Best high-protein snacks, tried & tested 2024

If you'd like more high-protein inspiration, have a look at our high-protein recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus, we have veggie and vegan high-protein recipes, too.

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Best high-protein snacks at a glance

• Best rice cakes: Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes (£2.25)
• Best keto snack: Acti-Snack Buffalo Barbecue Keto Crunch (£1.30)
• Best protein yogurt: Arla Natural Skyr (£1.85)
• Best protein cereal: Brave Cinnamon Super Hoops (£5.95)
• Best high-protein crisps: Rude Health Lentil Triangles (£1.65)
• Best protein granola: Acti-Snack High-Protein Peanut Butter Granola (£4.50)
• Best jerky: Kings Black Bean Sauce Flavour Veggie Jerky (£31.38/16-pack)
• Best protein ball: The Protein Ball Co. Blueberry Oat Muffin (£1.99)
• Best protein cookie: Myprotein Vegan Gooey Filled Cookie (£14.84/12-pack)
• Best protein cake: Fitbakes Hazelnut Choc Cakes (£3.99)

Best high-protein snacks to buy 2024

Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes

• Available from Sainsbury's (£2), Holland & Barrett (£2.25), Amazon (£1.50)

Best rice cakes
Rating: 3.5/5

Not technically a rice cake, these are made with lentil flour, pea protein and buckwheat to keep them gluten-free. If you've got an intolerance, these could be a good snacking alternative to try. They have a nice crunch without being dry, and they're delicious topped with hummus. In fact, we'd go as far to say these are the best rice-cake-style product we've tried.

At only 30 calories per cake, they're considerably lower-calorie than other high-protein snacks, such as, for example, any made with nuts.

• Grams of protein per serving: 1.6g per lentil cake
• Calories per serving: 30kcal per lentil cake

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£2)
Holland & Barrett (£2.25)
Amazon (£1.50)

Acti-Snack Buffalo Barbecue Keto Crunch

• Available from Ocado (£1.30), Amazon (£15/12-pack)

Best keto snack
Rating: 5/5

Keto dieters rejoice, you'll never be forced to eat an unsatisfying snack again. These barbecue nuts are smoky, spicy, sweet and salty – they were everything we wanted and more.

Cashews and almonds are coated in chipotle powder and liquid smoke, then toasted until perfectly crunchy, and a scattering of tamari-covered pumpkin seeds are mixed through for extra savoury flavour. The small, individual-sized portions are easy to eat on the go and ideal for packing for in your gym or work bag.

• Grams of protein per 40g serving: 10g
• Calories per 40g serving: 219kcal

Available from:
Ocado (£1.30)
Amazon (£15/12-pack)

Arla Natural Skyr

• Available from Tesco (£1.85), Ocado (£2)

Best protein yogurt
Rating: 5/5

Creamy, smooth and thick enough to leave your spoon standing up in, this Scandi-style yogurt is similar to the popular Greek favourite. There are flavoured versions available in shops too, but be aware these do contain added sugars. Our advice is stick with the natural Skyr and enjoy it topped with chopped apple, walnuts or honey if you like a bit of sweetness.

• Grams of protein per 1/3 pot (150g portion): 15.9g
• Calories per 1/3 pot (150g portion): 95kcal

Available from:
Tesco (£1.85)
Ocado (£2)

Brave Cinnamon Super Hoops

• Available from Well Easy (£5.95)

Best protein cereal
Rating: 3.5/5

On first bite, you might think this sweet and crunchy cereal is something from your childhood but read the box and you'll discover it's much more sophisticated. Made with a blend of macros (that's protein, carbs and fat) these cinnamon hoops are high in protein and fibre, yet low in carbs, which means you'll get all the tasty satisfaction but none of the energy crashes. Tuck into a bowlful served with dairy or oat milk for a mid-morning or late-afternoon snack.

One thing to note is these hoops are made without artificial additives, which means they don't stay crunchy for as long as as regular cereal. After two weeks, we found they needed a few minutes soaking in milk before eating.

• Grams of protein per 35g serving: 12g
• Calories per 35g serving: 135kcal

Available from: Well Easy (£5.95)

Rude Health Lentil Triangles

• Available from Ocado (£1.65), Amazon (£12/6-pack)

Best crisps
Rating: 3.5/5

On their own, these crunchy triangles are a little plain with a noticeable pea protein flavour. However, our team thought they were very good when used as a vehicle for hummus – each crisp is the perfect shape and thickness for scooping dip. Naturally gluten-free, these healthy bites are made using lentils and chickpea flour to give you a protein boost.

