Have noticed how it’s almost virtually impossible to find delicious high protein snacks and on-the-go mini meals?
Stacks of high carb and sugar-filled snacks are available at the store. You literally have to scour the internet and every food aisle to find healthy and satisfying high protein snacks.
Healthy snacking is good for you. If your goal is to lose weight or build muscle, you should nosh on high protein snacks, because there’s power in protein.
A study [1] reveals that consuming a higher amount of protein will not only keep your appetite under control but will also make you feel fuller.
How Many Times Should You Eat a Day to Lose Weight?
The study also showed that moderately increasing protein consumption in 3 eating occasions and not 6, led to better appetite control, especially in the evening.
What this means is that eating 3 protein rich meals will give you better weight loss results, as opposed to the infamous ‘eating 6 small meals a day for weight loss’.
MUST READ: 7 simple ways to lose weight fast naturally and permanently
Eating 6 small meals a day has been touted as the best way to lose and manage weight (this practically translates into eating every 2 hours, and not 4).
However, research published in the Obesity Journal in 2011 found that “eating more frequently does not enhance appetite control and satiety in overweight and obese individuals during weight loss.”
In fact, it was highlighted that participants failed to stick to 6 meals because this kind of eating is neither reasonable nor suitable for weight loss
Essential reading: 7 Smart Ways to Stop Snacking at Night (and Start Losing Weight)
High Protein Snacks and Weight Loss
As much as healthy snacking is encouraged, some snacks are secretly bad for you.
You can entirely forgo snacking between meals if that works for you because as long as you hit your daily calorie intake, you will still peel off pounds.
I like to give my readers well-researched information, and while this post is about high protein snacks, I wanted you to know the truth about snacking and weight loss.
You can hit your weight loss goals with or without healthy snacks, as long as you are eating fewer calories than your body burns.
I have previously talked about the importance of meal planning in this article. Just remember that whether you are snacking on guacamole or plain celery sticks, you should always keep track of EVERYTHING you eat.
Feel FREE to check out my Printable Health and Fitness Planner
12 High Protein Snacks That Will Help You Lose Weight
1. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese will not only keep you full until your next meal, but it also is low in calories and high in protein.
It is one of the go-to foods for anyone on a weight loss diet as 100g of fat-free cottage cheese contains 98 calories, 11g of protein, while remaining low on carbs at just 3.4g.
You can have cottage cheese with apple pieces and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
MUST READ: 10 Deliciously Low Carb Keto Snacks (When You Are On-The-Go)
High Protein Snacks – Weight Loss
2. Greek Yoghurt
When it comes to Greek yoghurt vs plain yoghurt, the million dollar question is which one should you pick.
The answer is simple. Greek yoghurt reigns supreme.
Greek yoghurt contains double the amount of protein and contains less sugar than normal yoghurt.
3. Tuna and Cucumber Sandwich
Tuna is one of the few foods that are almost made up of protein only. It’s rich in protein just as it is in omega-3 fatty acids.
Canned Tuna contains 116 calories and a whopping 25.5g of protein.
Easy Canned Tuna Recipes
Ingredients
1 can of tuna in salt water, drained
1 tbsp Hellman’s Mayonaise
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix mayonnaise, salt, pepper and tune together.
Wash the cucumber, and cut or peel into thin slices lengthwise
Spread out the peeled slices on a clean surface.
Use a spoon to spread the tuna mixture evenly on the cucumber slices.
Roll the cucumber tightly and keep the ends secured with a toothpick.
4. Beef jerky
While beef jerky is high in protein, it’s also loaded with saturated fat, depending on the cut. You can either trim off the excess fat or just buy beef jerky made from top round and bottom round cuts, as these are the best pieces of meat for this high protein snack.
This beef jerky sold on Amazon is top rated!
5. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
If you are looking for a crunchy high protein snack, then the roasted pumpkin seed will feel you up and give you an amazing boost in antioxidants, fibre, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Pumpkin seeds are one of the few high protein snacks that are incredibly awesome for weight loss as they are packed with antioxidants.
Snacking on 100g of roasted pumpkin will ward off hunger and keep you full.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
To roast this insanely easy but delicious high protein snack, you will need olive oil, salt and of course, the pumpkin seeds. If you like spicy foods, feel free to add chilli flakes.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Pour the ingredients on a baking sheet and spread evenly.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes or the seeds are golden brown.
6. Peanut Butter and Apple Slices
With this snack, you have to exercise discipline and strictly measure your peanut butter, if you have a peanut butter addiction as I do. I have zero willpower when it comes to peanut butter – I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
If you, however, have a healthy relationship with peanut and can exercise self-control, then you can, delightfully nosh this apple and nut butter combo.
Whenever you have peanut butter as a high protein snack, you should make sure that your nut butter is free from added sugar, additives and hydrogenated oils like this one.
Apples and Peanut Butter Recipe
1 medium apple + 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Wash the apple and cut into desired sizes. Spread peanut butter on the apple, enjoy every bite!
7. Celery stalks and Peanut Butter
There’s another way you can deal with hunger pangs while dieting, and that’s with peanut butter and celery snack.
This snack is quick and easy to prepare. All you have to do is simply wash the celery, cut into preferred pieces and spread the peanut butter on the stalks.
You can also add dry cranberries if you like.
8. Chickpeas
Each 100g of chickpeas contains a lovely 19g of protein, isn’t that divine? Chickpeas are great for vegetarians looking for a good source of plant-based protein.
This yummy healthy snack is best served crunchy crispy and roasted. Here’s how:
Roasted Chickpeas Recipes
Ingredients
Dry chickpeas
Pinch of salt
Any preferred seasoning (I love mine with cayenne pepper)
I tablespoon oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C)
Mix chickpeas and oil in a bowl until well coated. Do not throw in the seasoning if you like this high protein snack to be super crispy and crunchy
Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet and place in the oven
Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until the chickpeas are evenly golden brown
Remove from oven and mix it with choice seasoning
Store in an airtight container once cool.
9. Boiled eggs
Boiled eggs are super easy to prepare- just boil them, peel, slice in half and enjoy with either black or cayenne pepper.
And a word to the wise, don’t be afraid to eat the egg yolk.
10. Protein Bars
Protein bars are smart pre or post workout high protein snacks. The secret is finding quality protein bars that are actually low in sugar only if they are low in sugar like these Quest bars.
Some protein bars can secretly be bad for you if they contain way too much sugar.
11. Mixed Nuts
You can have your mixed nuts raw or roasted. I prefer the latter with salt. With this snack, you might be tempted to go over your daily serving because the portions are so small but very high in fat. Eat the mixed nuts only occasionally.
12. Whey Protein Shake For Weight Loss
Again sugar. Always check the sugar content per serving. You might be excited about the 28g of protein in the shake, without realising that sugar per scoop is 5g.
I am a huge fan of Whey Protein Isolate by Optimum Nutrition.
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REFERENCES
[1] Leidy, H. J., Tang, M., Armstrong, C. L., Martin, C. B., & Campbell, W. W. (2011). The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 19(4), 818–824. doi:10.1038/oby.2010.203
