Ideas to include protein into snacks (without high carbs)

raeraelaw

I need some help to increase my daily protein intake. I'm always over on carbs, but never eat enough protein. Any ideas for high protein snacks, other than greek yogurt and protein bars and shakes?

thanks!:flowerforyou:

Cdcaldwe

Jack Link's has strips of meat packaged. They are usually only 120-150 calories. They might push your sodium a little bit. But when i am traveling i always have a supply handy.

winneau

String cheese, a handful of nuts, cottage cheese, edamame beans or dry-roasted soy nuts, sardines, smoked salmon, etc. I've been working on the same issue.

eates

cheese sticks, pepperoni (or turkey pepperoni), eggs

dafoots0911

Sting cheese and peanut butter.

mayasmom

hard boiled eggs ... I peel one in the morning and bring it to work in a baggie or little tupperware ... it's a great source of protein that's easy and portable.

hifinm

Omelette with turkey and cheese. Beef Jerky, Plain grilled chicken breast, Tuna,

dragonbug300

I take sliced deli meats and wrap them around celery.

dianediaz

Hi there - Good idea to increase your protein. So maybe add in some almonds. Although they have fat it's the heart healthy fat. Almond butter is also a nice choice. Chicken is high in protein. And many people don't know but Quinoa (a grain) has protein. I try to stick with natural sources of protein versus the powdered/bar kind. Plus sometimes those protein bars and powders are high in sugar so they still have a ton of calories and you end up crashing later from the sugar. And be sure to include protein in every main meal - breakfast, lunch, dinner. That way you will end up getting the amount of protein you need each day.

Good luck!
Diane

laurenbt

Just add a couple of hard boiled egg whites into your daily menu. Pure protein! Also, I make and eat turkey meatballs and have a teaspoon of marinara on them . Yum!

TipMcE

Hi,
You could try cheese, eggs, nuts (including nut butters). Watch the calories on the nuts though. You can also go for low carb breads. Meat has zero carbs, so you could have lean turkey breast slices. Jarlsberg makes a decent low fat swiss cheese that has 0 carbs, 50 calories per serving and 7 g of protein.
Also when you eat any food with more than 5g or fiber per serving you can deduct half of the fiber count from the carb count. I know MFP doesn't do this but my nutritionist taught me that trick when I had to limit carbs when I had gestational diabetes. So, if you eat something that has 6 g of fiber and 10 carbs, you can count it at 7 carbs. Try to get your carbs from whole gains. They get broken down more slowly by your system and won't result in a sugar spike. Plus they're better for your digestive tract. When I had GD I liked to eat the Atkins bars as a snack. The calories weren't super low but they had a good amount of protein and very little carbs. Hope this helps!

ajbeans

Canned tuna
Chicken breast
Dairy products
Peanuts and peanut butter (although that will have the carbs from sugar)

Also, you could look into a protein powder. I used to swear off them because it sounded gross, but I started drinking the shakes when I was sick and couldn't eat. Now I'm continuing to drink them and I feel so much better because I'm able to get that protein number up.

shelbygeorge29

I love, love, love cottage cheese, which is a great option. Have you ever tried protein powder? Just need to watch the sugar content. They can be mixed with either milk (more protein!) or water depending on how many calories you have to allot. Even better, make your shake then add to a blender filled with ice and you think you're having a milkshake. YUM! I'm a big fan of the Optimum Nutrition brand, I usually stick to chocolate and vanilla. If you head over to bodybuilding.com and the forums there, they have lots of recipes to create bars wth protein powder, nuts, oatmeal, etc. to make delicious, nutritious and filling snacks that aren't calorically dense. Those ladies (I primarily read the women's forums, a bit more focused and mature) also know some crazy tricks with cottage cheese to turn that info an amazing treat.

Chicken is a great go to. At the beginning of the week I'll marinate a couple pounds of chick breasts in either italian dressing or low sodium/sugar teriyaki, grill them up and cut into chucks then throw in the fridge. Very satisfying snack, and you also have protein at the ready for a quick lunch or dinner. Sounds kind of weird, but chicken breast slathered with PB and a big salad or pile of steamed veggies is divine! I'm very satisfied and nutrition wise it's spot on.

Try to stay away from deli and other processed meats if you can, but in a pinch they'll do. The sodium and the nitrates are not your friends in this journey.

Happy losing!

hockey7fan

Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese wedge with grapes or apple slices is my go to afternoon snack.

auntiekj

I usually go for the Cheese, a hard boiled egg, Celery with some reduced fat peanut butter. Or after my workout a good old glass of milk with a scoop of protein powder.

daniran

Lentils, tofu are good ones. But Green vegetables have the most protein per calorie.