Protein Snacks

Sydsunflower88

Hey,

I'm doing macros and always struggle to get my protein in and not go over in fat. I've upped my fat, but still it's an issue. I need some lower fat, higher protein snack ideas. I really don't care for chicken or really any meat, but I do it when I must.

badnoodle

There are lots of options. On the whole-foods or lower-processed side of things there's

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Roasted chickpeas or lentils.
• Raw or roasted edamame (soy beans)
• Nuts, particularly almonds and peanuts
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt

You can also go with protein supplementation in the form of powders, bars, and drinks. There is an entire galaxy of protein-supplemented snacks and products out there. Many of them can feel more like "junk foods", particularly thinks like protein chips or cheese puffs. There are different kinds of protein, such as soy or whey isolate (milk). You may find you like one better than another.

If you are focusing on macros, it's probably fine to go over on fat and under on carbs. In any case, you'll likely never get a "perfect" balance unless you're eating one of those prepackaged whole diet/ human fuel products.

AnnPT77

badnoodle wrote: »

There are lots of options. On the whole-foods or lower-processed side of things there's

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Roasted chickpeas or lentils.
• Raw or roasted edamame (soy beans)
• Nuts, particularly almonds and peanuts
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt

You can also go with protein supplementation in the form of powders, bars, and drinks. There is an entire galaxy of protein-supplemented snacks and products out there. Many of them can feel more like "junk foods", particularly thinks like protein chips or cheese puffs. There are different kinds of protein, such as soy or whey isolate (milk). You may find you like one better than another.

If you are focusing on macros, it's probably fine to go over on fat and under on carbs. In any case, you'll likely never get a "perfect" balance unless you're eating one of those prepackaged whole diet/ human fuel products.

And then you probably won't get the perfect balance of micros and beneficial phytochemicals and pro/pre-biotics and stuff, because science is still discovering useful and needful nutrients.

I'm an old person, 68. Many, many now well-known essential nutrients have been discovered in my lifetime. I'm betting that there's more insight yet to come.

I'd bet on foods that humans have been eating for centuries and millennia and thriving, consumed in proportions averaging around nutritional recommendations in total. All of the "undiscovered" nutrients have been in food all along.

Close on average is good enough, for macro mix. You don't need to be exactly exact every single day. Yes, you don't want to be under on protein. Certain subcomponents of protein and fat are "essential nutrients" in that our bodies can't manufacture them out of any other nutrient. Carbs are more flexible, in that sense.

If you haven't run across it yet, this is a great resource for identifying calorie-efficient protein sources you might not have thought of:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

I shoot for a bit over 1g of protein per pound of estimated lean body mass, and usually exceed that by around 20% on maintenance calories, entirely from food I enjoy eating (not supplements), as a vegetarian. Just work on gradually moving your routine habits in the direction of your goals, and you'll get there.

kshama2001

badnoodle wrote: »

There are lots of options. On the whole-foods or lower-processed side of things there's

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Roasted chickpeas or lentils.
• Raw or roasted edamame (soy beans)
• Nuts, particularly almonds and peanuts
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt

You can also go with protein supplementation in the form of powders, bars, and drinks. There is an entire galaxy of protein-supplemented snacks and products out there. Many of them can feel more like "junk foods", particularly thinks like protein chips or cheese puffs. There are different kinds of protein, such as soy or whey isolate (milk). You may find you like one better than another.

If you are focusing on macros, it's probably fine to go over on fat and under on carbs. In any case, you'll likely never get a "perfect" balance unless you're eating one of those prepackaged whole diet/ human fuel products.

While eggs and nuts can play an important role in a way of eating that excludes meat, neither are low fat/high protein. Both have more calories from fat than protein, and nuts have a lot more.

history_grrrl

kshama2001 wrote: »

While eggs and nuts can play an important role in a way of eating that excludes meat, neither are low fat/high protein. Both have more calories from fat than protein, and nuts have a lot more.

This is why I limit nut snacking to 6 at a time (about 10 grams). I love cashews and keep a small tub in the cupboard at all times, but once I discovered that 1/3 cup was 300 calories, I had to pay much closer attention to intake.

AnnPT77

Not completely on point to OP's question, but might be an idea for OP to consider when evaluating protein sources:

For myself, I set a rough threshold with "protein for total calories" of a food. So, if I looked at something that had (say) 130 calories from all nutrients in the food, and 13 grams of protein, that would be 10 calories per gram of protein. I use that metric to evaluate foods in the store from what's on the labels. I can do the math roughly in my head, decide whether the food meets my criteria. (Obviously - I hope - there are other criteria I consider when choosing foods, including yum factor, but this is one.)

