The following protein rich snacks have a high protein count per serving: Whey Protein, Eggs, Yoghurt, Fish, Seeds and Nuts, Legumes and Beans.
Jay Cutler, who was awarded as Mr. Olympia winner four times, once said that he does not eat for taste, he eats for function!
When you think about it, you will understand that there is so much sense in that sentence. The primary reason behind eating is to function and function well. To function well, our body needs three macronutrients – carbohydrates, fat, and protein. This post is bout protein, and it needs no introduction.
We are all familiar with protein, its functions, as well as its benefits. However, let us tell you that there is so much to know about protein that it can be a subject or maybe it already is!
If you are here, then it already means that you want to know more about protein and how you can carry the healthy sources of protein around. Imagine if you can have a bag where you can put all the healthy protein snacks, then you won’t have to worry about balancing your “protein-routine” and work or any other daily activities!
This article will tell you all about the high protein snacks that are healthy and portable, as well as a lot of interesting facts about protein. This is where you can know all the amazing stuff about protein and more! Let us begin.
Protein – what is it, and why do you need it?
Protein is also considered as the life’s building block, which is present in all the cells inside a human body. It can be said for the protein that it is more than just a macronutrient that can only build muscles.
The importance of protein is beyond muscles, and it is needed for a body to function properly. Let us see what protein is made up of. Protein is composed of amino acids, and the amino acids are linked to each other in long chains inside your body.
There are twenty different types of amino acids, and different amino acids are arranged in different sequences. These sequences determine a particular protein’s role inside your body.
There are several functions that proteins perform, for example:
- Promotion of proper development and growth in pregnant women, teenagers, and children.
- Protection of the human body against harmful bacteria and viruses.
- Help in repairing cells as well as the creation of new ones.
- Transportation of molecules throughout your body.
These above-mentioned points prove how protein plays an important role in your body functions. If a person is not filling his or her daily diet with the right amount of protein, then his or her body may lose on the mentioned important functions.
Further, it will lead to protein deficiency and other health issues such as compromised functioning of lungs and heart, restricted body growth, loss of body muscle mass, and even an untimely death! Therefore, it is important that you make sure that your body makes sure that you are eating enough protein to help your body function well.
Let us see how much protein you need for a healthy body.
The right amount of protein
Essential amino acids, which a human body cannot produce, can be acquired from the food that you eat. Therefore, to source these amino acids, you will have to make your diet rich in protein.
The good news is that you do not have to try too hard as protein is found naturally in several nutritious foods that are likely to be already in your regular diet. So, when you consume those foods, your body can extract the protein and get the required amino acids by breaking down the food.
However, the challenging part is how to calculate the protein take? You should be able to know if you are eating the right amount of protein every day. Here is how you can calculate the recommended intake of protein.
Considering the right amount that can meet the nutritional requirements of a healthy person, 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of the person’s body weight is the recommended dietary allowance. The right grams of protein for your body is calculated by taking the weight of your body in pounds and multiplying it by 0.36 (according to the Harvard Men’s Health Watch)
The result that you get from this calculation should help you in achieving the recommended daily protein intake. This is a standard calculation that is trusted by the Harvard Men’s Health Watch; however, you should remember that recommendations vary based on a person’s health and age.
If you like working out frequently and training for some physical activity, then you may need to up the protein intake from 1.1 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of your body weight!
Experts say that anything exceeding 2 grams per kilograms of a person’s weight is excessive.
Choosing High-Protein snacks
After consulting and discussing with several registered dieticians, we listed down just two parameters that you need to check before getting yourself any protein snack. They are as follows;
How much protein do you need?
It is always a good idea to make sure that the protein serving of any protein snack is between eight and fifteen grams.
Experts and dieticians believe that if a protein snack or a serving has protein content more than twenty grams, your body will not be able to absorb all of it. As a standard, you should look for protein snacks that offer at least eight grams of protein.
However, you can always include a few protein snacks that offer six or less grams of protein if you are in a mood to try a little mix and match.
Also, if you are looking for a protein source primarily make sure that it is a protein snack or bar and not some food filled with fats and carbs that offer more fat than protein.
The other ingredients
As mentioned in the previous point, if you are looking for a healthy and protein-rich snack then make sure that it is a protein snack or a bar and not some food that offer more fat than protein. However, there will be other ingredients even in the protein-rich foods as well, and the idea is to make sure that you do not consume anything unhealthy with the protein.
