Power up with these nourishing treats.
For SELF, by Audrey Bruno.
Photo: Dana and John Shultz via minimalistbaker.com
When you come down with a snack attack, it's important to choose your sustenance wisely. A bag of chips may squash your salt hankerings, but it's probably not actually going to hold you over for very long. You need something more substantial to really knock out those hunger pangs and keep you feeling satiated throughout your day. You need something high in protein.
Unlike the carbs in those chips, protein takes a long time to digest. The amino acids that make up protein take a while to break down and utilize, explains Rebecca Scritchfield, R.D., host of the Body Kindness Podcast, keeping you satisfied longer. (Your body uses the amino acids in protein to repair and develop your muscles, which is why it's so important to stock up on this nutrient after a workout.)
The right amount of protein is different for everyone. Scritchfield recommends eating about 0.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, but this could vary depending on your body type and level of activity. One thing she warns against? Eating all your protein at once. "You don't need a bunch of protein to get the satiating effect," she says. In fact if you do eat too much protein, your body is more likely to store the excess nutrient as fat, she explains.
So you're going to want to spread out when you eat protein throughout the day, and that's where these snacks come in. These 14 recipes have enough protein to give you the boost you need to get from meal to meal. Plus, most of them are easy to store and transport to work. Keep them at your desk or in your office fridge for whenever hunger strikes.
1. Edamame Avocado Hummus from Well Plated 
Photo: Erin Clarke via wellplated.com
Edamame has an unexpectedly large amount of protein--17 grams per one cup. You can find it in the freezer section of most grocery stores and defrost it to snack on all by itself, or in this spin on hummus. This recipe will keep in the fridge for three to five days, so make a large batch of it at the beginning of the week so you always have an emergency high-protein snack on hand. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 169 calories; 5 grams protein
2. Frozen Greek Yogurt Bar With Pomegranate & Dark Chocolate from Live Eat Learn
Sarah Bond via liveeatlearn.com
Greek yogurt is another great source of protein. Unfortunately, this frozen treat is not something you can easily sneak to the office, as it's likely to melt on your way there. Keep it in your freezer for a satiating dessert or after work treat. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 83 calories; 2.5 grams protein
3. Smoky BBQ Spiced Pumpkin Seeds from SkinnyTaste
Gina Homolka via skinnytaste.com
When cooking pumpkin, don't forget to reserve the seeds--they're not-so-secretly packing the protein (one ounce has 9 grams!). Plus they're easy to roast and store for long periods of time, and make a great crunchy addition to tons of recipes. Take this spicy spin to the office and snack on it throughout the day. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 81 calories; 3 grams protein
4. Cheesy Chia Seed Crackers from The Iron You
Photo: Mike Brosio via theironyou.com
Each of these crackers has 1 gram of protein. That may not seem like a lot, but with each cracker clocking only 20 calories, a handful of these will get you quite a bit of that important nutrient. You can thank chia seeds, almond meal, parmesan cheese, and an egg for the surplus of protein in this recipe. Get the recipe here.
Per One Cracker: 20 calories; 1 gram protein
5. Banana Oatmeal Fitness Cookies from Hurry The Food Up
Photo: Kat Gröber, Dave Bell, and Howie Fox via hurrythefoodup.com
Satisfy your sweet tooth and fill up on protein at the same time with these nutritious cookies. You'll find oats, walnuts, and sesame seeds in this recipe--all great sources of protein. Eating four cookies will cost you less than 200 calories, and get you 4 grams of protein closer to the daily recommended amount. Get the recipe here.
Per One Cookie: 43 calories; 1 grams protein
Related: 10 Healthy Snacks That Only Need 3 Ingredients
6. Spicy Garlic Edamame from SkinnyTaste
Photo: Gina Homolka via skinnytaste.com
Back at it again with high-protein favorite, edamame! This snack is so simple to make, you can whip it up at home in less than three minutes. Make a bunch ahead of time and pop it in the office microwave when you're feeling famished. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 152 calories; 10 grams protein
7. Banana Matcha Energy Bites from Two Purple Figs
Photo: Mahy Elamin via twopurplefigs.com
These bars get a high protein count from an assortment of nutritious and familiar ingredients--oats, seeds, nuts, and flax powder are all great sources of protein. Bonus: Matcha powder is also a secretly a protein-packer, and just 3 grams has 1 gram of protein. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 197 calories; 6.5 grams protein
8. Cajun Trail Mix from Eating Bird Food
Photo: Brittany Mullins via eatingbirdfood.com
Trail mix is another easy-to-store high-protein favorite. This spicy version is very easy to eat--if you're looking to lose weight, be sure not to accidentally munch on more than one serving at snack time. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 190 calories; 7 grams protein
9. Almond-Poppy Crackers from The Iron You
Photo: Mike Brosio via theironyou.com
A great way to give these high-protein crackers an extra kick? Top them with another protein-packed ingredient. They'll taste great with a goat cheese spread or a nut butter of your choosing. Get the recipe here.
Per One Cracker: 60 calories; 2 grams protein
10. Vegan Double Chocolate Protein Fudge from Nutritionist In The Kitch
Photo: Christal Sczebel via nutritionistinthekitch.com
Thought fudge was just for dessert? Think again. Instead of using actual chocolate, this treat gets that same gooey, fudge-like texture and taste from ground dates and raw cocoa powder. An assortment of almond ingredients (butter, milk, and raw chopped almonds) kick up the protein count. If you're looking for an extra boost, definitely include the extra oats which are listed as optional in the recipe. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 150 calories; 10 grams protein
11. Crispy Crunchy Ranch Chickpeas from Kim's Cravings
Photo: Kim Lee via kimscravings.com
Always try to keep chickpeas on hand. One cup has 15 grams of protein, and cans of chickpeas are incredibly affordable and easy to store in your pantry. This recipe has that same satisfying salty-quality you could get from a bag of chips, with a fraction of the calories. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 71 calories; 3 grams protein
12. 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites from Minimalist Baker
Photo: Dana and John Shultz via minimalistbaker.com
Think of these no-bake goodies as cake-pops that are actually good for you. Again, dates help give it that same baked good aesthetic--chia seeds, nut butter, and oats turn it into a satisfying snack. Get the recipe here.
Per One Ball: 92 calories; 2 grams protein
Related: 10 Healthy Snacks That Only Need 3 Ingredients
13. Vegan Pizza Poppers from Kim's Cravings
Photo: Kim Lee via kimscravings.com
Pizza flavor + protein = perfection. Ground flax seed and whole wheat flour are the secrets behind the high protein count in these bites. Eat about five of them for a complete snack. Get the recipe here.
Per One Pizza Bite: 38 calories; 1 gram protein
14. Protein Power Snack With Chocolate And Cashew from The Awesome Green
Photo: Ana via theawesomegreen.com
These bars are covered in dark chocolate (yay!) and super satisfying. All the usual high-protein ingredients (seeds, oats, nut butter) make appearances in the recipe, but what takes it to the next level is a dollop of tahini. One tablespoon of this umami-blast has 3 grams of protein, and turns this recipe into the sweet and savory treat you didn't know you needed. Get the recipe here.
Per One Serving: 196 calories; 5 grams protein
