Protein Snacks On The Go

Greek Yogurt Plain 2% Milkfat

13/20 stars

Snack on ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, and youll get about 11 grams of protein thats easy to eat and easy on your wallet. Greek yogurt is strained to make it more concentrated, which means it provides more protein, ounce for ounce, than regular yogurt.

Its creamy. Its tangy. Its ready when you are. Just grab a spoon to eat it and expect about 3.5 grams of net carbs in a ½-cup serving.

Choose full-fat Greek yogurt for an even creamier experience. This will add a few calories and youll feel fuller, too. Or, go with non-fat for fewer calories with all the protein.

If you find Greek yogurt too sour, try its Icelandic cousin, skyr. Youll pay more, but it has a milder flavor. Or stir in a low-carb sweetener and flavoring like vanilla extract to sweeten things up.

Protein Sweet Potato Hummus And Veggies

Love dips but hate the feeling that youre straying from your intended nutrition plan? This protein sweet potato hummus offers a fresh, nutritious take on the traditional dip, and helps you get your veggies in. Made from sweet potato, unsweetened protein powder, cooked lentils, tahini, and some seasoning, it’s easy to whip up this delicious dip in a food processor in 15 minutes or less. Youll get a protein boost from the dip while also incorporating a serving of veggies. Serve with your favorite sliced veggies or whole grain chips.

Can Protein Bars Make You Gain Weight

A protein bar could potentially make you gain weight, depending on the type of protein bar you buy. Regularly consuming protein bars high in calories alongside other high-calorie meals could cause weight gain, especially if you arent getting enough physical activity to burn off those excess calories. Protein bars high in sugar can also be detrimental to weight loss or maintenance. If youre still unsure about how your favorite protein bars could affect your weight, its best to consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist these experts can help you find a protein bar thats right for your needs.

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Peanut Butter And Celery

Apples not your thing? Try combining celery with your favorite all-natural peanut butter to create a throwback snack that’ll remind you of your days in elementary school. Simply cut up a couple of celery stalks and top with your favorite PB. One serving of the nutty stuff is about 2 tablespoons, which works out to about 7 grams of protein.

Almonds Walnuts And Other Nuts

Plain or roasted nuts are delicious, crunchy, and easy to eat, making them a perfect high-protein snack. They are also easy to overeat. A single serving is usually between 10 and 15 nuts. So, grab just a small handful to keep your protein snack lower in fat and calories. Also, look for nuts with less seasoning. Many seasoned nuts are very high in salt and sugar.

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The Gluten Free Bar Oatmeal Raisin

This non-GMO bar provides on-the-go snacking goodness that rivals the flavor of your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies while providing you with way more good stuff to fuel your busy life. Made without gluten, the bar delivers protein, fiber, and lots of energy from a cinnamon-spiced blend of seeds, raisins, oats, and crisped brown rice.

Best Low Calorie Protein Bar: Orgain Protein Snack Bar

Orgain

Not only are Orgain Protein Snack Bars made with plant-based protein and vegan-friendly, theyre also very low in calories, totaling just 150 calories per bar. These non-GMO snack bars are USDA certified organic and made with ingredients that are truly good for you, like brown rice protein, so you can feel equally good about adding these vegan protein bars to your diet. While Orgain Protein Snack Bars may not serve as an entire meal replacement, since they only have 10 grams of protein per bar, they make for a great snack or a light source of fuel before or after a workout. Tasty flavors include Decadent Chocolate Brownie, Smores and Chocolate Coconut. Orgain Protein Snack Bars are also very fairly priced, coming in at $1.67 per bar on Orgains website.

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String Cheese And Melon Cubes

Cheese and fruit together provide healthy fat and protein, alongside a naturally-sweet source of fiber, and vitamins. A one-ounce “stick” of mozzarella provides 6.7 grams of protein, 5.8 grams of fat, 1.3 grams of carbs, and 85 calories. Pair it with a cup of cantaloupe to increase your protein intake by 1.5 grams. The cantaloupe also provides 1.6 grams of fiber along with vitamin C and vitamin A.

While this snack is egg-free and nut-free it is not dairy-free. The vast majority of cheese is gluten-free but it is always smart to check labels if you follow a gluten-free diet. If you follow a vegan diet, opt for a dairy-free cheese.

Peanut Butter And Celery Sticks

Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth and get in more veggies? Have some peanut butter and celery sticks.

Youve got the sweet nuttiness of the peanut butter. And youve got the crunchiness of the celery.

Who knew healthy eating could be this yummy?

Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain 7.0 grams of protein. Its also a good source of selenium, a powerful antioxidant.

Now a two-tablespoon serving contains 190 calories. So, it is higher on the calorie side.

So if youre watching your calories, you may want to have it less often.

Or you can use powdered peanut butter instead. Powdered peanut butter is made from pressed roasted peanuts.

In fact, powdered peanut butter contains about 70% fewer calories.

Want to give powdered peanut butter a try? You can get some here.

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Canned Fish And Seafood

19/20 stars

Want protein? Just a few savory forkfuls of canned fish or seafood deliver 10 grams of it. Aim for 2 ounces .

