You are indeed expecting too much, the only foods that reach >80% protein are protein isolates AFAIK.

So just buy a tub of whey.

You are looking for 5cal/1g protein. That is basically pure protein powder.

You won’t find a bar that can do that, just not possible. Shakes can, so that is an option.

I truly have come to like the Met-Rx bars. 300-400 calories, 30-32g protein and some carbs for fuel as well. They are somewhat filling and count as a full meal-replacement food.

As for shakes, I just focus on cost. And Costco frequently has the Nurri brand on sale, for just over $1 per can, at 30g per can.

Just drink a protein shake because the way they make these protein bars.. it’s really hard to meet the parameters you’re looking for. I have been meal prepping and subbing ingredients low cal high protein for 6 years and have yet to come across something with these macros. Not even a chicken breast lol

No such thing.

Tin of tuna

Canned tuna I believe is 23 g of protein for like a hundred or 120 calories

You're basically hunting for flavored cardboard because 20g protein per 100kcal is pure isolate territory. Sugar-free biltong or tuna pouches are the only shelf-stable options that come close, so stop looking for magic cookies.

Can of tuna in water

There are protein snacks you can buy at stores, thinks like pretzels with protein in then. Most are terrible. Canned fish works but good luck not getting sick of that. Probably best might be packages of tuna where you add mayo+crackers.

Overall though if you need shelfstable food that has some protein, then I think oats are considered the best option. Oatmeal has really balanced macros, so instant oatmeal is probably your best option in a pinch.

Canned tuna

Yup, the only thing I know of that actually tastes good is lean dried meat, like moose, reindeer or fish. Very expensive to buy if you don't do it yourself. Look up norwegian dried fish.

I agree with others. You’re going to need to just rely on whey powder, ideally whey isolate. I don’t know if there’s any protein bar or other snack out there that has at least 20 grams per 100 calories, I know David bars have among the best protein to calories ratio of all protein bars, but I think even those aren’t going to meet your requirement.

You could also use canned or packeted tuna or salmon. If you go this route and eat shelf stable fish often, be sure to choose a brand like Safe Catch that’s mercury tested.

I make my own, single ingredient protein bars. (Chicken breast)

can of tuna

I eat roasted edamame as a hunger killing snack. There's flavored and unflavored (just salted) available in pretty affordable bulk on most manor websites like amazon and walmart. It's not quite 20g protein per 100 cal, but it's generally 10g protein per 100 cal and for me that's good enough. For 20g per 100, you either need like cooked prepped meat (like canned fish or dried squid) or processed protein, I think.

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There are a lot of “protein” fortified snacks out there these days but they usually taste awful and the protein content is usually kinda low. Kodiak brand products are alright though.

Special K Protein cereal and Wheaties Protein cereal were my go-to snacks as they both boasted 20+ grams of protein per cup, but both were taken off the market.

The only other protein cereals on the market are Premier Protein, which tastes like shit and has the mouthfeel of wood chips. Magic Spoon is way too expensive. Ghost cereal (which I can only find at Target) is alright, but not great either.

I feel like most protein fortified food now is a gimmick for occasional gym-goers and “health conscious” soccer moms. There’s not much out there aimed directly at weightlifters and bodybuilders. Just gotta go with protein powders, chicken breasts, and other animal based foods.

Sardines. The skinless and boneless ones are tolerable and if you drain the olive oil you can approach this calorie/protein ratio. Sardines are a lot healthier than consuming a lot of tuna due to their lower mercury content. Sardines also have a lot of omegas. Mix it with some cottage cheese or Greek yogurt and some seasoning for a nice tuna salad replacement. Works out to be about 30-40g per serving.

protein is 4 calories per gram, so 20 grams is 80 calories. If 80 calories out of 100 are protein, what would the rest of the bar even be made of?

Shrimps (21,5g protein)

The whole point of beef jerky is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated. I mean if you did a big batch at home then sure refrigerate that, but you don't have to keep it refrigerated the day of.

There's also dehydrated cheese snacks but they're very expensive and less protein than what you're looking for (I see "Moon Cheese" has 11g protein per 190 cals). Unless you make your own from low-fat cheese I guess. Those products are usually meant for hikers so they do seek to pack some calories.

Jack's links jerky works for me.

20g of protein is 80 kcal alone.

Shelf-stable? Only whey protein is able to do that.

There are no whole-food items that can sit in room temperature without going bad. Protein bars is close, but the best you can get is probably 10g of protein per 100 calories.

Best whole-food items are things like lean chicken, egg whites, and low-fat Greek yoghurt. After that you get canned tuna in water, shrimp, and lean white fish. There are also some lean beef cuts, but they’re really tough to eat as steaks and are best used in stews.

On the vegan/vegetarian side, the options are even worse. Soy protein isolate can hit 20g of protein per 100 calories, but there are no whole-food items that can even get close.

Whey protein (isolate or hydroslate), lean dried meats (such as biltong) or canned tuna.

That's pretty much it. Or just pack whatever non shelf-stable option you enjoy in a cooler bag with an ice pack.