Plus tips for adding a good source of protein to your favorite snacks.
When you’re hungry between meals and need a truly satisfying snack, that snack needs to include protein. This doesn’t mean you need to get out the pots and pans, roast a turkey, or buy a fancy protein powder supplement every time you feel peckish. Simply adding in an easy, grabbable protein source—like nut butter, a boiled egg, or a cup of yogurt—to each snack will make that midday bite last and keep cravings and energy crashes at bay.
Related: The 9 Smartest, Healthiest Snacking Tips to Follow Every Day, According to Nutritionists
Why Eat High-Protein Snacks?
"Eating a snack that includes protein can help create feelings of fullness, stabilize blood sugar, and deliver a steady supply of energy to the body and the brain," says Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and author of The Fiber Effect. "Many grab-and-go snacks are high in processed carbohydrates and sugar, leaving you feeling hungry and depleted rather than satisfied and energized." She recommends snacks with unprocessed carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and healthy fats.
Healthy Protein Sources for Every Snack
When it comes to protein—a key macronutrient required to help fuel our bodies—we often think first of animal-based sources, like meat and eggs. While it’s absolutely true that animal protein foods are excellent, complete protein sources to include (if you eat meat and dairy, of course) for energy and satiety, they’re far from your only options! Tons of plants and plant-based foods contain plenty of hearty protein. What’s more, even if you’re a meat-eater, diversifying your protein sources by mixing in things like nuts, whole grains, seeds, beans, and even some fruits and veggies, provides you not only with protein, but with plant-specific nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory compounds (antioxidants!).
Here are the best high-protein snack food sources, both plant- and animal-based, to keep in mind, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025:
Lean meats
Poultry
Eggs
Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
Seafood
Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
Nuts and nut butters
Seeds and seed butters
Soy Products (tofu, edamame, tempeh)
Related: This Is How Much Protein to Aim for at Breakfast, According to RDs
How Much Protein Per Snack?
It’s ideal (but not required) to try to space your protein intake throughout the day for adequate fuel and energy. And since protein is readily available in so many foods, snack times are the perfect opportunity to work your way toward those daily protein needs. Don’t worry or fixate too much on counting grams or measuring portions—but a helpful goal to aim for is to make sure there’s at least 5 grams of protein per snack.
A great protein-boosting hack: Remember that even just swapping your usual white toast for 100% whole wheat or whole grain toast, for example, will provide a few bonus grams of protein, since non-refined, whole grains and grain products naturally include a bit more protein than refined, white grains do. If you’re focused on increasing your protein at snack times, small swaps like these can make a difference—and make each snack that much more satiating.
How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?
Every individual’s protein needs are different, dependent on factors like their lifestyle, activity level, age, and sex. Generally speaking, a basic formula to figure out how much protein your body needs per day is to multiply your current weight in kilograms by 0.8. Very active folks are recommended to eat even more protein, so can multiply their weight in kilograms by 1. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert to kilograms).
Related: How Much Is Too Much Protein—and How Can You Tell?
High-Protein Snack Ideas
Steamed Edamame
One of the best nutritional advantages of edamame, a.k.a. soybeans (and other soy products, like tofu), is that they're complete proteins. This means they contain all nine essential amino acids, a rarity among plant foods. One cup of edamame contains about 18 grams of protein! You can buy frozen edamame either shelled or in their pods for a super-quick and easy snack. Microwave to steam them or drop them in softly boiling water for a few minutes—then drain, sprinkle with sea salt, and enjoy.
Nowhere near a stove or microwave? Stock up on snack packs like Seapoint Farms Dry-Roasted Edamame. One serving size (one pack) delivers 20 grams of protein, so you can wave hanger goodbye.
Whole Wheat Toast With Nut Butter
One of the easiest ways to boost the protein content of your snacks is to add one or two tablespoons of your favorite nut butter. Two tablespoons of almond butter, for example, gets you close to 7 grams of protein—roughly what you'd get from eating one egg.
Related: These Are the 10 Best Nut and Seed Butters For a Protein Boost
Cottage Cheese Toast
Cottage cheese is having its comeback moment, and that means big things for snacking. This soft, mild, high-protein cheese is delicious paired with sweet snacks like jam, melon, grapes, and apple slices—but it's also tasty and satisfying with savory accompaniments. Spread cottage cheese on your favorite toast and top with sliced tomato, avocado, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and cracked black pepper. Or try finishing with chili oil, scallions, and lemon zest. One cup of low-fat cottage cheese provides 28 grams of protein, so this toast topper goes far to keep you full.
