22 Must-try 100-calorie Protein Snack Ideas

Not all snacks are created equal! Here are some nutritious, low-calorie, high-protein snack ideas for those days when you need an extra energy boost.

Even though snacking has developed somewhat of a bad reputation over the years, snacks can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle. Snacks play an essential role in a balanced diet, from providing energy between meals to fuelling a workout or helping you recover after a run or a long walk.

The right snacks can not only provide you with the proper nutrients but also bring some joy to your day-to-day life.

Remember, when it comes to how much protein you need, the RDA is 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight. per day. But you'll want to double that and aim for 1.6-2.2g protein per kg of body weight if you're building muscle.

Whatever your goal is, we hope our list of low-calorie high-protein snacks will give you some ideas for those days when you need an extra boost of energy.

Please note that nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on the ingredients used (so always pay attention to the labels!)

13 Savoury High Protein Low Calorie Snacks

The ideas below can be used as they are or as inspiration for your own experiments. Don’t be afraid to play around with different seasonings, vegetables, dressings and dips to discover exciting new flavour combinations.

• A small serving of Huel Mac & Cheese: 100 Calories, 6.3g protein. Comes with plenty of micronutrients^[1].

• A dollop (18g) of reduced-fat hummus: 108 Calories, 3.6g protein. Enjoy with fresh vegetables like carrot, celery and cucumber sticks.^[2]

• 15 almonds: 104 Calories, 3.8g protein.^[3] a great little bite, perfect for snacking on the go. Try roasting almonds in salt or spices for an extra delicious snack.

• 17 peanuts: 95 - 100 Calories, 4.4g protein.^[4] Peanuts are among the most protein-rich nuts and an excellent biotin source. Have them on their own or mix them with spices (smoked paprika, maple syrup, salt and cumin) for a more nutritious savoury snack.

• Cheese!
  Hear us out... While cheese can be higher in fat, it is also an excellent source of protein, calcium, and several other nutrients.^[5] Not all cheeses are created equal, so the key is knowing which one to choose.

  • 60g of Eatlean protein cheese: ~100 Calories, 22.2g protein^[6]. Tasty on its own or melted in a jacket potato for a more substantial snack or light meal.

  • 60g of reduced-fat cream cheese: 90 Calories, 4.5g protein. Use it as a dip for your vegetable sticks, or blend it with some capers, dill and black pepper for a satisfying spread on a rye cracker or rice cake.

• Two Linda McCartney vegan sausages: 128 Calories, 15.5g protein. Serve with a side salad to create a more substantial and filling meal.

• Boiled egg: 74 Calories, 6.2g protein^[7]: Whilst a plain boiled egg may sound a bit boring, this can easily be transformed into a nutritious and tasty snack. Try serving it with all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, nutritional yeast flakes, smoked paprika or celery salt and pepper for four different flavours.

• A portion of crispy garlic black pepper tofu: 100 Calories, 10g protein. Cook a batch and store it in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. A savoury and satisfying snack that you can make at home! (Black Pepper Tofu recipe here)

• A handful of roasted chickpeas (about a quarter of a tin): 120 Calories, 6g of protein. Dry roast them at 200C° in the oven for 20 minutes, then mix them with dried oregano, salt, lemon juice, garlic powder and nutritional yeast to make a vegan-friendly cheese-flavoured snack.

• One 100-calorie cheese and egg muffin: 100 Calories, 7g protein. From keto muffins to low-calorie spinach and mozzarella muffins, there is a recipe for every taste. Our calculations are based on this veggie-filled recipe: Veg Muffins Recipe.

• Edamame beans – another low calorie^[8], high protein favourite that can be prepared in many ways:

  • 40g edamame roasted with 15g parmesan^[9]: 107 Calories, 9g protein. Simply season with salt and pepper, toss in parmesan and roast for 15 minutes.

  • 50g edamame East-Asian style: 116 Calories, 15g protein. Cook the edamame beans and dress with 1 tbsp of each: soy sauce^[10] and sesame seeds^[11].

Six Sweet High Protein Low Calorie Snacks

Craving something sweet? We’ve got you covered. Low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yoghurt are great base ingredients for fruity snacks, as they are low in calories, high in protein, and incredibly versatile.

• Huel Complete Protein: 105 Calories, 20g protein^[12]. Packed full of protein and ready in seconds, this is the perfect on-the-go snack for when your body needs an energy kick.

• 200g of 0% Greek yoghurt: 108 Calories, 20.6g protein^[13]. Try adding some fresh or frozen fruit like blueberries or strawberries.

• 200g blackberries: 86 Calories, 2.8g protein^[14]. Delicious on their own or as a topping.

• 100g of reduced-fat cottage cheese: 84 Calories, 10.6g protein^[15]. Cottage cheese is a highly versatile product. Drizzle it with vanilla essence and top it with kiwi, peaches or pineapple for an exotic twist or berries for a refreshing fruity treat. You can also sprinkle some cinnamon on top for a sweet kick.

• Five protein cookies: 105 Calories, 5g protein. Meringue, cookies and protein? Sign us up! They may not look the prettiest, but they have a good amount of protein and are perfect for when you are craving something sweet. (Protein cookies recipe)

• One slice of low calorie, no sugar, healthy cheesecake: 93 Calories, 6g protein. We love a healthy dessert (that doesn’t sacrifice taste), and this sounds right up our street. (Healthy cheesecake recipe)

Three Low-calorie High-protein Dipping Sauces for Snacking

These highly versatile sauces can be used for anything – as salad dressings, dips for fresh vegetables, or even as side sauces for vegetable fritters or wedges. All three dipping sauces use yoghurt as their base, giving them body, flavour, and impressive amounts of protein at reduced calories.

• One generous portion of coriander and chilli dip: 94 Calories, 15.8g protein. Blend together in a food processor: a bunch of coriander with stalks, 150g of zero fat yoghurt, salt, pepper, 1 small garlic clove, one green chilli, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Season to taste.

• Three tablespoons of low-calorie sundried tomatoes dip: 100 Calories, 11.4g protein. This dip is perfect with crackers and raw vegetables. Soak 65g of tomatoes (not oil-packed) in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain. Blend together in a food processor: sundried tomatoes, 125g of Greek yoghurt, a teaspoon of salt, 1 garlic clove and a few springs of fresh dill.

• One substantial portion of yoghurt mustard dressing: 94 Calories, 10.4g protein. Zingy and refreshing, this sauce works particularly well with baked or fresh vegetables. Mix together 100g of zero fat yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of your nicest olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar and 1 minced garlic clove. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the ingredients. Once you learn which ones bring the most protein, you can come up with your very own delicious snack combinations and treats!

References

1. https://huel.com/pages/the-huel-hot-savory-formula-explained

2. https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/essential-reduced-fat-houmous/048879-24324-24325

3. https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/almonds?portionid=35301&portionamount=15.000#:~:text=There%20are%20104%20calories%20in%2015%20Almonds.

4. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1100536/nutrients

5. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cheese/

6. https://eatlean.com/product/eatlean-cheese-350g/

7. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/748967/nutrients

8. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168410/nutrients

9. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/325036/nutrients

10. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174278/nutrients

11. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170150/nutrients

12. https://uk.huel.com/products/huel-complete-protein

13. https://uk.fage/yoghurts/fage-total-0

14. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173946/nutrients

15. https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-reduced-fat-natural-cottage-cheese-505620011