The perfect snack in so many ways. Easy to store. Relatively inexpensive if you go for tuna. Its mostly protein with virtually no carbs.

Canned fish comes cooked, so sprinkle on herbs, add a squeeze of lemon, or just dig in. Its a quick snack that you can keep stocked in your pantry.

Whether you choose firm tuna, briny sardines, or delicate lump crab, its a win on the protein front.

Mixed Nuts Or Trail Mix

Mixed nuts provide an easy way to get a delicious dose of protein in a convenient, shelf-stable package. Try a mixed bunch for variety and a combo with dried fruit if youre craving sweetness.

The best bang for your protein buck? Almonds and pistachios. Theyre higher in protein than their nutty peers.

Mix about 10 almonds , about 25 pistachios , 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds , about 7 walnut halves , and a sprinkle of raisins or mini dark chocolate chips.

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Protein Snacks On The Go

Reading Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds

Date: 2021-02-05T00:00:00-05:00

Most people can benefit from eating more protein, from building more muscle to maintaining a healthy weight. Where to put that extra protein, though? Snack time is a great opportunity to eat more healthful foods and to increase protein intake.

Eating on the go is typical for most busy Americans, which often means reaching for whatever is convenient rather than healthy. Use these ideas to plan for protein-rich, filling, and satisfying snacks every day.

Angies Sea Salt Flavored Popcorn

Forget the microwave, Angies Sea Salt Popcorn adds just the right amount of salt to its pre-popped kernels and makes the perfect high-flavor popcorn for on-the-go snacking. Angies BOOM CHICKA POP is a delicious whole-grain, non-GMO popcorn that also happens to be gluten-free and vegan.

The corn is a perfectly light way to satisfy your cravings one serving has just 140 calories.

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What Nutritional And Ingredient Standards Should I Look For

Protein bars with minimal, natural ingredients will almost always be your best option because theyre typically free of artificial sweeteners, added sugars, fillers and other ingredients that may not be good for you in the long run. A simple rule of thumb to avoid potentially troublesome additives is to steer clear of ingredients you’ve never heard of or cant pronounce typically, those tend to be filler products or added sweeteners or sugars.

Instead, seek out brands with health certifications that use mostly whole food ingredients. Studies show that protein bars made with wheat or algae protein have the highest nutritional value, so keep an eye out for those ingredients while youre shopping around. Protein bars made with grass-fed sources are also great for your health, since a grass-fed diet helps give your body cancer-fighting antioxidants and increases your vitamin A and E levels.

Protein bars made with sunflower protein, on the other hand, contain the lowest nutritional value.

Also look for protein bars high in grams of protein and low in grams of sugar. Avoid bars with a calorie count over 350, especially if theyre made with added sugar or fillers. Its important to consider your daily caloric intake before selecting a bar.

Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets

If youre following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, it can be more challenging to find high protein snacks. Fortunately, tofu saves the day once again.

These little golden nuggets are completely meatless, and they offer a powerful protein punch. To make them, you can use either flax-seed eggs or regular eggs.

Spices used to make these crispy tofu nuggets are ground paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

You can serve these with a tangy sauce, dip, or salsa for even more yumminess. The recipe comes with a maple dijon dipping sauce that looks delicious.

There is something so addictive about roasted sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds have a satisfyingly crunchy texture and the salt makes them as addictive as can be.

High in protein, this is a good way to get a good dose of protein without a lot of unhealthy fat. Besides being high protein low fat snacks, sunflower seeds are also high in vitamin E and selenium.

You can buy them at the store, but its also fun to make your own at home.

Also, if you grow your own sunflowers, thats just a whole new kind of wonderful.

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Siggi’s Raspberry & Apple No Added Sugar Yogurt

Protein: 11g

Carbohydrate: 7g

For years now, yogurt has been a go-to, portable, protein-rich snack. “I’m so thankful, though, that Siggi’s now offers ‘no added sugar’ flavors, so I don’t have to waste even a second reading labels,” says Andrews. Pick up this particular version and you’ll get 11 grams protein and only 7 grams carbohydrate in a single-serve container.

Protein Is Hard To Store As Body Fat

During periods of weight loss, there are often times where more energy is consumed than expended. As such, minimizing how much of that excess energy is stored as fat is important.

The body processes the three different macronutrients in very different ways.

Leaving out a lot of jargon and mumbo jumbo, in order for protein to be stored as fat, it goes through a much different biochemical process than either carbohydrates or protein.

This process makes it much harder for protein to store as body fat.

One study found that protein is stored as body fat with roughly 66% efficiency, while carbohydrates store with 80% efficiency and fats store at 96% efficiency .

During weight loss, overeating protein results in much less stored body fat than overeating on carbohydrates or fat.

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High Protein Snacks For The Whole Family

When your belly is grumbling and hunger kicks in, youll need a snack that can satisfy the urge and improve satiety levels so youre satisfied until your next meal. And a healthy snack should have a balanced set of nutrients, like good fats, fiber and protein, to fill you up for longer and to avoid blood sugar spikes, which can come from excess carbs and sugar. Our best suggestions are high protein snacks throughout your day to keep you happy, healthy, and satisfied.

