When I have patients who are trying to lose weight, I recommend that they increase their protein intake. It’s recommended that on average, women should eat about 46 grams of protein a day and men should eat 56 grams of protein a day. Not only does protein aid your muscles, but it keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Here are 20 of my favorite protein-packed snacks that I keep on hand all the time:
1. Hard-Boiled Eggs
I always keep some in my fridge for when I need a quick snack on the go. This is my favorite way to make them.
2. Cottage Cheese
Just 1/2 cup of cottage cheese packs 12.5 grams of protein, which is about 1/4 of what you need each day! Mix in some fruit (I love pineapple in my cottage cheese) to make it even more delicious.
3. No-Bake Cookie Protein Bars
These are my favorite snack of all time- they taste as good as a chocolate peanut butter cookie, but are loaded with protein!
4. Cheese Sticks
Channel your inner child and eat a cheesestick!
5. LaraBar Uber Roasted Nut Roll Bars
This is my favorite on-the-go snack. I keep a couple of these in my car and gym bag for when hunger hits. Each bar has 6 grams of protein.
6. Almonds
A handful of almonds can go a long way when it comes to protein! I love these 100 Calorie Almond packs – and when you buy them in bulk, they are so much cheaper!
7. Justin’s Almond Butter Squeeze Pack
Speaking of almonds, here they are butter form! I love having these in my pantry for a quick snack. I slice up an apple and my kids love to squeeze some of the almond butter on top.
8. Turkey Jerky (or beef jerky)
I love turkey jerky because it’s so high in protein, but low in fat, calories and carbs. I like these snack packs to help with portion control.
9. Roasted Soy Nuts
I know, I know . . . they sound way too healthy to taste good . . . but I promise you, they are delicious when they are roasted. And if you are daring, try the Wasabi Soy Nuts! I love them.
10. Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
The thing that I like about this smoothie is that it is packed with protein, but doesn’t have any protein powder added. It’s definitely one that my whole family loves. It makes a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or late night munchie.
11. Kind Bars
The thing that I like about these bars is that they are made with ingredients that I can pronounce, which means I know what is going into my body. Because of all the nuts in these bars, they are loaded with protein.
12. Kay’s Natural Protein Pretzel Sticks
1 serving has 120 calories and 12 grams of protein . . . and they are delicious! These are a good thing to keep in your desk at work.
13. Milk
Say what you will about milk, but it’s got a lot of protein. Sometimes I even splurge and let my kids get chocolate milk. #bestdadever
14. Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is the only kind of yogurt I eat these days (I prefer the Fage brand, but that’s just my opinion). I love using it in all my smoothies because it does have so much protein. You could also mix in a little honey with plain Greek yogurt to sweeten it up, or use it as a fruit dip.
15. Simply Protein Chips
If you need something to munch on, try these chips. They have 15 grams of protein per serving!
16. Hummus and Vegetables
Instead of dipping your vegetables in unhealthy salad dressing, try hummus! Each tablespoon of hummus has a little more than 1 gram of protein, plus tons of other healthy nutrients your body will thank you for. This is my favorite homemade hummus recipe. I love to dip carrots and celery in hummus.
17. Trail Mix
Nuts are an amazing source of protein, just be sure to watch your portion size (it’s easy to eat this stuff by the handful!). I love buying trail mix in individual serving sizes so that I know exactly how much to eat.
18. Roasted Edamame
This is another great snack to munch on. It’s also gluten-free, which is awesome for those who need that for their diet.
19. Ants on a Log (Peanut Butter and Celery)
One of your favorite childhood snacks is back- and it’s actually a high-protein snack! I recommend using a natural peanut butter so that you can cutout some of the sugar. Top it off with some raisins and you are good to go!
20. Meat and Cheese Roll-Ups
This is one that my kids love to do . . . at my local deli, I will purchase some sliced turkey (get it as thick or thin as you like) and then we will roll it up with a slice of cheese. It’s the perfect after-school (or after-work) snack that will power you through the rest of your day!
Do you have another favorite protein snack? I would love to have you share it in the comments below!
Be sure to check out these other great posts on Tone-and-Tighten:
30 Ways to Be More Active
5 Exercises You Should Do Everyday
How To Increase Your Metabolism
These snacks sound great
They’re perfect snacks to boost your protein without excess carbs and sugars! Hope you enjoy them, Jennifer!