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Protein Snack Finder

The Best Protein Snacks of 2026, Ranked by Protein Density

The best protein snacks give you at least 10 g of protein per serving with little added sugar. Ranked by protein per 100 calories, canned light tuna (22.6 g), plain nonfat Greek yogurt (17.3 g) and 1% cottage cheese (17.2 g) lead our list. Among packaged snacks, the Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar scores 11.1 g.

Updated 513 snacks comparedHow we rank

Top 10 ranked by protein per 100 calories
RankSnackProtein (g)CaloriesProtein per 100 kcalSugar (g)Diets
1Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna PouchSafe Catch2611023.60Keto-friendly
2Light Tuna in Water PouchBumble Bee146023.30Keto-friendly
3Chocolate Ultra Protein Milk ShakeSlate3013023.11Keto-friendlyGluten-free
4Vanilla Protein Milk ShakeSlate3013023.11Keto-friendly
5Wild Skipjack TunaWild Planet3214022.9–Keto-friendly
6Lightly Marinated Premium Chunk Light TunaStarKist12.75722.30.4Keto-friendly
7Wild Albacore Tuna PouchSafe Catch22100220Keto-friendly
8Hickory Smoked Teriyaki Beef JerkyPony Express136021.70Keto-friendly
9Lemon Pepper Seasoned TunaBumble Bee199021.11Keto-friendlyGluten-free
10French Vanilla High Protein Milk ShakeSlate209620.81Keto-friendlyGluten-free

Best by category

Best by diet

The top 10, up close

We may earn a commission when you buy through links marked as affiliate links. It never changes the ranking, which is based only on the nutrition numbers.

  1. Safe Catch Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna Pouch package front

    1.Safe Catch Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna Pouch

    Safe Catch Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna Pouch: 26 g of protein and 110 calories per serving (23.6 g protein per 100 calories) and no sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 0 g net carbs per serving.

    26 g protein, 110 cal, 23.6 g per 100 cal, 0 g sugar per 1 portion (85.048 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 23.6 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Contains fish

    Full nutrition for Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna PouchBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  2. 2.Bumble Bee Light Tuna in Water Pouch

    Bumble Bee Light Tuna in Water Pouch: 14 g of protein and 60 calories per serving (23.3 g protein per 100 calories) and no sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 0 g net carbs per serving.

    14 g protein, 60 cal, 23.3 g per 100 cal, 0 g sugar per 1 POUCH (60 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 23.3 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Contains fish

    Full nutrition for Light Tuna in Water PouchBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  3. Slate Chocolate Ultra Protein Milk Shake package front

    3.Slate Chocolate Ultra Protein Milk Shake

    Slate Chocolate Ultra Protein Milk Shake: 30 g of protein and 130 calories per serving (23.1 g protein per 100 calories), with just 1 g sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. Its label claims: gluten-free. It fits keto targets at 2 g net carbs per serving.

    30 g protein, 130 cal, 23.1 g per 100 cal, 1 g sugar per 1 serving (325 ml)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 23.1 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4)

    Full nutrition for Chocolate Ultra Protein Milk ShakeBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  4. Slate Vanilla Protein Milk Shake package front

    4.Slate Vanilla Protein Milk Shake

    Slate Vanilla Protein Milk Shake: 30 g of protein and 130 calories per serving (23.1 g protein per 100 calories), with just 1 g sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 1 g net carbs per serving.

    30 g protein, 130 cal, 23.1 g per 100 cal, 1 g sugar per 11 fl. oz. (11 fl. oz.)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 23.1 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4)

    Full nutrition for Vanilla Protein Milk ShakeBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  5. Wild Planet Wild Skipjack Tuna package front

    5.Wild Planet Wild Skipjack Tuna

    Wild Planet Wild Skipjack Tuna: 32 g of protein and 140 calories per serving (22.9 g protein per 100 calories). That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 0 g net carbs per serving.

    32 g protein, 140 cal, 22.9 g per 100 cal per 1 Can (142 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 22.9 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    High sodium: 450 mg per serving (20% of the 2,300 mg daily limit)

    Full nutrition for Wild Skipjack TunaBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  6. StarKist Lightly Marinated Premium Chunk Light Tuna package front

    6.StarKist Lightly Marinated Premium Chunk Light Tuna

    StarKist Lightly Marinated Premium Chunk Light Tuna: 12.7 g of protein and 57 calories per serving (22.3 g protein per 100 calories) and no sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 0.4 g net carbs per serving.