Related: 5 Ways to Cook With Cottage Cheese for More Protein, According to TikTok
Roasted Chickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a type of legume (well, technically a type of pulse, the seeds inside of a legume plant) that are extremely nutrient-dense—high in protein and fiber, but relatively low in fats. One cup of chickpeas delivers over 14 grams of protein. You may know chickpeas for their starring role in hummus (another top-choice snack dip), but they're also so delicious when roasted until crispy and seasoned with spices. (P.S. if you're sick of croutons, crispy chickpeas are a next-level salad topper!).
Oatmeal With Nuts and Fruit
Overnight Oats With Strawberries and Toasted Almonds
Oats are a star complex carbohydrate, bursting with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and, yes, a nice bit of protein. One cup of plain oatmeal cooked simply in water contains more than 5 grams of protein, which you can supplement further by adding milk, chopped nuts, a swipe of nut butter, hemp hearts, chia seeds, or even a poached egg.
Boiled Eggs
One large egg contains over 6 grams of protein. If you happen to be home with a few minutes to spare, boil yourself an egg or two for a simple, no-nonsense, high-protein bite to help you power through until your next full meal. You can also add them to reheated leftover rice or noodles, stack them on a piece a toast, or enjoy over a savory bowl of oatmeal.
No time to wait for the water to heat? Make a batch of boiled eggs—hard or jammy, however you like them—and keep them in the fridge for a week's worth of easy snacks, quick, meat-free dinners, or grab-and-go breakfasts. Store hard- or medium-boiled eggs, unpeeled, in an air-tight container for up to five days, and up to two days for soft-boiled.
Greek Yogurt With Granola and Berries
Yogurt is the perfect snack food, offering calcium, probiotics (gut-healthy bacteria), and lots of good protein. Greek yogurt, in particular, is very protein-packed, offering anywhere from 15 to 20 grams. Eating a single-serve cup of fa*ge 0% Plain Greek yogurt (5.3 ounces), for example, gets you 16 grams of protein. Add chopped nuts and granola for flavor, texture, sweetness, and even more protein, plus some fresh berries for vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
Tuna or Chicken Salad on Toast, Crackers, or Veggies
Tuna salad and chicken salad are high-protein lunch fixtures (22 grams of protein in 3 ounces of tuna; 26 grams of protein in 3 ounces of chicken breast). But you can also quell afternoon hunger with a few forkfuls of either. Eat it plain-Jane from the container or use whole wheat toast, seed crackers, apple slices, pickles, lettuce cups, cut veggies, or pita as a tasty scooping vehicle.
Protein-Packed Smoothie
Make your in-between-meal smoothies work even harder by incorporating solid protein sources. Some of our favorites include nuts/nut butter, oats, seeds, hemp hearts, Greek yogurt (regular yogurt and Skyr are great, too), cow's milk, and kefir.
This creamy mocha smoothie recipe makes one serving and includes a half cup of milk, plus one tablespoon of almond butter for a thick, caffeinated, just-sweet-enough sip that sneaks in around 7 grams of protein—not too shabby for what's basically a nutritious grown-up milkshake!
Anchovies or Tinned Fish on Toast
Smoked Sardine Toasts With Lemon Mayo
While this snack can be high in sodium (so maybe not great every day), eating tinned fish like sardines and anchovies on a slice of toast can feel like a flavorful, decadent midday feast that seriously delivers on lean protein and heart-healthy fats. A 3-ounce serving of sardines (about one tin) will get you close to 23 grams of protein. Even just eating two or three small sardines on a slice of whole wheat toast gets you somewhere over 9 grams of protein. Delish.
Hummus With Pita, Crackers, or Veggies
The humble chickpea is pretty amazing—a quick whirl in the food processor with garlic, lemon, olive oil, and tahini and it becomes creamy, dreamy, healthy hummus for dipping and spreading. Pita and sliced veggies are a perfectly good snack, but adding a serving of store-bought or homemade hummus provides a hit of plant protein for more staying power. Three tablespoons of hummus gets you close to 4 grams of protein—and eating it with seeded crackers or whole grain bread can help add a few more grams as well.
Labneh Dip
Labneh With Pink Peppercorns, Coriander, and Fennel Seeds
Labneh is a strained, fermented, Middle Eastern yogurt-like cheese that's tangy, thick, and luxurious. One hundred grams of labneh offers over 10 grams of protein, making this another great dipping option for crackers, veggies, and more, whenever you need a snack.
