Snacks are the easiest way to top up your protein without cooking a full meal. If your main meals leave you short of your daily target, two well-chosen snacks can close a 30 to 50 g gap on their own. As a rule of thumb, aim for roughly 15 to 25 g of protein per snack.
Below are 26 snacks grouped by how you are likely to choose one: what needs no preparation, what is light on calories, what works without animal products, and what is cheapest per gram of protein. Protein figures are per the portion shown.
These need no preparation beyond opening a packet, which is what makes them the ones you will actually eat on a busy day. Most travel well in a bag or a desk drawer.
| Snack | Approx. protein |
|---|---|
| Tuna pouch (100 g) | 25 g |
| Protein shake, one scoop of whey in water | 20–25 g |
| Protein bar (typical) | 15–20 g |
| Canned mackerel (100 g) | 19 g |
| Quark, plain (150 g) | 18 g |
| Skyr (150 g) | 17 g |
| Cottage cheese (150 g) | 17 g |
| Beef jerky (50 g) | 16 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain (150 g) | 15 g |
| Two boiled eggs | 13 g |
| Cheese sticks (2 × 20 g) | 10 g |
| Milk (300 ml) | 10 g |
Flavoured yogurts and quarks vary far more than you would expect: two tubs sitting side by side can differ by 8 g of protein and 12 g of sugar. It is worth checking the label once, then sticking with the one that wins.
If you are eating in a deficit, what matters is not protein alone but protein per calorie. These all deliver at least 10 g of protein while staying under 200 kcal, so they fill a gap without eating much of your daily budget.
| Snack | Protein | Approx. calories |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna pouch in water (100 g) | 25 g | 110 kcal |
| Whey shake in water (1 scoop) | 20 g | 110 kcal |
| Skyr, plain (150 g) | 17 g | 100 kcal |
| Greek yogurt 0% (150 g) | 15 g | 90 kcal |
| Cottage cheese, low fat (150 g) | 17 g | 110 kcal |
| Two boiled eggs | 13 g | 155 kcal |
| Edamame (100 g, shelled) | 11 g | 120 kcal |
| Beef jerky (30 g) | 10 g | 90 kcal |
Nuts are the notable exception. A 30 g handful of peanuts is a genuinely useful 8 g of protein, but it also carries around 180 kcal, so it is a poor choice when calories are tight and a good one when you need energy.
Plant snacks generally carry less protein per portion than dairy or fish, so the trick is either choosing the denser options or combining two. See plant-based protein for the full picture.
| Snack | Approx. protein |
|---|---|
| Pea or soy protein shake (1 scoop) | 20 g |
| Firm tofu (100 g) | 13 g |
| Edamame (100 g, shelled) | 11 g |
| Roasted chickpeas (50 g) | 9 g |
| Peanuts (30 g) | 8 g |
| Pumpkin seeds (30 g) | 8 g |
| Peanut butter (2 tbsp) on crispbread | 8 g |
| Hummus (100 g) with vegetables | 8 g |
| Soy yogurt (150 g) | 6 g |
Protein bars and ready-made shakes are convenient, but they are usually the most expensive way to buy protein. If cost matters more than convenience, the order is roughly:
A little preparation buys a noticeably better snack. These are still quick, but they beat anything you can open from a packet.
A snack in the 15 to 25 g range fits neatly between meals and moves your daily total without replacing a meal. Two protein-rich snacks a day add 30 to 50 g on their own, which for most people is the difference between falling short and comfortably hitting a target.
If you are unsure what your target should be, start with how much protein you need per day. Snacks are usually the easiest part of the day to fix, because you are choosing from a packet rather than planning a meal.
Rather than memorise a list, most high-protein snacks follow one of three shapes:
Once you have the shape, the specific food matters less than whether you have it in the house.
Search or scan a snack, log it in seconds, and watch your daily protein add up. Free, no ads, no tracking.
Start trackingGreek yogurt or quark, cottage cheese, skyr, boiled eggs, a protein shake or bar, a tuna pouch, beef jerky, edamame, roasted chickpeas and a handful of peanuts. Most land between 8 and 25 g of protein per serving.
Aim for roughly 15 to 25 g. That is enough to make a real difference to your daily total without being so large that it replaces a meal.
Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese, a protein shake or bar, a tuna pouch, beef jerky, cheese sticks and a handful of nuts. All of them need no preparation and travel well.
Skyr or 0% Greek yogurt (15 to 17 g for about 100 kcal), a tuna pouch in water (25 g for about 110 kcal), a scoop of whey in water (20 g for about 110 kcal), beef jerky (10 g for about 90 kcal) and edamame (11 g for about 120 kcal).
Edamame, roasted chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, hummus with vegetables, soy yogurt, firm tofu and a pea or soy protein shake are the densest plant options.
They are convenient and typically give 15 to 20 g of protein, but they are usually more expensive per gram of protein than yogurt, quark or eggs, and some carry as much sugar as a chocolate bar. Check the label rather than trusting the packaging.
Look for a high protein-to-calorie ratio: skyr, 0% Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna in water and a whey shake in water all give 15 g or more for roughly 100 to 150 calories.
Yes. A slow-digesting protein such as quark, cottage cheese or casein is a common evening snack, and it counts towards your daily total like any other food.
Values are approximate and vary by brand and portion. This article is general educational information, not medical or dietetic advice.