When it comes to seeking out snacks for your kids, any parent knows that it can be an uphill battle. Because, let’s face it, the snacks that your kids want aren’t necessarily going to be the healthiest options for them! As a parent, finding a snack idea that any picky eater can enjoyandis also healthy can seem like an impossible task.
Try Protein
One of the best ways to find a nutritious snack that your child will enjoy is to focus on snacks that are high in protein. Protein is great for feeding an active lifestyle, and protein keeps kids full longer than snacks, which are full of sugars and processed ingredients. Not to mention that many high-protein snacks simply taste great.
The key is finding a balance between a snack that is high in protein and one that is packed with sugars and unnecessary calories. This is where our list comes into play. Try one of these healthy high-protein snacks instead when meal planning.
Beef Jerky
Beef jerky is a great place to start when it comes to a high protein snack. There’s not a lot bad things about beef jerky besides the high salt content. Beef jerky is a tasty snack, and surprisingly low in calories.
Beef jerky is very high in protein, with about 33 grams per 100 gram serving.
Yogurt and Fruit
Yogurt and fruit go together perfectly. It’s a healthy, sweet snack, and yogurt is a great source of protein. Pick your favorite fruits and pair with your favorite brand of yogurt.
Yogurt has about 10 grams of protein per 100 grams, but it depends on the variety of yogurt you buy. Greek yogurt makes for an especially high protein snack.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs are a snack-time staple. One of the best things about hard boiled eggs is you can prepare a whole bunch of them at once. Have them plain, salt them, or throw a bit of hot sauce on top!
Hard boiled eggs contain about 13 grams of protein per 100 gram serving.
Natural Peanut Butter Crackers
“Natural” peanut butter refers to the peanut butter which is made with 100% peanuts. No additives like sugar and salt.
Peanuts are high in protein, and contain about 25 grams per 100 gram serving.
Almonds
Almonds are a great snack just on their own! You can buy many flavored almonds, but we think that plain, unsalted almonds are just as delicious.
Almonds contain about 20 grams of protein per 100 gram serving.
Protein Shake
Of course, a protein shake is a great source of protein! The great thing about these shakes is they can be made in so many different ways. Typically, the protein comes from the whey protein powder that is added to the shake. You can throw in a whole bunch of other healthy ingredients like fruit, vegetables, yogurt, peanut butter, and more!
Protein powder typically contains about 25 grams of protein per 100 gram serving, but it really depends on the variety that you buy.
Hummus and Veggies
Hummus is a high protein spread that tastes great. The versatile nature of hummus lends itself to many different snacks. Whether you have it with veggies, on crackers, or in a sandwich, getting your kid hooked on hummus can make snack time easy!
Hummus has approximately 8 grams of protein per 100 gram serving.
Protein Bites or Snacks
"Protein bites” online, can pack a delicious mixture of high-protein ingredients into little portable packages. You can find a few recipes that work for bites on our list of high-protein bar recipes. Typically, they use various granola, whole grain, dried fruit peanut butter, and honey to form a delicious protein “bite” which has a texture similar to cookie dough. This is a great school snack because it contains no added sugar and can be tweaked with ingredients like chia seeds, nut butter, or pumpkin seeds, to name a few.
The amount of protein in these snacks depends on the specific recipe you follow.
Turkey Slices and Crackers
Many parents try to avoid cold cuts altogether, but turkey slices can be a pretty solid high protein snack. They are less fatty than many other processed meats, but still high in protein. They taste great too, whether eaten plain or even on some crackers.
Turkey slices have approximately 29 grams of protein per 100 gram serving, a great source of protein!
Chocolate Milk
A drink for a snack? Why not? Kids love chocolate milk, and it’s a great source of protein as far as beverages go. And when it comes to snacks, you likely won’t have any troubles convincing your kids to have this one!
Chocolate milk has 3.2 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. Whole milk is also a great option if your kid enjoys it.
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa salad is a solid source of protein, and is very easy to make. We recommend a basic balsamic vinaigrette dressing, as well as some cherry tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, and cucumber. A tasty, refreshing salad.
Quinoa contains about 8 grams of protein per cup.
Sushi
The level of protein in sushi will typically depend on the kind of sushi that you make or buy, but try to aim for a sushi with more fresh fish.
Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is great as a snack, or even in a sandwich or wrap. Another bonus with chicken salad is you can chop up some of your favorite veggies and throw them into the mix. We recommend celery, cucumbers, green onions, and sunflower seeds for an extra crunch.
Chicken salad has about 8 grams of protein per 100 gram serving.
Almond Butter and Apples
If you can, try to get 100% almond butter. This means that it was made with only blended almonds. None of the unhealthy filler ingredients like sugar. Cut up some apple slices and dip away!
Almonds are very high in protein, at about 22 grams per 100 gram serving.
Cheese and Crackers
To round out the list, a kid-favorite snack, cheese and crackers! Cheese is a great source of protein, just avoid processed cheese if you can. Serve on some multigrain crackers and it’s quite the healthy snack.
The amount of protein does depend on the cheese you buy. Cheddar cheese has about 25 grams of protein per 100 gram serving. If your kid follows a vegan diet, sprinkle nutritional yeast on crackers for a cheesy-tasting snack
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