Fuel your day with these 30 easy, high-protein snacks! Each snack packs 10–15 grams of protein to keep you full, energized, and satisfied between meals.
Looking for snack ideas that will actually keep you full? Choosing foods rich in protein is your best option! Protein offers several amazing benefits including keeping you fuller longer, boosting your metabolism, supporting muscle repair, and helping to keep your blood sugar in balance. Protein also helps curb cravings, maintain steady energy, and support muscle repair. Seems like a no brainer, right?!
Why Choose High-Protein Snacks?
- Stay fuller longer – Protein foods slow down digestion. This means that when you include them in your meals and snacks, you will stay full longer.
- Boost metabolism – The digestion and absorption process for protein requires more energy to complete than it does for carbohydrates and fats. By including protein rich foods in your diet your body will burn more calories than it would without them.
- Support muscle repair and building – When we eat protein rich foods, our bodies break them down into amino acids. These amino acids are essential for building and repairing all the muscles and tissues in our bodies.
- Balance blood sugar – Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (aka sugar) and absorbed into our blood stream to be used for energy. Sometimes the process can happen rapidly leading to a spike and drop in blood our blood sugar. When we include protein rich foods in our meals, it slows the digestion and apportion of carbohydrates down which in turn prevents rapids spikes and drops in our blood sugar.
How Much Protein do I need at snacks?
Everyone’s protein needs vary based on their body size, phase of life and activity level. If you would like help determining your specific protein needs, I’m happy to help! You can set up a telehealth visit with me through this link.
A good general guideline for protein intake, however, is to aim for around 20 to 40 grams of protein at each meal and 5 to 15 grams at each snack.
To make meeting your protein needs easier I created this list of 30, high-protein snack ideas. Each of these easy, high protein snacks contain between 10 to 15 grams of protein, making them an excellent choice for meeting your daily needs.
Without further ado, here they are:
30 Easy, High-Protein Snack Ideas
1. Greek Yogurt + Berries + Chia Seeds
Protein: ~12g
Mix 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries and 1 tsp chia seeds.
2. Turkey & Cheese Roll-Ups
Protein: ~13g
Roll 2 slices of turkey breast around 1 slice of cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Add cucumber strips for an extra crunch if desired.
3. Edamame with Sea Salt
Protein: ~12g
Steam 1 cup edamame, sprinkle with sea salt, and enjoy. This high protein snack idea is super easy and requires little to no effort.
4. Hard-Boiled Eggs + Fruit
Protein: ~12g
Pair 2 hard-boiled eggs with a fruit of choice.
5. Cottage Cheese + Pineapple
Protein: ~14g
Top ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup diced pineapple (or other fruit if desired).
6. Tuna Salad on Whole-Grain Crackers
Protein: ~15g
Mix 1 pouch (2.6 oz) tuna with light mayo or Greek yogurt; serve on 5–6 crackers.
7. Protein Smoothie
Protein: ~12g
Blend 1 cup cows milk or soy milk with 1 banana, and 1 tbsp peanut butter.
8. Peanut Butter on Rice Cakes
Protein: ~10g
Spread 2 tbsp peanut butter over 2 brown rice cakes.
9. Hummus + Veggie Sticks + Pita Chips
Protein: ~10g
Serve ½ cup hummus with carrots, cucumbers, and pita chips.
10. String Cheese + Roasted Chickpeas
Protein: ~12g
Pair 1 mozzarella string cheese with ½ cup roasted chickpeas.
11. Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Slices
Protein: ~13g
Top cucumber slices with 2 oz of smoked salmon and light cream cheese. Serve on a piece of whole grain toast if desired.
12. Precooked Chicken Strips + Dip
Protein: ~14g
Reheat 1.5oz of precooked chicken strips and eat with a low calorie dip.
13. Overnight Oats
Protein: ~12g
Mix ½ cup oats with 3/4 cup cows milk or soy milk. Add a splash of sweetener and fruit then refrigerate overnight. Make a few at a time in advance for an easy high protein snack on the run.