• Grams of protein per 35g serving: 9.1g
• Calories per 35g serving: 139kcal

Available from:
Ocado (£1.65)
Amazon (£12/6-pack)

Acti-Snack High Protein Peanut Butter Granola

• Available from Ocado (£4.50), Holland & Barrett (£5)

Best protein granola
Rating: 5/5

Peanut butter lovers, there's a new granola in town and it comes from fitness brand Acti-Snack. The blend of oats, seeds, buckwheat flakes and dark chocolate curls is filled with lumps of smooth peanut butter. When milk is added, these lumps give the whole bowl a peanutty flavour. Whether you eat it dry, straight from the bag, or with milk, this granola is impressively crunchy and sweet but not overly so. It would be perfect fuel before or after a morning workout or eaten in the afternoon, before a heavy training session. For an extra protein boost, serve with skyr yogurt.

• Grams of protein per 40g serving: 9.2g
• Calories per 40g serving: 187kcal

Available from:
Ocado (£4.50)
Holland & Barrett (£5)

Kings Black Bean Sauce Flavour Veggie Jerky

• Available from Amazon (£31.28/12-pack)

Best jerky
Rating: 4.5/5

It was such a close tie between Kings meat and veggie jerky we found it hard to choose (really, it was that hard to tell the difference) but in the end it was the sweet, smoky and peppery black bean sauce flavour that led the veggie to win. This plant-based version has the perfect chew, great meaty texture and everything we're looking for in a bag of jerky. Plus, it packs plenty of protein and it's low in saturated fat – what's not to love!?

• Grams of protein per 65g bag: 14.6g
• Calories per 65g bag: 208kcal

Available from:
Amazon (£31.28/12-pack)

The Protein Ball Co. Blueberry Oat Muffin

• Available from Morrisons (£1.99), Amazon (£18.99/10-pack)

Best protein ball
Rating: 4.5/5

After tasting so many chocolatey snacks, we were very happy to discover these fruity protein balls. Inspired by American blueberry muffins, these taste almost exactly like the real thing, complete with cinnamon spice and an oaty crumble topping.

We liked that these come as 6 mini protein balls – rather than one large one – meaning you can eat half before your workout and the rest after. Or scoff them all in one, if you'd like. And you can do so happily, knowing these are made without palm oil or added sugars.

• Grams of protein per 45g serving: 6.5g
• Calories per425g serving: 178kcal

Available from:
Morrisons (£1.99)
Amazon (£18.99/10-pack)

Myprotein Vegan Gooey Filled Cookie

• Available from Myprotein (£14.84/12-pack)

Best protein cookie
Rating: 4/5

More of a brownie than a cookie, this sizeable treat is dense and rich. Although it's not as flavoursome as some other sweet protein snacks we tried – we couldn't taste caramel at all – it's still a great choice if you're looking for something you can easily slip into your gym bag, you're looking for something vegan or you're already a fan of the brand. Alongside a cuppa, this certainly gave us enough energy to get through the afternoon and still smash an evening workout.

• Grams of protein per 75g serving (1 cookie): 20g
• Calories per 75g serving (1 cookie): 271kcal

Available from:
Myprotein (£14.84/12-pack)

Fitbakes Hazelnut Choc Cakes

• Available from Fitbakes (£3.99)

Best protein cake
Rating: 3.5/5

Soft wholemeal vanilla sponge is topped with a layer of low-sugar chocolate spread to make these tasty treats. For a healthier and high-protein alternative to your regular afternoon snack, enjoy one with a cuppa. Just be careful not to keep them too long as, like regular cakes, they have a limited shelf life of 1-3 weeks.

• Grams of protein per cake bite: 2g
• Calories per cake bite: 40kcal

Available from:
Fitbakes (£3.99)

What we looked for when testing protein snacks

Added protein: Whether that comes from the addition of ingredients such as whey protein powder, or from the use of foods that are naturally high in protein, like chickpeas, we only tried products which could be considered high in protein compared to other similar snacks.

Taste: We looked for high-protein snacks that tasted genuinely delicious. It was important that any flavours mentioned on the pack were clear in the tasting. Products that tasted obviously of whey or pea protein powders were marked down.

Snack-ability: We made sure all products could be eaten as a snack. Whether this was on the go, like a packet of nuts, at a desk, like a bowl of cereal, or out of a lunchbox, like protein spread on a rice cake.

Healthy recipes to try

For more product picks, visit our reviews section. Plus, discover our best healthy snack recipes and high protein recipes.

This review was last updated in February 2024. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

Do you have a favourite high-protein snack that hasn't been mentioned? Please let us know in the comments below...