    12.7 g protein, 57 cal, 22.3 g per 100 cal, 0.4 g sugar per 2 ONZ (56 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 22.3 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4)

    Full nutrition for Lightly Marinated Premium Chunk Light TunaBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  7. Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna Pouch package front

    7.Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna Pouch

    Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna Pouch: 22 g of protein and 100 calories per serving (22 g protein per 100 calories) and no sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 0 g net carbs per serving.

    22 g protein, 100 cal, 22 g per 100 cal, 0 g sugar per 3 oz. (85 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 22 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Contains fish

    Full nutrition for Wild Albacore Tuna PouchBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  8. 8.Pony Express Hickory Smoked Teriyaki Beef Jerky

    Pony Express Hickory Smoked Teriyaki Beef Jerky: 13 g of protein and 60 calories per serving (21.7 g protein per 100 calories) and no sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense meat snacks in our catalog. It fits keto targets at 1 g net carbs per serving.

    13 g protein, 60 cal, 21.7 g per 100 cal, 0 g sugar per 1 ONZ (28 g)

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 21.7 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    High sodium: 510 mg per serving (22% of the 2,300 mg daily limit)

    Full nutrition for Hickory Smoked Teriyaki Beef JerkyBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  9. Bumble Bee Lemon Pepper Seasoned Tuna package front

    9.Bumble Bee Lemon Pepper Seasoned Tuna

    Bumble Bee Lemon Pepper Seasoned Tuna: 19 g of protein and 90 calories per serving (21.1 g protein per 100 calories), with just 1 g sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. Its label claims: gluten-free. It fits keto targets at 2 g net carbs per serving.

    19 g protein, 90 cal, 21.1 g per 100 cal, 1 g sugar per 85g

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 21.1 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4)

    Full nutrition for Lemon Pepper Seasoned TunaBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

  10. Slate French Vanilla High Protein Milk Shake package front

    10.Slate French Vanilla High Protein Milk Shake

    Slate French Vanilla High Protein Milk Shake: 20 g of protein and 96 calories per serving (20.8 g protein per 100 calories), with just 1 g sugar. That puts it among the most protein-dense savory snacks in our catalog. Its label claims: gluten-free. It fits keto targets at 1 g net carbs per serving.

    20 g protein, 96 cal, 20.8 g per 100 cal, 1 g sugar per 311.845g

    Good:
    Excellent protein density: 20.8 g protein per 100 calories
    Watch:
    Ultra-processed (NOVA group 4)

    Full nutrition for French Vanilla High Protein Milk ShakeBuy at Amazon (opens in a new tab)

See all 513 in the snack finder

Whole-food protein snacks

Approximate values per serving from USDA FoodData Central
FoodServingProtein (g)CaloriesProtein per 100 kcal
Light tuna, canned in water3 oz (85 g), drainedabout 20about 10020
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt6 oz (170 g)about 17about 10017
Low-fat (2%) cottage cheese½ cup (113 g)about 12about 9013.3
Hard-boiled egg1 large (50 g)about 6about 787.7
Edamame, shelled, cooked½ cup (78 g)about 9about 959.5

Which protein snacks rank best by protein per calorie?

The table below compares 16 snacks: 11 whole foods with nutrition from USDA FoodData Central (opens in a new tab) and 5 packaged bars with label data from Open Food Facts (opens in a new tab). We calculated every figure for the serving shown, and the table is sorted by grams of protein per 100 calories. That number shows how much protein you get for your calorie budget. The last column checks each snack against two common targets: at least 10 g of protein and no more than 200 calories.

