Protein Snacks: 25 Ideas Under 200 Calories

Snacks play an important role in hitting daily protein targets, particularly if you're targeting 150g+ protein per day and getting the full amount from 3 main meals would mean very large portion sizes. These 25 options each provide 15g+ protein under 200 calories.

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Dairy-Based Snacks (Highest Protein Ratio)

1. 0% Greek yogurt (18g protein, 100 kcal)

• 200g plain 0% Greek yogurt
• Optional: dash vanilla extract, pinch stevia
• One of the best protein-to-calorie ratios of any food

2. Skyr with cinnamon (22g protein, 130 kcal)

• 200g plain skyr
• Cinnamon, small drizzle honey (1 tsp)

3. Cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes (17g protein, 140 kcal)

• 150g cottage cheese
• Handful cherry tomatoes
• Black pepper, herbs

4. Quark with berries (18g protein, 140 kcal)

• 200g plain quark
• 80g frozen berries (defrosted)
• Vanilla extract

5. Greek yogurt and cucumber dip (17g protein, 110 kcal)

• 150g 0% Greek yogurt
• ½ cucumber (sliced, for dipping)
• Pinch salt, dried mint

6. Ricotta on rye crispbread (16g protein, 190 kcal)

• 100g ricotta
• 3 rye crispbreads
• Cherry tomatoes, basil, black pepper

7. Protein shake (25g protein, 130-160 kcal)

• 1 scoop whey in water (130 kcal) or 150ml milk (160 kcal)
• Most convenient; not a replacement for food-based snacks

Egg-Based Snacks

8. Hard-boiled eggs (18g protein, 210 kcal, 3 eggs) Note: 3 eggs = 210 kcal, just over 200. 2 eggs = 12g protein, 140 kcal.

• Pre-boil Sunday, store refrigerated for up to 7 days
• Eat with salt, chilli flakes, or mustard

9. Hard-boiled egg whites only (22g protein, 100 kcal, 4 egg whites)

• Boil, peel, remove yolks
• Very high protein-to-calorie ratio
• Dip in hot sauce or mustard

10. Devilled eggs (16g protein, 170 kcal, 3 halves)

• 3 hard-boiled eggs (halved)
• Mix yolks with 1 tsp light mayo, mustard, paprika
• Fill whites

Meat and Fish Snacks

11. Turkey slices (20g protein, 90 kcal)

• 100g turkey breast deli slices (plain, no skin)
• Roll with mustard
• Check: low-sodium varieties preferred

12. Tuna in brine (26g protein, 110 kcal)

• 1 tin tuna (drained, eaten plain or with lemon + hot sauce)
• Fork-eat from tin, zero prep

13. Smoked salmon on crispbread (20g protein, 190 kcal)

• 60g smoked salmon
• 2 rye crispbreads
• Light cream cheese (1 tsp)
• Cucumber

14. Beef jerky (18g protein, 140 kcal per 40g)

• 40g good quality jerky (check: under 500mg sodium, under 5g sugar)
• Convenient for travel and desk drawer

15. Prawns with cocktail sauce (25g protein, 140 kcal)

• 150g cooked prawns (fresh or defrosted)
• 1 tbsp reduced-calorie cocktail sauce (or lemon + hot sauce)
• Excellent for fat loss: very high protein, very low calorie

Plant-Based Snacks

16. Edamame (17g protein, 190 kcal)

• 200g frozen edamame in pods (microwave 3 min)
• Salt
• Satisfying to eat, takes time, feels substantial

17. Hummus and vegetables (12g protein, 180 kcal)

• 80g hummus (check label: ~3g protein per tbsp, choose high-protein variety)
• Cucumber, celery, pepper strips, carrot (unlimited)
• Lower protein than dairy options but good plant-based choice

18. Roasted chickpeas (12g protein, 180 kcal)

• 80g cooked chickpeas (toss in oil + spice, roast 25 min at 200°C)
• Pre-batch and store in jar for a week
• Crunchy, satisfying

19. Tempeh slices (19g protein, 170 kcal)

• 100g tempeh (pan-fry slices in soy sauce and garlic 2 min each side)
• Eat warm as snack

20. Soybeans (soya beans) (18g protein, 190 kcal)

• 100g dry soya beans (boiled, salted)
• Nutritionally comparable to edamame, cheaper

Convenience Snacks (For Travel / Away from Home)

21. Good quality protein bar (20g protein, 170-200 kcal)

• Look for: 20g+ protein, under 200 kcal, low sugar
• Recommended: check current reviews as formulations change

22. Cheese + deli turkey (18g protein, 190 kcal)

• 30g cheddar (120 kcal)
• 70g turkey breast deli (70 kcal)
• Handy combination from any supermarket

23. Individual cottage cheese pot (14-17g protein, 100-120 kcal)

• 150g individual pot (available in most supermarkets)
• No preparation
• Add fruit alongside for sweetness

24. Milk (carton/bottle) (10g protein, 130 kcal per 250ml)

• 250ml semi-skimmed milk
• Not the highest protein ratio but highly convenient
• Add to coffee for a less sweet alternative

25. String cheese / babybel (10g protein, 100 kcal)

• 2 × 20g individually wrapped cheese portions
• 20g protein requires 4 portions, more calorie-intensive
• Lower protein-to-calorie ratio but very convenient

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Building Protein Snacks Into Your Day

When to use protein snacks:

• Between main meals when there's a 5+ hour gap
• Post-workout if a full meal isn't possible
• Pre-bed (cottage cheese or quark, casein content supports overnight MPS)
• Travel when structured meals aren't available

When you don't need protein snacks:

• If main meals already provide 45g+ protein each and total daily target is met
• When eating within 3-4 hours, the gap isn't long enough to require a protein top-up

Use our Protein Calculator to determine your daily target and where snacks need to fill gaps.