Peanut Butter With Apples

Luckily for peanut butter lovers like me, a variety of different peanut butter brands sell portable containers of peanut butter that are easy to take on the go and eat with different fruits or veggies, like apples or celery. One of Jifs To Go cups of natural peanut butter contains 9g of protein, making it a perfect and versatile energy-inducing snack.

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Cottage Cheese With Blueberries And Muesli

You’ll have plenty of options to choose from when you buy cottage cheese. A 3.5 ounce serving of 2% low-fat cottage cheese provides 11 grams of protein, 84 calories, 2.3 grams of fat, and 4.3 grams of carbohydrate. Curd size does not change the nutritional benefits of this food, so choose the curd that you enjoy most.

If you prefer, top ½ cup of cottage cheese with ½ cup of blueberries and 2 tablespoons of muesli to get 14 grams of protein. Note that this snack is not dairy-free, and most muesli contains gluten grains and nuts .

Minimal Vs Optimal Protein Consumption

The RDA for protein corresponds to about 10% of daily calories. This is the minimal amount of protein we need to eat to avoid loss of muscle mass. Since the RDA is equivalent to only about 10% of dietary calories, you might consider protein content a minor component of your diet.

But this perspective is missing the boat.

In fact, protein should take center stage in almost every persons diet. Likewise, theres a particularly good argument for the centrality of protein in an athletes diet in terms of both muscle mass and strength.

More generally-and as we briefly touched on earlier-dietary protein has a central role in the bodys nutritional arsenal against the chronic diseases and stresses many of us deal with every day. Indeed, many of these beneficial effects are related to dietary proteins influence on muscle.

So the starting point of any nutritional approach to improving physical health and performance is a balanced diet that contains the optimal-rather than minimal-amount of protein.

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Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Walnut Collagen Protein Oats

Protein per serving: 11 grams

Oatmeal cups make healthy protein-rich snacking easy and satisfyingwithout adding globs of sugar like some other brands. Keep a container or two in your desk drawer. When you’re eyeing your go-to vending machine indulgence, nip that unhealthy urge in the bud by simply adding water to one of these before zapping it in the break-room microwave. Your waistline will thank you.

Everyday Value Pea Crisps

Created by 365 Everyday Value from Whole Foods, these crispy, savory, pea-packed crunchies are Certified Gluten-Free. A great alternative to potato chips, Theyre made from brown rice flour, green peas, and other wholesome ingredients. Theyre light and easy to eat, making them the perfect crunchy on-the-go snack.

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So What Can You Do Ill Tell You

As well, protein helps your body build and repair muscles, bones and help balance your hormones. It is important for weight management as well as boosting hormone balance which plays a strong role in fertility health.

Pairing proteins with adequate fruit and/or vegetables is important. And these can be a lot easier to throw in your bag or grab at the counter, than getting a healthy dose of protein that is quick, ready to eat, and delicious. The reason this is so tricky is that a lot of high protein options come with pro-inflammatory ingredients like saturated fats and/or higher sodium.

When you get hungry and havent had time to pack a well-balanced snack, keep this list handy! I have spent a lot of time browsing through the snack recipe aisle and came up with a concise list of high protein, healthy snack ideas. The list is divided into 2 sections, a plant-based section, and an animal-based section. Again, I didnt include anything that I determined was a pro-inflammatory product so we can stay aligned with our goal of anti-inflammatory, health-promoting, fertility-boosting snacks options!

Why Is Protein So Important

Protein is one of three macronutrients, along with fats and carbohydrates. It is essential to health and normal functioning. Protein molecules are long chains of amino acids, and they play several roles in the body:

• Protein molecules provide structure, in skin, hair, bones, and muscle.

• Proteins include enzymes, which catalyze chemical reactions.

• Proteins send messages through the body, signaling between cells, tissues, and organs.

• Smaller proteins include antibodies, essential to the immune system.

• Proteins transport smaller molecules throughout the body.

Protein molecules are also involved in oxygen transportation, tissue repair, digestion, hormone regulation, and more.

Including protein in the diet is essential for basic functioning but choosing the right proteins in the right amounts benefits health in additional ways: building muscle, supporting a healthy pregnancy, and losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight.

Your clients may ask you about protein powders and amino acid supplements for weight loss. explains it all so you can give the best advice.

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Best Low Carb Protein Bar: Epic Bar

Epic Provisions

Our favorite low carb protein bars dont follow the traditional model of dessert-based flavors, but instead take on a more savory approach. EPIC Protein Bars are made with real meatlike bison, chicken, venison and beefin order to offer animal-based sources of protein. Great for those on low carb, keto or grass-fed diets, EPIC bars come with rich, flavorful tastes that those who dont like sweets might enjoy. There are even spicy flavor options, like Chicken Sriracha. Made with just a handful of ingredients, these protein bars are low in calories and even lower in carbohydrates. Theyre also Whole30 approved.