyes light up.
overhead image of antipasto wreath with fresh rosemary on a large plate.
5 from 1 vote

Christmas Antipasto Wreath

On the lookout for a super easy Christmas appetizer? Look no further than this antipasto wreath! It’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Just a handful of ingredients, 15 minutes, and a little creativity is all you’ll need to make this holiday recipe.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 4 ounces sliced salami
  • 8 ounces mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine)
  • 1 cup pitted black and/or green olives
  • 6-inch skewers
  • fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

  • Thread the small skewers with a mix of grape tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, pitted olives, and folded salami slices.
  • Arrange the skewers in a circle around a large plate, creating the wreath shape. Play with the placement to make it visually appealing.
  • Slide a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary between the skewers for extra garnish.
  • If making ahead of time, cover antipasto wreath tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

There you have it – an Antipasto Wreath that’s not just a Christmas appetizer; it’s a work of art. Whether you’re hosting a festive gathering or looking to add a touch of holiday magic to your table, this wreath is ready to steal the show. So, gather your ingredients, channel your inner wreath artist, and let the holiday feasting begin!

More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love!

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30 Minutes or Less

La Scala Chopped Salad aka “The Kardashian Salad”

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close-up overhead image of la scala chopped salad

I found myself in a salad rut recently. While I LOVE my buffalo chicken salad, it was getting kinda old. So I switched things up this week and added this La Scala chopped salad into the rotation, along with another reader fave, the Jennifer Aniston salad. I simply assemble the salad, portion it into four containers, then store the dressing separately – and it’s been awesome having a quick and easy lunch ready to go every day of the week!

If it’s good enough for a Kardashian, then it’s good enough for me! That’s my motto when it comes to this salad. While I haven’t personally been able to try the original La Scala chopped salad, I scoured the internet for the exact ingredients and recipe to bring you this incredibly delicious replica. It’s fresh, crunchy, full of flavor, and super easy to make. I just know you’re going to love it!

overhead image of la scala chopped salad in a bowl with parmesan cheese on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make the La Scala Chopped Salad

Lettuce – Any crunchy lettuce will work! La Scala uses iceberg lettuce, but I prefer romaine (it has more flavor, in my opinion). Whatever lettuce you use, chop it into small pieces – just like La Scala does!

Chickpeas – Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then add to your salad. Chickpeas offer a nice bit of protein to this easy lunch recipe. However, if you don’t have chickpeas, feel free to use any white bean you’d like. Navy beans or cannelloni beans would also taste great!

Italian Salami – Chopped Italian salami adds so much flavor to La Scala’s chopped salad. I recommend using deli salami, and slicing it into strips. Or, you can buy a whole salami, then fully slice it yourself! For a vegetarian/meatless salad, simply leave the salami out.

Mozzarella Cheese – Fresh shredded mozzarella is best, but pre-shredded works as well!

dressing being poured over la scala chopped salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • To meal prep this salad, simply make the salad and divide it between four containers. Then, whisk together the dressing and store separately. When ready to eat, pour dressing over your salad and enjoy!
  • This La Scala chopped salad is gluten-free! However, if you want a little extra crunch, a small handful of croutons makes a delicious addition to this salad.
  • This “Kardashian” salad recipe is also great for a crowd! Toss together in a big bowl, then bring it to your next potluck or dinner party. Everyone will go crazy for this hearty and oh-so satisfying side dish!
la scala chopped salad in a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a completely plant-based La Scala salad, simply leave out the salami and swap the cheeses for your favorite vegan cheeses. I love Myoko’s Cashew Milk Mozzarella and Violife’s Vegan Parmesan Cheese!

Make it Dairy-Free: Similar to the vegan options, either swap out the cheeses for your favorite non-dairy cheeses, or leave them out of this salad recipe altogether.

close-up overhead image of la scala chopped salad
3.62 from 89 votes

La Scala Chopped Salad aka “The Kardashian Salad”

The La Scala chopped salad is widely known as a Kardashian favorite – and it’ll quickly become your favorite, too! Super quick and easy to make, with only a handful of simple ingredients. Make this famous Los Angeles salad at home in just 5 minutes.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 head lettuce, finely chopped (iceberg, romaine, etc.)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 pound Italian salami, chopped
  • 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Drizzle dressing over salad right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

5-Minute Antipasto Salad

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antipasto salad in a bowl with red wine on the side

This antipasto salad comes together in just 5 minutes! Quick, easy, and exploding with flavor. Loaded with healthy ingredients, and finished off with a 3-ingredient dressing. It’s also entirely gluten-free, with a dairy-free option!

close-up overhead image of antipasto salad on a plate with tomatoes on the side

What You’ll Need To Make Antipasto Salad

Romaine Lettuce – Fresh, crisp, and extra crunchy romaine is the perfect base to this Italian salad. Romaine is hearty, yet super mild, and won’t take away from all the other flavors we have going on in this dish. However, if you don’t have romaine, you can certainly use any other kind of lettuce you’d like. Some fresh arugula would also taste great!

Olives – Feel free to use a variety of your favorite olives in this antipasto salad! I used a combo of green and black olives, which were perfectly briny and delicious. I’ve also made this salad with marinated green olives and it was nothing short of exceptional! Also, if you don’t like olives (first of all, how?!), you can definitely leave them out of this salad altogether.