Rank Snack Serving Calories Protein (g) Protein per 100 kcal Sodium (mg) 10 g+ protein, ≤200 kcal? Data
1 Light tuna, canned in water, drained 3 oz (85 g) 73 16.5 22.6 210 Yes FDC 173709 (opens in a new tab)
2 Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat 170 g (6 oz) 100 17.3 17.3 61 Yes FDC 170894 (opens in a new tab)
3 Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat ½ cup (113 g) 81 14.0 17.2 459 Yes FDC 173417 (opens in a new tab)
4 Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar 1 bar (60 g) 190 21 11.1 220 Yes OFF 0888849000036 (opens in a new tab)
5 Edamame, shelled, prepared 1 cup (155 g) 188 18.4 9.8 9 Yes FDC 168411 (opens in a new tab)
6 Hard-boiled egg 1 large (50 g) 78 6.3 8.1 62 No (protein) FDC 173424 (opens in a new tab)
7 Beef jerky 1 oz (28 g) 115 9.3 8.1 498 No (protein) FDC 167536 (opens in a new tab)
8 Part-skim mozzarella (string cheese) 1 oz (28 g) 83 6.7 8.1 186 No (protein) FDC 171244 (opens in a new tab)
9 Clif Builders Chocolate Protein Bar 1 bar (68 g) 280 20 7.1 213 No (calories) OFF 0722252168511 (opens in a new tab)
10 RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt 1 bar (52 g) 200 12 6.0 190 Yes OFF 0857777004232 (opens in a new tab)
11 Chickpeas, cooked ½ cup (82 g) 134 7.3 5.4 6 No (protein) FDC 173757 (opens in a new tab)
12 Pumpkin seed kernels, roasted, unsalted 1 oz (28 g) 161 8.3 5.2 5 No (protein) FDC 170557 (opens in a new tab)
13 KIND Protein Dark Chocolate Nut 1 bar (50 g) 240 12 5.0 125 No (calories) OFF 0602652276958 (opens in a new tab)
14 Peanuts, dry-roasted, unsalted 1 oz (28 g) 164 6.8 4.2 2 No (protein) FDC 173806 (opens in a new tab)
15 Almonds, dry-roasted, unsalted 1 oz (28 g) 167 5.9 3.5 1 No (protein) FDC 170158 (opens in a new tab)
16 Larabar Cashew Cookie 1 bar (48 g) 230 4 1.7 10 No (both) OFF 0021908509259 (opens in a new tab)

Two eggs (100 g) give 12.6 g of protein for 155 calories and pass both checks. Packaged figures are label data via Open Food Facts. Recipes change: Open Food Facts now also lists a newer Quest formulation at 250 calories and 25 g of protein, so check the current package before you buy.

What the numbers show. Plain dairy and lean seafood give you the most protein per calorie. Only one bar comes close to them, and RXBAR just meets the 200-calorie line. Nuts and seeds are nutritious, but most of their calories come from fat, so they score low on protein density. For more detail on the metric, read our guide to protein per 100 calories.

Best protein snacks by goal

Fewest calories for the most protein

Tuna, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese each deliver 14 to 17 g of protein for about 100 calories or less. Cleveland Clinic keeps its featured snack ideas at 150 to 170 calories (opens in a new tab) and treats anything above about 200 calories as a mini-meal. All three fit well inside that range. We list more options in low-calorie high-protein snacks.

Shelf-stable snacks for travel or your desk

Pouched or canned tuna, jerky, roasted pumpkin seeds and protein bars need no fridge. Jerky has a real trade-off: the USDA entry shows about 498 mg of sodium per ounce, and Harvard Health (opens in a new tab) also advises watching the sodium in jerky. See high-protein snacks on the go for more ideas.

Plant-based

A cup of shelled edamame gives 18.4 g of protein and 8.1 g of fiber for 188 calories. That makes it the strongest plant option on our list. Chickpeas and pumpkin seeds add protein and fiber, but at about 5 g per 100 calories, they are better as part of a snack than as the whole snack.

After a workout

Harvard Health suggests eating a high-protein snack within 30 to 60 minutes of strength training. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a high-protein bar can cover that easily. Our post-workout protein snacks guide goes deeper.

What makes a protein snack healthy?

Protein is only the first check. After it, look at four more numbers on the label:

  • Added sugar. Bars differ widely here, so read the added-sugar line on each label. Cleveland Clinic's guide to choosing health bars (opens in a new tab) suggests about 2 g of added sugar or less in a snack bar.
  • Fiber. The same guide suggests a bar give at least 2 to 3 g of fiber. Edamame, chickpeas and nuts supply fiber naturally.
  • Sodium. Jerky and cottage cheese are the salty picks on our list. Plain yogurt, eggs and unsalted nuts stay low.
  • Sugar alcohols and sweeteners. Many low-sugar bars use them in place of sugar. Cleveland Clinic flags sugar alcohols as worth limiting, but it doesn't set an amount.

Whole foods win on simplicity, and a few packaged snacks win on convenience. We explain how to judge bars in more detail in are protein bars healthy?.

How much protein should a snack have?

Our benchmark is 10 g per serving. The FDA sets the protein Daily Value at 50 g (opens in a new tab), and its labeling rules let a food claim to be "high" in a nutrient at 20% or more of the Daily Value (opens in a new tab) per serving, which works out to 10 g of protein. Harvard Health uses a lower floor of 5 g for a healthy protein snack. It also notes that the body handles roughly 20 to 40 g of protein at a time, so spreading protein across meals and snacks makes sense.