I think this concept could be useful for anyone trying to increase protein, but the exact number thresholds would be an individual choice.

I'm a vegetarian. I figure any single food is a reasonable vegetarian protein source if it has around 10 or fewer calories per gram of protein. If a multi-ingredient food (like a frozen entree, maybe) has 20 to sometimes even 30 calories per gram of protein, it's an OK-ish choice.

So, in snack-ville, Babybel Light cheese is 50 calories, 5 grams protein, 10 calories per protein gram. To me, good protein snack.

Peanuts have about 159 calories per 28 grams (about an ounce, maybe 15-20 peanuts depending on size), and 7.28 grams of protein, so 21.8 calories per gram of protein. To me, not a great protein snack. (That doesn't mean I never eat peanuts!)

US standard large eggs have 70 calories, 6 grams of protein, 11.6 calories per protein calories. To me, not ideal as a protein snack, but probably close enough to choose a hard-boiled egg sometimes if it sounds good. Smoosh the yoke with some plain nonfat Greek yogurt and some near-zero calorie spices and a little salt to make a deviled egg, it's probably going to cross the hurdle into really tasty and plenty close enough (since the Greek yogurt adds a smidge of protein and few calories).

I've done the arithmetic above with a calculator because why not, but in the store I'd just be doing rough math in my head. I also want to underscore that the ratios are not bright lines for me, just a quick, easy way to get a rough reading on ONE criterion for picking a food.

OP: As protein-y vegetarian snacks, I eat Greek yogurt (maybe with frozen berries and a little peanut butter powder), calorie efficient cheeses that I find tasty (usually plain, without crackers or anything - don't love crackers), dry-roasted edamame, crispy broad beans (more than 10 calories per protein gram but I like 'em), sometimes the egg, coffee with lots of hot skim milk (could add a dash of vanilla extract or some such), cottage cheese, among other things.

For sure, I'd use different values if I weren't vegetarian, because meat-y fish-y foods usually can have fewer calories than protein gram than vegetarian ones, so if I prioritized protein as an omni, I'd be looking for fewer calories per protein gram. (I also think about completeness of the protein, in terms of essential amino acid balance, and bioavailability, things that wouldn't usually be a big deal with animal-source protein.)

Corina1143

I've been playing. You know those meringue cookies. Basically only egg whites=high protein and sugar. Well I found a recipe for only egg whites, pb2, and as much as you like of low cal sugar substitute. Im not a big sweets eater, so I made them with no sweetener. I loved them. It got me thinking. What about adding just a little parmesan, or maybe mozzarella to the egg whites? Maybe a little dill? For crunchy to go with a salad? It's an easy (small) hit of protein.

https://app.samsungfood.com/recipes/1070188921caa20735d9930e7b84a4bd495
I used liquid egg whites. Yes, the very kind she said not to use. I also added pbfit. It made 2 big loaves. It's not really bread, wouldn't hold together for a sandwich. I just have it for a snack. I imagine most people would add a little sugar or fruit. Or would it be good with grated cheese folded in?

zebasschick

non-fat greek yogurt (some are very tasty)
cottage cheese
egg whites either hard boiled or in a recipe
quest protein chips (my favorite is the chili and lime - yum!)
protein drink (my abso fave sweet is syntrax sweets vanilla bean torte with non-fat milk)
protein bars (my go-tos are quest double chocolate chunk and think! chocolate fudge)
quest mini protein bars (80 calories each, 8 grams of protein when you don't want to eat a regular sized bar)
low fat string cheese sticks or low fat cheddar sticks

i find nuts and seeds are either heavy on carbs or fats, as a rule, so if i'm looking for mostly protein, i pass on them. but sometimes i heat up some edamame and riced cauliflower, add either a tangy salad dressing or a serving and a half of a low sodium soup mix, stir it up and enjoy.

springlering62

I’m cutting for the past couple weeks, due to lower than usual activity/minor injury.

I’m running about 1900-2200/day and averaging about 160gr/day protein.

My diary is open, if you care to have a look. You might pick up some ideas there.

I usually prelog several days out, too, but fair warning: have not yet logged dinner, and it may be a cluster since it’s Bunco Babes Christmas Party and I got the utter stink eye last month when I brought my usual vat of airpopped popcorn. So for holiday’s sake and peace and goodwill and all that, the vat stays home tonight. “Cut” may turn in to “Crud” as in, “oh crud, I ate all that?”

EricExtreme

I use pea protein isolate or canned light tuna as my protein snacks.