Supercharge Your Snacks With Protein Power
When you’re neck deep in a new fitness regimen, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to what you eat. Today, our team is here to give you some new ideas for snacks to fill the gaps between your meals with the sort of nutrient-dense morsels that both fill you up and feed your body’s need for protein. Read what Mark has to say.
Sure, adding New Zealand whey protein to your smoothie is a great option – but so is running to the local market and stocking up on a number of completely ordinary protein-rich foods. We’ve divided our treats to follow the basic food groups for your convenience.
Meat Products
We figured it best to start with the easy stuff, so we’re kicking off your list of twenty amazing protein-rich snacks with meats. These are great, portable options for those days when you know you’re on the move but want to guarantee you hit your minimum protein intake for the day.
- Tuna salad: Tuna salad is easy to make in bulk and use for a few days. You’ll snag 30 grams of protein from a 100 gram serving of tuna fish.
- Jerky: Packing an average nine grams of protein per ounce, jerky is a great way to grab a little extra protein when you’ve got a hankering for a chewy snack. Be advised that many jerky products are high in added sugars and salts, but making your own jerky from quality cuts of salmon, beef, turkey, or other meats you enjoy is fairly simple.
- Canned salmon: Similar to tuna, salmon has around eight grams of protein per ounce, with the added bonus of Omega-3s. The advantage of canned salmon is that it is available in pre-portioned tins and pouches, allowing you to take just as much as you intend to eat with minimal waste.
- Eggs: Hard boiled eggs have long been the staple of healthy, protein-rich snacking. It might surprise you to know an average egg holds six grams of protein – which might not seem like much, but it’s a solid “go with” for many snack menus.
Dairy Products
Snacking on dairy treats isn’t always easy – they’re often less than portable due to their need for cool storage. However, many of the diary products we enjoy as part of main meals make great high-protein snacks, including:
- Cottage cheese: With 14 grams of protein in just half a cup, cottage cheese isn’t just for grannies anymore.
- Yogurt dip: If you’re into dipping your snacks, consider using Greek yogurt for your dip base and cram 10 grams of protein into a 100 gram serving with ease. Yogurt dips are simple to make, and pair great with vegetables.
- Cheese slices: Just one slice of cheddar cheese provides seven grams of protein. Creating a simple on-the-go meat and cheese tray with chicken chunks, for example, can easily double that number.
Fruits and Vegetables
It’s easy to overlook veggies as a source of protein, but you do so at your peril. Vegetables are phenomenal as portable snack foods, and bring a wide variety of other nutrients to your diet along with plenty of protein. Consider trying:
- Dark leafy greens: Spinach and kale, to name but two, can provide up to five grams of protein from a 100 gram serving.
- Cruciferous vegetables: A standard serving of broccoli offers over four grams of protein, with Brussels sprouts running a close second. Other great cruciferous veg for protein power include cauliflower, cabbage, and bok choy.
- Avocado: On average, there’re four grams of protein per avocado, but temper your enthusiasm for all that avocado toast with the high calorie count.
Nuts, Seeds, and Grains
There are numerous ways you can use nuts, seeds, and grains to enhance your protein. Making your own granola is a great way to combine the power of a lot of these “loose” items into one amazing treat. 100 grams of mixed nuts yields 20 grams of protein, add to that 17 grams of protein from 100 grams of toasted oats or chia seeds, and add your favorite dried fruits for a splash of sweetness (bonus protein points for including dried apricots).