14. Black Bean Dip with Bell Pepper Strips
Protein: ~13g
Blend 1/2 cup black beans with 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt. Add lime juice, garlic, and spices; serve with peppers.
15. Egg Muffins
Protein: ~12g
Whisk 9 eggs then add spinach and 1/4 cup cheese. Pour into muffin tin then bake at 350 for 20-24 minutes. (makes 6 servings).
Looking for a more specific recipe, here is a delicious one that I love.
16. Jerky + Baby Carrots
Protein: ~15g
Choose 1.5 oz of low-sodium beef or turkey jerky and pair with carrots or other vegetables for extra vitamins and minerals.
17. Tofu Cubes with Soy Sauce & Sesame Seeds (Vegan)
Protein: ~14g
Pan-sear 4 oz of firm tofu, drizzle with soy sauce (or other sauce) then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
18. Lentil Soup Cup
Protein: ~11g
Heat 1 cup lentil soup for a warm, hearty snack.
You can buy premade lentil soup or make a big batch and freeze it into portions. This lentil soup recipe is delicious and provides 15 grams of protein per serving.
19. Protein Pancakes (Make-Ahead)
Protein: ~14g
Make pancakes using a premade protein mix like this one or this one. Or make your own protein pancakes by following a recipe like this one.
20. Apple Slices + Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip
Protein: ~10g
Mix 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp honey. Eat as a dip with a sliced apple.
21. Shrimp Cocktail Cups
Protein: ~14g
Eat 2 oz of cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce.
22. Egg & Avocado Toast
Protein: ~11g
Top 1 piece of whole-grain toast with mashed avocado and a fried or boiled egg.
23. Protein-Boosted Hot Chocolate
Protein: ~12g
Mix 1 scoop chocolate protein powder into hot milk.
24. Ricotta Cheese with Fresh Fruit
Protein: ~13g
Spoon ½ cup part-skim ricotta into a bowl and top with sliced strawberries or peaches.
25. Pita Pocket with Turkey
Protein: ~14g
Fill half a pita with 2 oz of turkey slices, spinach, and mustard or hummus.
26. Almond Butter + Banana Wrap
Protein: ~12g
Spread 2 tbsp almond butter on a whole grain tortilla, add banana slices, roll up.
27. Protein Mac and Cheese
Protein: ~14g
Make a higher protein mac and cheese by swapping out the regular noodles for higher protein noodle that are made out of bean or lentil flour like this one or this one or this one.
For a specific recipe that can be easily frozen into individual portion try this one that is on repeat at our house.
28. High-Protein Cereal & Milk
Protein: ~11g
Serve a cereal that contains 5 grams of protein or more per serving with 3/4 cup of cows milk or soy milk. Some cereals that provide 5 grams of protein per serving include: Oatmeal Squares, Shredded Wheat, and Cheerios.
29. Baked Falafel Balls + Greek Yogurt Dip (Vegetarian)
Protein: ~12g
Pair 2 oz of falafel with a dip made out of 1/4 cup Greek yogurt mixed with lemon and dill. You can make your own Falafel following a recipe like this one. Make a full batch then freeze the extras for an easy, high-protein snack in the future.
30. Chia Pudding
Protein: ~12g
Mix 2 tbsp chia seeds with 1 cup soy milk or cows milk and a drizzle of maple syrup. Refrigerate overnight, then enjoy. You can also make an even higher protein version using Greek yogurt like they did in this recipe.
My final thoughts on this post for 30, Easy high protein snacks
I hope you find these 30, Easy high protein snacks helpful in meeting your protein needs. If you have more ideas, I’d love to hear them! Drop them in the comment section below.
As always, remember that eating is never meant to be perfect. Not every snack you eat needs to be a high-protein snack. Aim to include them when possible, but continue enjoying those times when you don’t.
Have a great day!