Turkey, Chicken, Ham, or Roast Beef Roll-Ups
Making a whole sandwich can be too much of a production and too filling when you just need a quick, refueling snack. Roll up a few pieces of sliced, roasted turkey, chicken, ham, or roast beef from the butcher counter (low-sodium options are ideal) to get straight to the point. Add sliced cheese, stuff a sliver of avocado inside, or pair with crunchy pickles for a little something extra.
Handful of Nuts or Homemade Trail Mix
A handful of nuts or a nut-based trail mix is truly one of the healthiest snacks you can eat. Nuts vary slightly in their exact nutritional makeups, but each variety is an impressive source of the nutrient trifecta: protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If you're always on the go and running on fumes, bring a stash of almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts (technically a legume—who knew?), pistachios, or a combo of your favorites for instantaneous protein in a pinch. Here are the five highest-protein nuts, per 1-ounce serving:
Tortilla Chips With Bean Salsa (Cowboy Caviar!)
Fresh, filling, and packed with veggies, cowboy caviar is a hearty bean salsa you can riff on any which way. Start with convenient and protein-filled canned beans, like black beans or pinto beans, and build from there. Add corn, red onion, cilantro, bell and/or jalapeno peppers for a flavorful and filling snack time dip.
Related: Top Health Benefits of Beans—Plus How to Eat More of Them
Chia Seed Pudding
Chia seeds are a complete protein and provide all nine essential amino acids. An ounce of chia seeds (dried) gets you over 4.5 grams of protein, and this delicious PB&J overnight oats recipe contains chia seeds, rolled oats, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and chopped peanuts—so it's brimming with quality protein sources (but tastes like childhood).
Celery, Apple, or Banana With Nut Butter
Simple, reliable, and fast, just what you need in a snack. Slather a tablespoon or two of nut butter over some apple slices, celery sticks, or banana. Or top both on some toast for a slightly heartier snack. Sweet tooth killing you? Try snacking on three or four pitted medjool dates with a swipe of peanut or almond butter—they're divine.
Cottage Cheese Dip With Veggies and Crackers
If you hate the curds in cottage cheese, don't despair—smooth it out in the blender or a food processor for a mild, creamy, velvety dip for crackers or crudite.
Fruit and Cheese Plate
If you're a grazer, make yourself a snacking plate with your favorite fruits, cheeses, nuts, olives, dried fruit, and whatever else you're craving. No need to get fancy, it's for your eyes only. In a rush? A stick or two of string cheese (up to 14 grams of protein) and an apple works great.
Smoked Salmon Toast
If you've got smoked salmon in the fridge that you need to use up, this is your cue to have it as your next snack. A 100-gram serving of smoked salmon gets you over 18 grams of protein. Pile it onto avocado toast, pesto toast, half a bagel with cream cheese, or a seeded crackers (we love Trader Joe's Norwegian Crispbread crackers).
Fruit and Nut Snack Bars
Nutty Superfood Breakfast Bites
These little beauties are make-ahead snack bars complete with almonds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa (a complete protein source!), and chopped pistachios, all of which provide a great boost of protein.
Leftovers!
Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Chili
Leftovers can be unsung snack heroes, especially if they're high in protein. A cup of the soup, chili, or stew you made yesterday; a few bites of chicken breast, falafel, tofu, or steak; a mini bowl of rice and beans or pasta with meat sauce—all filling, savory options when hunger randomly comes calling.
Pickles and Cheese
Pickle lovers, this one's for you. Snacking on tangy, briny pickles will keep you even fuller for longer if you pair them with a few slices of cheese (TikTokers are obsessed with this combo). Just an ounce of cheddar cheese, for example, has about 7 grams of protein. It's a win, win!
Refried Bean and Cheese Melts
These melty, open-faced, refried bean toasts, or Mexican molletes, look time-consuming, but truly could not be easier. Use canned refried beans (look for lower-sodium options, if possible), any sturdy bread or rolls you have on hand, and melty cheese like cheddar, Manchego, or Colby-Jack (pre-sliced or shredded will absolutely do). Pop it under the boiler (oven or toaster oven) for a few minutes, and you're good to go. Just a half-cup serving of refried beans offers more than 5 grams of protein.
Make more molletes, or make them larger, and serve with additional toppings like avocado and pico de gallo, plus a zesty green salad on the side for an easy vegetarian lunch or dinner.
Egg Bites
Whether you make them in advance and store them in the fridge/freezer or buy them pre-made, egg bites work wonders for a high-protein boost beyond breakfast time. Stuff them with veggies, cheese, and/or meat, plus any seasonings you love, and enjoy. When there's no time for homemade, try an order of egg bites from Starbucks (comes with two)—the Kale and Mushroom ones have 15 grams of protein!
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