My children would be thrilled to survive on carbs and fruit alone with the occasional pepperoni pizza topping or hamburger. Packing protein into their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners often requires a certain level of sneakiness and lots of experimentation. I’ve found a handful of grocery store staples that can easily transform carb-heavy foods into protein-fueled meals my kids will actually eat.

Whether I need to bang out a filling breakfast, grab a healthy on-the-go snack before heading to a Little League game, or whip up an easy weeknight dinner, these high-protein ingredients save me from stressing.

The bonus is that they’re also versatile. While snacks like protein bars and meat sticks can be helpful, my kids also tire of them quickly. I love that I can use each of these items as a stepping stone to create all sorts of things, ranging from snacks to dinners.

Kodiak Protein-Packed Power Cakes Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix

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Kodiak Cakes makes it easy to transform simple pancakes and waffles into a protein-fueled breakfast, but you can easily layer in more protein-packed ingredients by adding milk instead of water to the mix (18g of protein) and stirring in an egg (21g of protein). The brand makes all sorts of flavors, but we tend to grab the buttermilk version at Costco so that we can customize our pancakes by adding peanut powder, Nutella, chocolate chips, bananas, blueberries, etc. They also make frozen waffles, which my kids like to snack on straight from the freezer.

PB2 Pure Peanut Powder

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I love that PB2 Pure Peanut Powder delivers the flavor and protein payoff of peanut butter without the sugar, salt, oils, or weird fillers and that it’s easy to dump into pancakes, smoothies, oatmeal, and muffins. I hate having to battle with the consistency of peanut butter, which always tends to cling to the bottom of my blender. I also prefer to control the amount of salt and tend to swap pure maple syrup for sugar when I can.

Trader Joe’s Organic Chicken Bone Broth

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Bone broths can get pricey, but Trader Joe’s Organic Chicken Bone Broth is an affordable option that I like to keep in my pantry. It offers 10g of protein per serving and is perfect for making bone broth mac and cheese. My youngest enjoys eating peas (my oldest can’t stand them), so I place a handful of frozen peas into a glass measuring cup and zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds to top off his mac and cheese with extra protein. I also like to swap bone broth for water when I make rice for an extra flavor and protein boost.

Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels

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When I need to get something hearty into my kids quickly—whether it’s a rushed breakfast, packed lunch, or a snack on the go—bagels are a safe choice I know they’ll eat. Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels have 12g of protein, plus whatever you’re getting from the addition of cream cheese. If your kiddo will tolerate it, try swapping cottage cheese for cream cheese for an even bigger protein pay off. I can often get away with this if I serve the bagel open-face style and bury the cottage cheese under slices of avocado. I also appreciate that these bagels freeze well—after popping them in the toaster, you can’t tell they were ever frozen.

Good Culture Cottage Cheese

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I know everyone is seemingly cottage-cheese crazy right now, but now that I’ve found a brand I like, I understand the obsession. Good Culture Cottage Cheese offers 14g of protein, is thicker and creamier than others I’ve tried, packs in live and active cultures, and doesn’t have gums, carrageenan, preservatives or added hormones. If I’m spreading it on bagels, avocado toast, or eating it in a bowl drizzled with good olive oil and cracked black pepper, I’ll opt for this brand because I can taste the difference. That said, if I need a whole tub for cottage cheese pancakes or baked ziti, I’ll opt for more affordable versions that do the job. Since you can’t detect the cottage cheese in these recipes, the splurge doesn’t make as much sense for me as it does when cottage cheese is the main star.

Banza Chickpea Pasta

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I’m going to be honest with you, gluten-free pasta is a tough one for me, but my kids will happily eat it Banza Pasta and the amount of protein per serving is impressive. It also includes four times the amount of fiber that traditional pastas offer. My oldest goes through phases where the only kind of pasta he wants is plain pasta with butter and parmesan. No red sauce, no veggies, no meat. When that happens, I know that this will at least provide a stress-free way for him to eat exactly what he wants while still getting some protein and fiber out of the meal. They also make all sorts of pasta shapes, so you can experiment with the one your child likes best.