You should aim for snacks that have sugar content less than fifteen grams. It is fine if it has a healthy content of fibre and even healthy fats. Remember, you want a portable and healthy protein source so your focus should be on that.
With these parameters or factors in our mind, we have made a list of 20 best portable protein rich snacks that will make sure that your body gets all the protein it needs.
A high-protein snacking plan!
Now here is a plan: snack on low-fat, healthy and nutrient protein rich snacks to make sure that you get all the protein that your body needs. We have broken down the most basic foods, which can deliver you the leanest and healthiest protein as well as the best amino acid packages! Below is the list of protein rich snacks to ensure that you get your due fill!
Eggs
Eggs are the compact packages that are filled with a lot of powerful nutrients! A large egg offers many nutrients, including 70 grams and six grams of protein. Further, they provide selenium, riboflavin, and vitamin D. Now, when you combine the egg’s versatility and flavour, you have got an amazing source of protein and lean.
- Egg with pesto stuffed tomato
It is as simpler than you think but tastier than you think! It is one of the protein rich snacks that you can pack and take with you to work. You will only have to crack one egg into one tomato, just back it, and Voila! You have a nutrient and protein rich snack which tastes amazing too. You will also get the goodness of lycopene with the tomatoes. - Egg salad with cucumber rounds
You need mustard and non-fat Yoghurt to make this amazing protein rich snack. The healthy egg salads with cucumber rounds do not feed you too much fat; in fact, it removes almost all the fats and adds extra protein to your diet. It may look like a simple and light snack, but it packs a serious dose of protein! - The three ways
If you do not have time to experiment with other ingredients, then you can have eggs in its simplest and tastiest versions – the three ways:
Quiche: You need a microwave mug and eggs, milk, butter, pepper, and salt to make a Quiche. You can whisk all of them in the mug and mix tomatoes or chopped herbs for taste and put it in your microwave. It takes just one minute to cook, and you will have a tasty Quiche!
Poached: All you need is some water, a mug, and an egg. It is so easy that you can make it quickly and have it fresh.
Scrambled: Scrambled eggs are one of the easiest dishes in the entire world. Take a bowl, put the eggs, some milk, salt, stir till they mix well, and just fry without caring about any shape and size! That is how easy it is, and that’s how easily you can have a protein rich snack.
Yoghurt
With per serving, Yoghurt offers about 12 grams of protein with 140 calories. It is easily one of the tastiest protein rich snacks with many good things including calcium, phosphorous, and Vitamin A. The mild flavour and protein density make it an ideal protein rich and portable snack that you can carry anywhere or even get anywhere!
- Plain Yoghurt with toasted sesame and orange blossom honey
If you are bored with the pre-flavoured Yoghurt and want to mix up your own gourmet with enough flavour and protein, then this is the best idea! This will not only make sure that you get your right protein but also give you a break from the regular flavoured yoghurt options. Almost every grocery store has packs of pre-toasted sesame seeds. - Greek Yoghurt
You can have them in so many ways that you can never run out of choices! You can even find popsicles of Greek Yoghurt in various flavours such as raspberry and strawberry. You can even prepare your own Greek Yoghurt at home, and all you need is your fridge where you would have to put some fruits and Yoghurt in paper cups. You can even try Greek yoghurt with strawberries and hemp hearts. Since strawberries are naturally low in sugar, you do not even have to worry about artificial sweeteners or flavours. With these three, you can prepare a mighty and tasty bowl of protein. It is easy to prepare and way tastier than you can imagine! - Green Yoghurt and peanut butter
If you have never imagined mixing Yoghurt and peanut butter, then you have been missing a snack that offers healthy protein with scrumptious flavours. You can enjoy Green yoghurt peanut butter dip with any fruit you like. You can even have it straight off your spoon or take it without honey or sugar if you want to avoid sugar.
Fish
There are several fishes that are remarkably low in calories but impressively high in protein. For instance, the wild Atlantic salmons is a protein-rich fish that offers less than three hundred calories but almost forty grams of protein in just one fillet! In addition to that, fishes are also are a good source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, which are exceptionally good for satiety.
- Salmon with cucumber roll
The salmon cucumber rolls are amazing appetizer as well as a rich source of protein and omega-3 healthy fats. You can make them extra tasty just by adding fresh dill and some carrots. You need these ingredients and of course, cucumbers and you can mix them to have a very healthy protein rich snack. - Tuna salad
The recipe for a quick tropical tuna salad is simple and healthy – you need cilantro, cubed avocado, pineapple chunks, and some canned tuna. You must stir them together and just eat the mixture with a spoon! You can even add fresh slices of cucumber to make it tastier and healthier.
