High Protein Snacks for Dieting
Cutting is always a bittersweet experience. You’re getting lean and you can see you muscles, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to lose some precious mass along the way. As we cut carbs and/or fat out of our diet, we keep protein high to help maintain as much muscle as possible. Easier said than done. Except for meats and other animal products, good sources of protein have unwanted carbohydrate and/or fat tagalongs, but let’s face it, we’re getting a little bored with the same old, same old chicken-, fish-, and occasional steak-based meals. Snacks can be the highlight of our dieting day! Here are 10 high protein snacks to help get that protein total without the carbs or fat – Some simple, some unique!
PEANUT BUTTER BAKE
Okay, okay, so peanut butter is pretty high in fat already, but it’s damn good. Hear us out. Take 1-2 TBSP of peanut butter and put it in a small to medium bowl. Microwave for ~30 seconds or until it becomes soft and malleable. Add ½ to 1 scoop of peanut butter cookie (or chocolate, it’s good too) flavor Predator Pro to the soft peanut butter and mix well with a spoon or fork. Optional, add 1 TBSP half and half for extra richness. Smooth it out flat to the edges of the bowl. Microwave for another ~30 seconds until the edges start to appear cookie-like. BOOM – it’s like a super, super soft peanut butter protein cookie with flakey, satisfying edges!
LETTUCE PINWHEELS
Instead of your normal take on lunch meat or sandwich wraps, roll em’ up in lettuce. Butter lettuce is our fave. Dress it up according to your preferences with cheese, mayo, multiple meats, or other veggies!
JERKY OR BILTONG
I think we all know about jerky, but biltong is less renowned. They’re very similar, but biltong is a little tougher and made with less added sugar.
GREEK YOGURT DIP WITH VEGGIES
To ditch some fat and add muscle-building protein, make your own ranch dip with greek yogurt. 2 options, the lazy way or the DIY method. First the DIY. Mix 1 cup of greek yogurt with 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 2 pinches of salt, ½ tsp of dill, a dash of Worcestershire, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Now the lazy way. Mix a whole container (~2 cups) of low-fat plain greek yogurt with 1 packet of Ranch dip powder. For both, refrigerate overnight. Some say this is still too bitter. You can adjust by adding a little zero calorie sweetener of your choice.
GREEK YOGURT WITH SUGAR-FREE JELLY
Without the usual mix-ins, greek yogurt is pretty boring (and kind of gross). Since we can’t do flavored greek yogurt – or at least not easily within the parameters of our diet – we can make up our own flavoring system. For the most protein with the least carbs/fat, get plain, low-fat greek yogurt and your favorite fruit flavor to mix into the yogurt as a sugar-free jelly. This will add a few carbs, but it actually makes the yogurt enjoyable. If you don’t believe us, try it without the jelly first!
COTTAGE CHEESE
Good ol’ cottage cheese. Skim milk variety. Yummm.
EGG MUFFINS
These are pretty versatile. You’ll want to substitute some of the whole egg for egg white to reduce fat while keeping protein high. You can fit about 2 whole eggs in each muffin liner BEFORE add-ins. If going heavy on the extras, plan on 1 egg per liner, if going light, plan on 1.5. Multiply that by the number you’re going to prepare and put the eggs in a bowl. Add in any vegetables that you like in an omelet. Add in meats that you want and fit your macros. Mix them all up. Distribute into the cups, and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
RICE CAKE/LOW-CARB TORTILLA BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA
This one is a bit involved – mostly because I hate pulling chicken. Step 1, get a rotisserie and pull the chicken meat. Step 2, get out a rice cake/low-carb tortilla or two. Smear some Walden Farms or other low-cal BBQ sauce on like it’s pizza sauce. Top with a little mozzarella, some red onion, and if you’re feeling fancy, cilantro. Nuke it to melt the cheese, if you prefer, and enjoy.
3-INGREDIENT PROTEIN PANCAKES
Mix together 2 eggs, 1/8 tsp baking powder, and 1 scoop of Predator Pro Chocolate Protein. Cook on a skillet over medium heat. If you can budget some carbs, start by mashing up a banana, then mix the other three ingredients into the banana. If you can budget some fat, add a TBSP of softened butter to the other ingredients before combining. With the Predator Pro, they taste great even without syrup, but if you’ve got a sweet tooth, sugar-free syrup has your fix!
FRO YO BARK
This one is a delicious little treat, and great for contest prep season, which for most is over the summer. Mix 2 cups of low-fat plain greek yogurt with 2 TBSP sugar-free pancake syrup. Then, gently add in 2 TBSP of dried cranberries, grapes (raisins), or cherries. Smooth the mixture into a baking tray so it lays flat. Optional, top with diced strawberries, some dark chocolate chips, a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, and/or coconut flakes. Freeze for 4 hours. Break it up into pieces to eat! (keep in the freezer)
