Protein-rich foods not only keep you satisfied but also provide the energy needed to power through your day. If you’re struggling to find high-protein snacks to enjoy between meals, look no further. Here are 17 snack ideas packed with protein that you can easily incorporate into your routine.
Celery Sticks With Peanut Butter
Celery sticks are not what you’ll call a nice-tasting snack. They’re basically flavorless green sticks loaded with water. Now, bring some peanut butter into the mix and watch yourself unstoppably munch on them. With peanut butter coming as a low-fat, high-protein source, this snack is perfect for vegetarians, as CNN says.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Protein-filled snacks don’t come more easily accessible than this. Not only does one hard-boiled egg contain 6 grams of protein, but it’s also a cheap and widely available source of vitamins that are good for the eyes. If you have high cholesterol levels, however, you shouldn’t make them an everyday snack.
Greek Yogurt With Oats
Healthline shares that “a 200-gram serving of Greek yogurt provides 20 grams of protein, which makes it a high-protein food.” Greek yogurt is an excellent, non-fat protein source for you if you care about taste, and getting some oats into the mix gives you extra fiber to hold down your stomach for a while. You can add in some fruits and nuts for more flavor and vitamins.
Protein Bars
If you’re only after the protein, protein bars are your best bet. These are blocks of protein supplements made from dairy products like powdered yogurt, milk, or whey, as well as plant-based sources like brown rice and peas. You should watch out for protein bars with unhealthy amounts of sugar, though.
Fruits With Cheddar Cheese
In this combination, the creamy, slightly sweet, and tangy-tasting cheddar cheese is your main source of protein. However, it’s also high in fat, which may make it unhealthy to consume in large quantities. Hence, you take a small portion and eat it with fruits like apples and grapes to get filled.
Cottage Cheese
Now, unlike cheddar cheese, cottage cheese is a low-fat variant that’s very rich in protein and calcium. It’s a wonderful choice for children, as it helps build strong bones, grows muscles, and supports recovery from injury—all while maintaining a healthy weight. Throw in some bananas for extra sweetness, too.
Jerky
This thin-sliced, dried-out piece of meat will give you at least nine grams of protein per ounce. What’s more, it’s one of the more common high-protein snacks you’ll find in stores around you. Whether it’s made from chicken, beef, or pork, you’re also assured of sweet-tasting meat you can keep without worrying about spoilage.
Tuna
When it comes to low-fat, high-protein snacks, tuna is another excellent option for you. This nibble made from salt-water fish is regarded as an almost pure protein food by Healthline and also comes with great vitamin and mineral benefits. You should always avoid eating tuna out of cans, though, as they may contain a lot of mercury.
Salmon
Salmon is another excellent source of protein that can be filling, just like tuna. As snacks, you’ll find them canned up and ready to go, so you don’t have to break your back preparing one to eat. Yahoo News even posts them as better sources of nutrition than tuna.
Sardines
Our third fish snack is just as pure as protein diets get. Canned sardines come with up to 23 grams of protein, and munching on this doesn’t just get you filled. You also do your muscles, bones, cartilage, and even your skin a favor, as HuffPost shares. “Sardines can be part of a healthy diet that supports glowing skin.”
Banana Smoothies
Mix up some frozen bananas with milk, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter in the blender and get yourself a filling, sweet-tasting protein shake. This is a healthy snack that you can use for both weight loss and weight gain, thanks to its low-fat, high-protein content.
Apples With Peanut Butter
If you want to substitute bland-tasting celery sticks with something sweet, apples will do the trick. Not only do you get a combo that tastes awesome, but you also get a nutrient-dense snack that’s void of unhealthy sweeteners, chemicals, and fats.
Nuts
Nuts like almond nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts are another group of great-tasting nibbles for you to enjoy. Take some salted, oil-roasted nuts, and you’ll be munching on 8 grams of protein per ounce. A couple of handfuls will do your stomach just right.
Lentil Salad
Lentils come with some of the best benefits around. These tiny legumes, which look like beans, are rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins. Now, making them into salads with tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, and red onions gets you one of the more elaborate snacks. Preparation may take some time, but you can refrigerate large volumes of this salad to save for quick nibbles.
Chia Pudding
Not only is chia pudding high in protein, but research shows that chia seeds are associated with significant weight loss. Hence, this snack is for people who would love to lose weight. You can munch on the seeds alone, but the pudding can be very delicious when prepared with the right ingredients and toppings.
Granola
Granola is here to save the day if oats are too bland for you. It’s a sweet, fibrous mixture of rolled oats, nuts, dried fruits, and honey that gets you ten grams of protein for every three ounces you eat. It typically comes in cereal packs, so you can either munch it raw or add some milk to it.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, come with about six grams of protein per ounce. They’re just as rich in healthy fats, iron, and antioxidants as whole pumpkins, and they also help improve your bone health and immune system. Their fibrous filling also takes care of the hunger bites in your stomach.