Seeds and nuts
The seeds and nuts that are known as the rich source of nutrients, including protein, are one of the best and trusted protein rich snacks. They are incredibly versatile and can be used widely on many other portable healthy protein snacks! You can have them with or without other snacks or sweets. The best thing about them is that they keep you full for some time.
- Almonds
The simple and pure almond can make a fantastic protein rich snack. You do not need to cook, mix or prepare anything, just grab a fistful and have them on the go. They are undoubtedly the clean and fast protein snack that you can have anywhere and anytime. - A no-bake protein bar
These protein bars are not like the ones that you find in supermarkets or any departmental stores. You can even prepare them easily with almond butter and vegan protein powder. These are an amazingly tasty and rich source of protein. The no-bake protein bars are easy to digest and carry as well. Make sure you pack a few for your office! - Protein balls made of almond and butter
The almond and butter protein balls are easier to make as compared to the no-bake protein bars! These protein balls made of almonds and butter are the no-bake morsels that you can pack with your lunch and have any time. To prepare these tasty bites, you need almonds, clean protein powder and chia seeds. - Roasted seeds of pumpkin
This is going to be a surprise to few! The roasted seeds of pumpkin can make an excellent protein rich snack because just two ounces of it offers ten grams of protein and they can be tasty if you can roast them for 40 or 45 minutes at 300 degrees. You can have the roasted pumpkin seeds anytime you want because they will not make you feel full. These protein rich seeds can be excellent fillers between meals as well.
Legumes and beans
Legumes and beans are one of the most popular protein choices for many years. They are high in protein, fibre, and folate, and at the same time low in calories and fat. These mild-flavoured plant-based foods can make particularly good protein rich snacks because of their magical and balanced combination of fibre and protein.
- Crunchy garlic lentils
Although the most popular choice is the lentil soup, the portable and crispy lentils might make you change your way of snacking. The recipe of crunchy garlic lentil snacks is easier than you think. You must boil the lentils first, drain the water out, add few ingredients (pepper, salt, oregano, red chilli flakes, garlic powder, and sunflower oil), and just bake for 15 minutes. You can have them with some pepper and salt. - Black bean soup
You can prepare the black bean soup on a blender, and they are much like the savoury smoothies! They are easy, fast as well as super healthy. You need some hot sauce, salt, cilantro, tomato juice, and lime juice to put in a blender and you can have this protein rich soup, which tastes amazing either hot or cold. - Raw falafel
To prepare this tasty falafel, you need garbanzo beans to combine with few ingredients in your food processor. Once they are mixed well, roll it into balls, and that is it – you have the protein rich falafel. It is easy to make and requires no frying. - Black bean and chickpea snack mix
You can just simply back and season black beans and chickpeas to prepare a crunchy and tasty protein rich snack, which will taste as if they came out right of a packet! These are great as a substitute for junky crabs because it is fat-free and protein-rich. You need to bake the chickpeas and black beans with ground coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt to prepare this amazing snack.
Whey protein
Whey protein is probably the most popular protein source. This by-product of cheese is an outstanding concentrated protein powerhouse. In addition to being a rich protein source, whey is also a rich source of amino acids that can integrate easily and mix effortlessly with almost any food.
- Whey and avocado smoothie
It is so simple and easy that you can make it in anytime you want! You just need a blender where you can blend strawberries, almond milk, whey protein powder, and an avocado. It will get you a tasty and creamy smoothie that can keep your tummy full for several hours. You can have it if you are not in the mood of solid food but do not want to compromise with your daily protein intake. - Whey protein with fig butter and plain Yoghurt
Take a scoop a scoop of whey protein powder, plain Yoghurt, and fig butter to make this protein rich snack that will treat you taste buds with its satisfying and rich flavour. This is the ultimate protein hack that you have been looking for! - Banana protein milk
If you want something lighter than smoothies, then the banana protein shake is the solution. It is tasty, rich in protein, and easy to prepare. Take three cups of milk and blend it with a ripe banana and whey protein powder. The creamy texture and the light sweet flavour of banana will uplift your mood.
Protein Takeway:
protein rich snacks
There you have it! Now you have the protein-rich list of 20 tasty snacks that will help you fill in the gaps of your daily protein intake. Happy health to you!
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