The Best High Protein Snacks for Healthy Diets

High-protein snacks are one of the easiest ways to get your daily recommended amount of protein. This guide will cover all you need to know about these snacks.

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

It’s generally understood that protein is a must-have if you want to gain muscle and have that ideal active body, but how much do you really need? Well, the answer isn’t as easy as you think. Some people may need protein more than others, which means that their base required amount for protein is higher than the average. 

Aside from this natural requirement for more protein, you may need more protein depending on what you’re looking to do. If you want to maintain your physique as-is, then you probably don’t need a whole lot of protein. On the other hand, if you’re looking to gain muscle, then you’ll likely need more protein than what’s usually required.

The real answer is that it all boils down to your diets and your needs. This can depend from person to person, and as such, there’s no clear, one-size-fits-all answer. If you really want to know how much protein you need, consult a diet expert to get a better idea of what your meals should look like on any given day.

Why Protein Snacks?

They’re packed with protein

This is, of course, the main reason why you eat protein-heavy foods in the first place. It’s not very easy to get large amounts of protein by eating “natural” foods such as beans and/or meat. More concentrated sources of protein are often better as you can eat less and gain more protein at the same time.

They’re easy to eat

One of the benefits of putting proteins in snacks is that snacks are just really easy to eat. You can consume them pretty easily in-between meals, and you can enjoy them while doing other things, such as watching movies, playing video games, or reading books. 

Types of Protein Snacks

Protein bars

Protein bars are by far the most common type of protein snack and for good reason. Protein snacks can be loaded with protein in a single bar, and they can be mixed with all sorts of delicious flavors. There are dozens for you to choose from, and you could potentially enjoy a different flavor each day for an entire month with just protein bars.

Cookies

Cookies are a more bite-sized alternative to protein bars. They’re easy to eat and don’t require you to finish the whole bag immediately, unlike protein bars. They also have the advantage of being made in different flavors, though the options are more limited than that of protein bars.

Chips

Chips are seen as “junk food”, but protein chips are an exception. They’re made to taste and crunch like regular chips, and even come in the typical popular chip flavors. However, unlike regular chips, they contain a ton of protein, making them at least a little more useful than a fat-ridden bag of chips. Protein chips may not be as healthy per se as other protein snacks, but they’re a great option regardless.

Mixing Up Your Protein Snacks

One of the advantages of protein snacks is that you can mix things up every now and then. Sticking to the same snack and the same flavor all the time can be very, very boring after a while, and you may even end up not eating your snacks altogether. Having a different type of protein snack to enjoy every now and then will spice things up and make your snacks more enjoyable in the long run.