High-protein snacks for small appetites
Photo: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels
When a full meal feels like too much, a snack can do a lot of the work. The trick is choosing snacks that come ready-portioned, so you can open a pack, finish it and feel you've had something worthwhile. No weighing, no leftovers, no plate that looks too big.
Protein snacks have moved well beyond the gym bag. You can now find them in the crisp aisle, the chiller and the freezer. This guide picks out the ones that suit a small appetite, shows you what to check on the back of the pack, and gives some real-food ideas that cost very little.
For the bigger picture on how much protein UK guidance suggests and why spreading it out helps, see our hub: Protein little and often.
Read the back of the pack first
The front of a pack is marketing. The back is where the facts are. A monthly round-up from Food & Drink Network UK gives the same advice: check the nutrition panel rather than trusting "protein" or "fibre" on the front (Food & Drink Network UK (opens in a new tab)). Here's what we look at.
- Pack size. Is it a single portion you'll actually finish? Smaller is often better.
- Protein per pack, not just per 100g. A big number per 100g means little if the pack is tiny, and the other way round.
- Sugar and salt. Some snacks are high in one or both. The traffic-light labels on the front help here.
- Ingredients. Bars often use sweeteners, and some include sugar alcohols. If you'd rather avoid them, the ingredients list will tell you.
If an ingredients list puzzles you, Gousto has launched a free label-scanning tool, "What the Food", that explains unfamiliar ingredients in plain English (Food Bible (opens in a new tab)).
Protein bars
Bars are the easiest grab-and-go option. Look for smaller bars, or snap a full-size bar in half and wrap the rest for later.
- Grenade bars: a wide range of chocolate-bar-style flavours. Grenade's programme is for adults (18+) only. Grenade link coming soon · View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate
- Barebells bars: known for a soft, chocolate-bar texture. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate
- Myprotein bars and smaller bites: a broad range, including smaller formats. Myprotein link coming soon
Protein crisps and savoury snacks
Protein has reached the crisp aisle. Doritos has launched a protein version made from soya, lentil and corn, with about 10g of protein in a single bag according to Talking Retail (Talking Retail (opens in a new tab)). For a small appetite, one bag is a fair, crunchy snack. Just check the salt.
- Protein crisps multipacks: handy single bags for the cupboard or a lunch bag. Amazon link coming soon
- Roasted chickpeas or broad beans: crunchy, savoury and naturally rich in plant protein and fibre. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate
- Beef or chicken jerky: very light to carry and long-lasting. Amazon link coming soon
From the chiller and freezer
Some of the best small-appetite snacks are now in the fridge aisle.
- Chicken bites with a dip. Fridge Raiders has launched single-serve chicken-breast bites with a peri mayo or BBQ dip, which is exactly the small, ready-portioned format we like (FoodBev Media (opens in a new tab)).
- A high-protein scotch egg. Wall's says its new scotch egg gives 15g of protein per serving, with cannellini beans mixed into the coating. That figure is the brand's own, from its press release (Compleat Food Group (opens in a new tab)).
- Frozen egg bites. The Iceland and Myprotein frozen range is adding 25 more lines this autumn, including egg bites (Grocery Gazette (opens in a new tab)). Skip the giant meals in that range and go for the snack-sized items.
- A small microwave meal. Rustlers' new chicken muffin is pitched as a smaller, filling option with about 18g of protein, according to The Grocer (The Grocer (opens in a new tab)). It works more as a mini lunch than a snack.
Real-food snacks that cost very little
Branded protein snacks are handy, but plain foods often do the job just as well. The Atlantic argues that a pot of plain yoghurt beats many branded protein products, with nothing in it but milk and culture (The Atlantic (opens in a new tab)). Some of our favourites:
- A small pot of Greek yoghurt or skyr, plain or with a little honey and berries
- A boiled egg or two, cooked in a batch and kept in the fridge
- Cottage cheese on oatcakes or crackers
- A cheese string or a small piece of cheddar with an apple
- A small bowl of edamame, straight from frozen in a few minutes
- Half a tin of mackerel or sardines on a cracker
- Hummus with carrot sticks
- A small glass of milk, or a small clear protein drink (see our protein shakes guide)
Where a snack is at least a source of protein, it's fair to say that protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Claims printed on branded packs are the brands' own.
Make your own snack boxes
A few minutes of prep makes snacking easy all week.
- Mini bento or snack boxes with small sections for cheese, eggs, crackers and fruit. Amazon link coming soon
- Tiny lidded pots for hummus, yoghurt or dips. Amazon link coming soon
- Silicone egg-bite moulds for freezer-friendly mini omelettes. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate
- A small insulated lunch bag for food on the go. Amazon link coming soon
FAQ
What's the best protein snack for a small appetite? One you'll actually finish. Ready-portioned packs, small yoghurt pots and boiled eggs are easy wins because the portion is already decided.
Are protein bars healthy? It depends on the bar. Check the back of the pack for sugar, salt and the ingredients list, and treat bars as one option among many rather than an everyday staple.
Is "high protein" on the pack a legal term? Yes. In Great Britain, a food can only say "high protein" if at least 20% of its energy comes from protein. "Source of protein" means at least 12%.
Can I eat half a protein bar? Of course. Wrap the rest tightly and finish it later or the next day.
Which protein snacks don't need a fridge? Bars, protein crisps, roasted chickpeas, jerky, nuts and oatcakes all keep in a cupboard or bag.