High-protein snacks

Twelve high-protein snacks worth eating, each with the real protein number and a one-line how. A mix of make-it and grab-it, honest about the duds.

1. 01

   Cottage cheese + everything-bagel seasoning, 14g

   Half a cup of full-fat cottage cheese with a shake of everything-bagel seasoning and cracked pepper. The seasoning is what turns a bland tub into something you want to finish, and the protein is real with no powder involved. Get the 4% kind because the low-fat version weeps water and tastes thin.

2. 02

   Greek yogurt, plain whole-milk, with honey, 17g

   Three-quarters of a cup of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, a few walnuts. Plain is the move because the flavoured tubs swap protein density for sugar. Fage 5% and Chobani Whole Milk both land near 17g a serving and stay thick enough to eat with a fork.

3. 03

   Hard-boiled eggs, two, 12g

   Two eggs, boiled nine minutes, cooled in cold water, salted. The most honest grab-it snack there is: roughly 6g of protein each, no label to read, keeps a week in the fridge. Boil a batch on Sunday and the decision is made for the rest of the week.

4. 04

   Tuna pouch on rice cakes, 20g

   A single pouch of tuna in water, drained, forked onto two rice cakes with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Pouches skip the can-and-drain mess and travel in a bag. One pouch is around 20g, which is more than most protein bars deliver for half the price.

5. 05

   Edamame, steamed in the pod, 17g

   A cup of frozen edamame, steamed or microwaved four minutes, finished with flaky salt. You pod them as you eat, which slows you down, and a full cup is a genuine 17g of plant protein plus fiber. Buy them in the pod, not shelled, for the salt-and-snack ritual.

6. 06

   Roasted chickpeas, 7g per half cup

   Tinned chickpeas, rinsed, dried hard, tossed in oil and smoked paprika, roasted at 200C until they rattle. Worth being honest: at 7g a half cup this is the lowest-protein pick here, so it earns its place on crunch and fiber, not protein alone. Eat them the day you make them or they go chewy.

7. 07

   String cheese, two sticks, 14g

   Two part-skim mozzarella sticks, the most boring effective snack in the fridge. About 7g each, portioned for you, no prep, no mess. It is not exciting, but it is reliably 14g of protein you can keep in a desk drawer or a gym bag for a few hours without worry.

8. 08

   Cottage cheese + canned pineapple, 16g

   Half a cup of cottage cheese with a few chunks of pineapple in juice, not syrup. The acid and sweetness cut the dairy in a way the savoury version cannot, so this is the one to reach for when you want something closer to dessert. Drain the pineapple or the bowl goes watery.

9. 09

   Turkey or beef jerky, 11g per ounce

   An ounce of jerky, around 11g, shelf-stable and packable for travel. The catch is sodium and sneaky sugar, so read the label and pick a brand under 5g of sugar like Chomps or a plain Jack Link's cut. Good for a car or a plane, not an everyday desk snack given the salt.

10. 10

    Peanut butter on apple slices, 8g

    One sliced apple with two tablespoons of natural peanut butter for dipping. The protein is modest at 8g and it leans more on fiber and fat to keep you full, so treat it as a satisfying snack rather than a protein hit. Buy peanut butter whose only ingredients are peanuts and salt.

11. 11

    Skyr, plain, 18g per pot

    A 150g pot of plain skyr, the Icelandic strained yogurt, thicker than Greek and a touch higher in protein for the same calories. Siggi's and Icelandic Provisions both run near 18g a pot. Buy plain and add your own fruit because the flavoured versions carry a lot of added sugar.

12. 12

    A genuinely good protein bar, 20g

    When you cannot make anything, a bar earns its spot if the label is honest. Look for 20g of protein, sugar under 8g, and a short ingredient list. Barebells and a plain RXBAR clear that bar. Most of the rest are sweets with whey dust, so this is the one category where the brand really matters.