Salami – I added this Applegate Genoa Salami to my salad, but any brand/type of salami will work here. Smoked salami, spicy salami, thinly sliced salami, etc. will all taste amazing. You can even swap the salami for prosciutto, if that’s more your thing!

Red Wine Vinegar – Either red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar will blend perfectly into our 3-ingredient dressing. The tangy, sour vinegar brings out the abundance of savory flavors in this salad recipe. However, if you don’t have any vinegar on-hand, a tablespoon of lemon juice makes for a great substitution!

fork and spoon lifting antipasto salad out of a bowl

Tips and Tricks

  • This antipasto salad is basically a charcuterie board, served over lettuce. It’s got all the charcuterie things from cured meats to marinated veggies. Therefore, throw any and all of your favorite charcuterie fixings into this simple salad!
  • Make this an Italian-style pasta salad by replacing the lettuce with your favorite cooked pasta! And for a gluten-free pasta salad, use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead.
  • Because this salad holds up so well in the fridge, it’d make a great addition to your weekly meal prep! Simply portion out this salad into four servings, then store the dressing on the side. When ready to eat, remove your pre-portioned salad from the fridge and then dress- that’s it!
close-up image of antipasto salad

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan meal, leave out the pepperoni, salami, and mini mozzarella balls. You can also replace these three ingredients with your favorite vegan protein, such as chickpeas, white beans, or even lentils.

Make it Dairy-Free: Easily make this antipasto salad dairy-free by leaving out the mini mozzarella balls. I personally took this option and my salad was still insanely flavorful and delicious!

5-Minute Antipasto Salad

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

  • 12 ounces jarred artichoke hearts, quartered

  • 1 cup mixed olives, halved

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 pound salami, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained and sliced

  • 4 ounces sliced pepperoni

  • 1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped

  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 8 ounces fresh mini mozzarella balls, optional

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon red wine or white wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or serving platter.
  • Make the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over salad. Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)

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gluten-free pasta salad in a big bowl with a wooden spoon

This gluten-free pasta salad recipe will be on repeat all summer long! A quick and easy homemade Italian dressing is the cherry on top of this delicious dish. Make this simple gluten-free pasta salad for your next summer barbecue or party – everyone (including gluten-eaters) will love it!

gluten-free pasta salad in a big bowl with a wooden spoon

Pasta salad has always been my favorite part of every summer barbecue. Even as a child, I’d fill my paper plate to the brim with pasta salad and nothing else. There’s just something about a chilled pasta salad in the warm weather that is so light and fresh, yet satisfying. Most pasta salads contain both gluten and dairy, but making one without is surprisingly easy! I opted for brown rice pasta since it has the best taste and texture when chilled. And I simply left out the cheese while boosting the flavor of this dish in other ways to make up for it. This gluten AND dairy-free pasta salad won’t leave you feeling deprived, like at all. Enjoy this recipe as a side to virtually any meal, or if you’re like me – find the biggest plate you can, fill it up and eat it on its own!

What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

Gluten-Free Pasta – Brown rice pasta reigns supreme in both taste and texture. While you can definitely use whatever kind of gluten-free pasta you’d like for this recipe, I highly recommend you give brown rice pasta a try. And not just any brown rice pasta, I specifically recommend the Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals. I bought mine at Whole Foods, but have seen them at a variety of grocery stores. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a little while now, you know that I live and die by the Jovial Brown Rice pasta. However, when cold, Jovial brand pasta tends to get hard and chewy – which is not ideal for a pasta dish we plan on enjoying cold. Therefore, of all the gluten-free pasta brands I have experimented with for this gluten-free pasta salad recipe, I found Tinkyada to be the best!

Pepperoncini – We loooove pepperoncinis around here. I love having a jar in my fridge to add to any and all salads, while my boyfriend is obsessed with putting them on his sandwiches. If you’ve never had/heard of pepperoncinis (you’re missing out) they’re mildly spicy pickled peppers. Most commonly sold whole, you’ll want to slice them before adding them to your gluten-free pasta salad. If you’re sensitive to spice, I recommend slicing and using only the bottom half of the pepperoncinis. The closer to the stem you get, the hotter that part of the pepper will be.

Salami – Any kind of salami will work in this recipe! My only recommendation would be to avoid using thinly sliced salami. Try purchasing a whole salami and slicing into bite-sized pieces yourself. Feel free to go as big or as small with these pieces as you’d like.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Use chickpeas instead of salami, or just leave that part of the recipe out altogether!

Add Gluten: Feel free to use regular pasta instead of gluten-free pasta in this recipe.

Add Dairy: Throw a little mozzarella into this gluten-free pasta salad if you’d like.

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)
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Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

This gluten-free pasta salad recipe will be on repeat all summer long! A quick and easy homemade Italian dressing is the cherry on top of this delicious dish. Make this simple gluten-free pasta salad for your next summer barbecue or party – everyone (including gluten-eaters) will love it!

Ingredients

  • For the pasta salad:

  • 1 pound gluten-free pasta

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced

  • 1/2 cup black olives, sliced

  • 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced

  • 1 cup basil, chopped

  • 1 – 2 cups salami, chopped

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped

  • 1/2 tablespoon salt

  • 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • While pasta cooks, make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a jar, securing with a lid, and shaking to combine.
  • Let the pasta cool before adding all ingredients to a bowl and tossing together.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Apple Cider Vinegar: You can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar if you’d like.
  • Prep this gluten-free pasta salad ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving to give the flavors time to develop!

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