Best Protein Snacks to Fill You Up

You don't have to limit your protein rich snacks to just one food group. You can combine food groups into one snack. Think about these creative and simple ways to create some of the best protein snacks around.

• Add chopped deli meat, salt, pepper, and chives to cottage cheese for a savory snack.
• Spread hummus on a few slices of lean deli meat and roll up for a quick snack packed with protein.
• Stir some peanut butter into a container of Greek yogurt for a unique flavor with some extra protein.

If you are on a high protein diet, you are probably familiar with lean meats like chicken and steak. Getting plenty of protein at meal times if often much easier than getting protein in a quick snack. However, there are plenty of healthy snacks that are rich in protein which you can enjoy throughout the day. Here are some of the main categories of protein rich snacks.

• Dairy
• Nuts
• Meat
• Cheese
• Beans

A lot of dairy products are full of protein. If you are a dairy lover, there are many options available to get a quick, protein rich snack. Here are some of the best protein snacks you can find in the dairy aisle of the grocery store.

• Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a wonderful option when it comes to getting a protein rich snack. It is easy to carry with you and it is generally high in protein. Although plain Greek yogurt contains less sugar than flavored varieties, many different flavors are available including strawberry, coconut, and honey. You can also create your own flavors of Greek yogurt by adding your own ingredients.
• Regular Yogurt: Although not as high in protein as Greek yogurt, plain yogurt also contains protein. Like Greek yogurt, regular yogurt is available in many flavors. It is easy to add some fresh fruit and granola and make a delicious yogurt parfait.
• Milk: If you enjoy a glass of milk, you will be pleased to learn that drinking a glass of milk is an easy way to get some extra protein. An eight-ounce glass of skim milk contains approximately 8 grams of protein.
• Cottage Cheese: This creamy, rich cheese is an easy way to get protein. Half a cup of low fat cottage cheese contains about 14 grams of protein, and you can add in fruit or other ingredients of your choice.
• Cheese: Cheese is full of protein as long as you eat real cheese (not processed cheese products like Velveeta or Cheez Whiz). Many different varieties of cheese are available so you can choose the one you like best.

Nuts are full of protein, and you can select many varieties to suit your taste including peanuts, cashews, and almonds. Whether you want a handful of peanuts or something more creative, nuts can be a great way to get a satisfying snack that's full of protein. Here are some of the best protein snacks when it comes to nuts.

• Peanut Butter. You can spread peanut butter on low calorie fruits and vegetables like apples or celery for a healthy snack. You can also use peanut butter as an ingredient in healthy snack recipes, like Nigella Lawson's peanut butter hummus recipe.
• Trail Mix or Nut Mix. Although many different trail and nut mixes are available for sale, you can make your own to control the calories and ingredients included.
• Other Nut Butters. Besides peanut butter, other nut butters are rich in protein like almond butter or cashew butter. You can usually find these products in the health food aisle of a grocery store, or at a specialty health food shop.

Lean meats are a great source of protein, but they don't have to be used only in meals. These are the best protein snacks that contain meat.

• Jerky. Dried beef, deer, or other meat is a tasty snack that is packed with protein. Many varieties of jerky are low in calories and still very flavorful and satisfying.
• Meat Roll Ups. You can create your own snack out of a cold slice of deli meat and some other items like sliced cheese, hummus, or cream cheese spread. Just layer the ingredients on top of each other, roll up and enjoy.
• Meat Sticks. Sticks made from varieties of meat like beef, turkey, or pork make snacks that are easily portable and packed with protein.

Beans aren't just high in protein, they're also high in fiber. Here are the best protein snacks made from beans.

• Bean dips.Dips like hummus and white bean dips are flavorful and can be made inexpensively at home.
• Bean chips. Many snack foods like chips and puffs that are made from beans are available in health food stores.
• Roasted beans. Roasted garbanzo beans and other beans are full of protein and flavor.