5 PROTEIN RICH SNACK IDEAS
Do you find yourself nibbling in between meals or throughout the day? Are you nibbling on foods that you know are not the best but they’re available so you grab it anyway? The keyword here is available. As you plan your day, be prepared and have healthy and enjoyable high protein snacks on hand! Why high in protein? Foods that are high in protein will keep you satisfied and feeling full. Protein is also the building blocks of muscle and our objective is to always build muscle & burn fat!
Here are 5 easy high protein snacks to keep you satisfied throughout your day!
#1. TRAIL MIX
The best part of trail mixes is that you can custom create your own to satisfy your needs! Choose your favorite nuts and seeds (raw & unsalted), add raisins, dried apricot, craisins and/or shredded unsweetened coconut flakes. Shake together and use a ¼ measuring cup and place into little containers or snack plastic bags! Portioning out your snacks allows you to make sure you’re eating the correct size amount and helps prep you so you have enough to last you throughout the week!
#2. NO BAKE 5 INGREDIENT ENERGY BALLS
These energy balls are full of complex carbs, healthy fat and protein! In addition, they feel as though you are eating a cookie but you’re not! I highly recommend these for your grab-and-go options. They take minutes to make and can be enjoyed at any time of the day!
Ingredients (24 balls):
1 ¾ Cup Raw Oats
¾ Cup Natural Peanut or Almond Butter
1/3 Cup Local Honey
¼ Cup Chia Seeds
85% or above Dark Chocolate (Recommend: Green & Black)
Directions:
In a bowl, blend together all the above ingredients. Warning, this get sticky! Rinse your hands with medium/warm water and use a hefty tablespoon to portion out your balls. Use palm of your hands in circular motion to create the energy balls! Place into a zip lock bag or container and place in the refrigerator for consumption! It’s as easy as that!
#3. SEASONED EDAMAME
Did you know, 1 cup of edamame has 17g of protein, 15g of carbs and 8g of fat. Making this snack nutritious and keeping you full! These are highly addictive due to their crunch texture! So, if you’re a texture person (like myself), these are for you!
Ingredients:
16oz Frozen Edamame
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Optional: ½ Tablespoon Parm Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Blend all ingredients together and spread on lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until edamame is crispy! Make sure to watch this and stir 2-3 times throughout the 15 minutes to get an even crisp.
#4. ANTS ON A LOG
I am bringing us back to childhood! Although this is not a very unique snack, it should be marked as your staple and go-to snack option. This is not only great for us adults but as well for your kids! Natural Peanut Butter is great source of protein and healthy fat which will satisfy that belly (option to use any nut butter of choice, as long as it is 100% natural!). Best part, it takes seconds to prepare and satisfies that crunch texture and curbs any sweet tooth!
Ingredients:
Celery Stick
1-2 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
Optional: Raisins
Directions:
Clean and break celery sticks in half. Place peanut butter & raisins on top and enjoy!
#5. HONEY CINNAMON ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Honey, cinnamon and chickpeas? Say what?! Who knew the blend of these ingredients created such an addictive snack! All I’m going to say is, don’t knock it til you try it!
Ingredients:
Yields about 2 cups
15 ounce can garbanzo beans (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons coconut oil (melted) 1 tablespoon honey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
Drain and rinse garbanzo beans, running them under cool water for several minutes to clean off the starch. You may optionally remove the skins from the beans (it does take a few minutes) or you can leave them on—it's your personal preference. Dry off the beans.
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and cinnamon. Place beans in bowl and stir until evenly coated. Spread out the beans on a large baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until beans are crunchy and no longer soft in the middle. Test taste every few minutes until desired texture is reached.
Place hot, roasted beans in a small bowl and coat evenly with honey. Spread beans back out on baking sheet and allow to dry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Enjoy! :)
