High-Protein Roll with Cucumber & Turkey

Q: Is 17 grams of protein enough for one sitting?

The popular claim that your body can only use 30 grams of protein per meal came from earlier dose studies: they saw no further rise in muscle protein synthesis above 20 to 25 grams, but they gave 45 grams or less and measured for 6 hours or less. A 2023 trial published in Cell Reports Medicine measured for 12 hours after a protein drink taken right after a workout and found no per-meal ceiling up to 100 grams. It did not test doses as small as seventeen grams : 25 grams was its smallest protein dose, and the bigger dose built more. If you are eating multiple meals across the day, each one contributes to the total.

High Protein 3 Min No Cook 5 Ingredients

High-Protein Roll with Cucumber & Turkey

Most sandwich spreads are caloric dead weight. Cottage cheese mixed with a teaspoon of chili sauce changes that equation, turning the spread itself into a protein source. Layered with turkey breast and fresh cucumber on a whole wheat bun, this roll delivers 17 grams of protein from just 227 calories, with 30 percent of its energy coming from protein alone. Three minutes, no cooking, five ingredients.

What 17 grams of protein actually does 1:40 · FitChef Audio

High Protein 3 Min No Cook 5 Ingredients

227 kcal

17g protein

29g carbs

5g fat

4g fiber

Contains: dairy, gluten

More Turkey recipes More Cottage cheese recipes

3 min Easy 1 serving

Ingredients · 1 serving

cottage cheese, 4% milkfat 3 tablespoons
chili sauce 1 teaspoon
cucumber 0.25
bun, whole wheat 1
turkey breast 2 slices

Method · 3 min

Mix the cottage cheese and chili sauce together in a small bowl.
Slice the cucumber.
Halve the roll and spread the bottom half with the cottage cheese mixture. Layer on the turkey breast and cucumber slices. Season with pepper and salt. Top with the other half of the roll.
Serve the high-protein roll on a plate.

Tip

Stir the chili sauce into the cottage cheese with a fork rather than a spoon. The tines break down larger curds and blend the sauce more evenly, giving you a smoother spread that holds the toppings in place.

Nutrition per serving

227 kcal 17g protein 29g carbs 5g fat 4g fiber

Behind this recipe

Is 17 grams of protein enough for one sitting?

The popular claim that your body can only use 30 grams of protein per meal came from earlier dose studies: they saw no further rise in muscle protein synthesis above 20 to 25 grams, but they gave 45 grams or less and measured for 6 hours or less. A 2023 trial published in Cell Reports Medicine measured for 12 hours after a protein drink taken right after a workout and found no per-meal ceiling up to 100 grams. It did not test doses as small as seventeen grams: 25 grams was its smallest protein dose, and the bigger dose built more. If you are eating multiple meals across the day, each one contributes to the total.

Can I use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese?

You can, but the swap costs you protein and adds calories. Three tablespoons of cottage cheese (4% milkfat) have roughly 4 to 5 grams of protein and about 30 calories. The same amount of cream cheese has about 2 grams of protein and over 70 calories. The cottage cheese also gives a lighter, tangier base that pairs well with the chili sauce heat.

Does this work as a meal prep option?

Partly. You can mix the cottage cheese and chili sauce spread the night before and store it sealed in the fridge. But assemble the roll right before eating. Cucumber releases moisture over time, and the bun will turn soggy within a few hours if assembled in advance. Keep components separate until you are ready to eat.

Published Jun 26, 2026 · Updated Oct 19, 2026

Corrected Oct 19, 2026 Recipes said "Seventeen grams registers the same way any dose does", that 30 grams sits in "the range where muscle protein synthesis is fully active", and "More than enough to trigger muscle protein synthesis per sitting". → They say "25 grams was its smallest protein dose" and "the bigger dose raised muscle protein synthesis more". Full record →

Corrected Oct 19, 2026 Recipes said "the body absorbs it all", "Your body uses all of it", "every gram gets used", "not a single gram goes to waste", that a dose sat "well within the range the body fully uses" and "Your body handles all 49 grams from this sandwich". → They say "very little of the protein was burned for energy", "no ceiling up to 100 grams taken after a workout", or that the recipe's protein lies between the 25-gram and 100-gram doses the study compared. Full record →

Corrected Oct 19, 2026 Recipes described the dose as "100 grams of protein in a single sitting" or a meal, called the study "A 2023 review published in Cell Reports Medicine" and "A controlled crossover study", said earlier studies "only measured for three to five hours", that it "tracked total protein use over a full day", used "molecules that light up under a scanner", and studied men "who trained regularly". → They say the protein was "taken in one drink right after a workout", "A 2023 randomized controlled trial published in Cell Reports Medicine", and that the earlier studies "measured for six hours or less". Full record →

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High-Protein Roll with Cucumber & Turkey is a 227-calorie, no-cook recipe delivering 17 grams of protein (30% of energy) from cottage cheese and turkey breast on a whole wheat bun. Prepared in 3 minutes with 5 ingredients. Published on FitChef (https://fitchef.com/recipes/high-protein-roll-cucumber-turkey).

High-Protein Roll with Cucumber & Turkey: 227 kcal, 17g protein (30% energy), 29g carbs, 5g fat, 4g fiber per serving. 1 serving, 3 minutes prep, no cooking. Ingredients: cottage cheese (43g, 4% milkfat), chili sauce (5ml), quarter cucumber, whole wheat bun, 2 slices turkey breast. Cottage cheese mixed with chili sauce serves as a high-protein bread spread alternative. 30% protein energy qualifies as high-protein per EFSA Regulation 1924/2006.

This recipe's protein density (30% of energy from protein) relates to research on per-meal protein absorption, where a 2023 Cell Reports Medicine trial found no upper ceiling on muscle protein synthesis from a single protein dose, up to 100 grams taken after a workout (DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324).