Daily targets are under debate. A PBS NewsHour/AP report from January 2026 (opens in a new tab) says the new federal Dietary Guidelines raise the adult target to 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, up from 0.8 g. Some nutrition experts quoted in the report doubt that most people need more. We have not checked this figure against the guideline text on dietaryguidelines.gov. Read how much protein a snack should have for a fuller breakdown.

Do high-protein snacks keep you fuller?

The evidence is promising but limited. In a randomized crossover trial (opens in a new tab), 20 healthy women ate equal 160-calorie afternoon snacks. After a high-protein yogurt, they waited about 30 minutes longer to ask for dinner than after chocolate. They also ate about 100 fewer calories at dinner than after crackers. The authors note that this was a single-day study and that longer trials are needed.

How we rank

We use a simple, published method (see also How we rank snacks). We assign no star ratings, and we don't publish reviews we haven't collected.

  1. Primary metric: grams of protein divided by calories, times 100 (protein per 100 kcal), for the stated serving.
  2. Data sources: we take whole-food values from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries (linked in the table) and scale them from per-100 g values to a common serving. Packaged values are label data via Open Food Facts, linked by barcode.
  3. Checks shown, not hidden: each snack is marked against 10 g of protein and 200 calories. We also report sodium, and we discuss sugar and fiber in the text.
  4. Tie-breaks: when protein density is close, we favor lower sodium and less added sugar.
  5. What we don't measure: taste, price per gram of protein, and protein quality. Those vary by brand and store, so we leave them out rather than guess.

We update this page as products are added to the catalog. For diet-specific rankings, see vegan protein snacks, keto protein snacks, low-sugar protein snacks and protein snacks for weight loss.

Frequently asked questions

What is the healthiest high-protein snack?

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt is among the best all-round choices. A 170 g serving has about 17 g of protein for 100 calories and only 61 mg of sodium, according to USDA FoodData Central. Cottage cheese matches it on protein per calorie but carries about 459 mg of sodium per half cup.

What snack has the most protein?

Per calorie, canned light tuna in water wins on our list. A 3 oz (85 g) drained serving has about 16.5 g of protein for 73 calories, or 22.6 g per 100 calories, per USDA data. Per serving, a cup of shelled edamame (18.4 g) and Greek yogurt (17.3 g) give the most.

How much protein should a snack have?

We use 10 g per serving as the bar for a high-protein snack, because FDA rules allow a 'high in protein' label claim at 20% of the 50 g Daily Value. Harvard Health treats 5 g as a reasonable floor for a healthy protein snack. Most of our top picks give 10 to 18 g.

Are protein bars healthy?

Some are, but they vary widely. On their labels, the five bars we compare range from 1.7 to 11.1 g of protein per 100 calories and from 4 to 21 g of protein. Cleveland Clinic suggests a snack bar keep added sugar to about 2 g or less and provide at least 2 to 3 g of fiber.

What are good protein snacks that don't need refrigeration?

Canned or pouched tuna, beef jerky, roasted pumpkin seeds, dry-roasted peanuts and shelf-stable protein bars all travel well. Tuna gives the most protein per calorie. Jerky has about 9 g of protein per ounce but roughly 500 mg of sodium in USDA data, so compare labels for salt.

What's the best protein snack for weight loss?

Look for at least 10 g of protein in under 200 calories. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and tuna all qualify. In a small trial, a 160-calorie high-protein yogurt delayed the next meal and reduced hunger compared with chocolate. This is general information, not medical advice, so talk to a clinician about your own plan.

Sources

  1. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy entries) (opens in a new tab), U.S. Department of Agriculture
  2. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (opens in a new tab), U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  3. 21 CFR 101.54: Nutrient content claims for 'good source,' 'high,' 'more,' and 'high potency' (opens in a new tab), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
  4. High-protein snacks to build muscle and keep hunger at bay (opens in a new tab), Harvard Health Publishing
  5. 9 Healthy High-Protein Snacks To Help Keep You Full and Fueled (opens in a new tab), Cleveland Clinic
  6. How To Choose the Best Health Bars (opens in a new tab), Cleveland Clinic
  7. Open Food Facts product pages (label data) (opens in a new tab), Open Food Facts
  8. Healthy high-protein snacks (opens in a new tab), Healthline
  9. Effects of high-protein vs. high-fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women (Ortinau et al., 2014) (opens in a new tab), Nutrition Journal (PubMed Central)
  10. Why nutrition experts are wary of new federal dietary guidelines that advise doubling protein (opens in a new tab), PBS NewsHour (AP)

More reading on protein, sugar and snack labels is collected on our resources page.

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