High-protein snacks for weight loss: 15 ideas with the protein in each

Fifteen high-protein snacks, with the protein in each. The protein figures come from CoFID, the UK government’s food composition tables (McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset). [1] The portion sizes come from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) portion guide, except where the table says otherwise. [2]

Seven of the fifteen give about 10 g of protein or more in a single portion. Two boiled eggs give about 17 g and half a can of tuna about 15 g. [1] [2] The other eight give 4 to 9 g and pair up to reach 10 g.

Every figure below multiplies a CoFID value by a stated portion. Each one is an estimate marked “about”, and pack labels will differ by brand.

Do you need to snack when losing weight?

Not necessarily, but the NHS does say not to skip meals. Its reason is that you might end up snacking more because you feel hungry. [3]

NHS Better Health says chocolate and cakes are not needed in our diet. Neither are biscuits or sugary soft drinks. Eat them less often and in smaller amounts. [4]

The BNF portion guide says protein foods can be snacks. In its words, they “may offer a healthier alternative to some sweet snacks”. [2] Its own example day has an apple mid-morning and cheese and oatcakes in the afternoon. [2]

Does protein make a snack more filling?

Modestly. A 2015 review found higher-protein meals raise perceived fullness and satiety hormones. Satiety is the feeling of fullness that ends eating. [5]

The same review found no reliable effect on how much people ate at the next meal. [5] A filling snack is no guarantee of a smaller dinner.

One trial followed 27 overweight men for 12 weeks eating 750 kcal (kilocalories) a day below their energy needs. The group eating 25% of energy as protein reported greater fullness through the day and less late-night desire to eat. Daily hunger did not differ between the groups. [6]

Those are group averages from a small trial, not a prediction for any one man. If your weight has stopped moving, see why weight loss stalls in men.

What makes a snack high in protein?

None of the UK sources in this article defines a high-protein snack.

So this article uses a working threshold: about 10 g of protein per snack. That is roughly a third of the 25 to 30 g per meal studied in the weight-management research. [5] It is this article’s yardstick, not a recommendation.

The second useful measure is protein per 100 kcal. A kcal (kilocalorie) is the calorie unit on UK food labels. Dividing protein by energy shows how much of a food’s energy budget goes on protein.

Both measures come from CoFID values per 100 g. The egg and chicken figures use the cooked entries: boiled egg and grilled breast without skin. [1]

Which snacks give the most protein for the calories?

Tuna and chicken breast lead, followed by quark and ham. Each gives 17 g or more of protein per 100 kcal. [1] Nuts and seeds sit at the bottom with peanut butter and houmous: 2 to 5 g per 100 kcal. [1]

Food (CoFID entry)	Protein per 100 g	kcal per 100 g	Protein per 100 kcal (about)
Tuna, canned in brine, drained	24.9 g	109	23 g
Chicken breast, grilled, no skin	32.0 g	148	22 g
Quark	14.6 g	74	20 g
Ham	18.4 g	107	17 g
Smoked salmon	22.8 g	184	12 g
Egg, boiled	14.1 g	143	10 g
Cottage cheese, plain	9.4 g	103	9 g
Edamame beans, boiled	12.2 g	142	9 g
Cheddar	25.4 g	416	6 g
Peanuts, plain, unsalted	25.8 g	564	5 g
Greek-style yoghurt, plain	5.7 g	133	4 g
Houmous	6.8 g	307	2 g

Fat explains the spread. Peanuts carry 46 g of fat per 100 g and Cheddar 34.9 g, while tuna in brine carries 1 g and quark a trace. [1] Nuts and cheese are still useful snacks that cost more energy per gram of protein.

What are the fifteen snacks and how much protein is in each?

Protein is the CoFID value multiplied by the portion, so every figure is approximate. Portions are BNF unless the row says otherwise. [1] [2]

How do the fifteen compare at a glance?

Snack	Portion	Protein	kcal
Cottage cheese, plain	100 g	9 g	103
Greek-style yoghurt, plain	120 g (BNF plain yoghurt portion; no Greek entry)	7 g	160
Boiled eggs	2 eggs, 120 g	17 g	172
Tuna in brine, drained	60 g, half a can	15 g	65
Smoked salmon on oatcakes	50 g (stated; half a 100 g pack) on 2 oatcakes, 24 g	14 g	200
Lean ham	2 slices, 30 g	5.5 g	32
Cold chicken breast	60 g (half the 120 g portion)	19 g	89
Edamame beans	120 g (pulses portion)	15 g	170
Houmous with carrot sticks	55 g with 80 g carrot (BNF vegetable portion)	4 g	196
Roasted chickpeas	120 g canned, drained	10 g	155
Peanut butter on wholemeal toast	20 g on 1 slice, 40 g	8 g	208
Peanuts or almonds, unsalted	20 g, a palmful	4 to 5 g	111 to 113
Pumpkin seeds	20 g	5 g	113
Quark	100 g (cottage cheese portion)	15 g	74
Cheddar and an apple	30 g with an 80 g apple (BNF fruit portion)	8 g	166

Dairy and eggs

Quark stands out. At 14.6 g of protein and 74 kcal per 100 g it beats cottage cheese on both counts. [1] BNF gives no quark portion, so the 100 g cottage cheese portion stands in. [2]

Plain cottage cheese gives about 9 g per 100 g. The reduced-fat version gives 10.6 g and 68 kcal, so it clears the 10 g threshold. [1]

Yoghurt is the surprise. In CoFID, plain Greek-style yoghurt and plain whole-milk yoghurt both carry 5.7 g of protein per 100 g. The Greek-style entry has 133 kcal against 79. [1]

Virtually fat-free plain yoghurt gives about 6 g per 120 g for 65 kcal. [1] One boiled egg is about 8 g and 86 kcal. [1] [2] More options are in high-protein foods for weight loss.

Fish and meat

Half a medium can of tuna in brine gives about 15 g of protein for 65 kcal. BNF lists it as a snack portion at 60 g. [1] [2]

Smoked salmon has 22.8 g of protein per 100 g. [1] BNF gives no smoked salmon portion, so this article states one: 50 g (half a 100 g pack). Two plain oatcakes add about 2 g of protein and 109 kcal. [1] [2]

Cold chicken breast is the densest snack on the list. Half the BNF 120 g portion gives about 19 g of protein for 89 kcal. [1] [2] Two slices of ham give about 5.5 g for 32 kcal. [1] [2]

Pulses and soya

Edamame beans are soya beans. A 120 g portion gives about 15 g of protein for 170 kcal. [1] [2] BNF does not name edamame, so its general pulses portion applies. [2]

Canned chickpeas give about 10 g per 120 g drained. The figure is for the chickpeas before roasting. [1] [2] Houmous starts as chickpeas but gives only about 4 g per 55 g, because its fat lifts the energy to 307 kcal per 100 g. [1]

The BNF houmous portion is for reduced-fat houmous at 103 kcal. The CoFID entry is standard houmous, so the table shows 169 kcal for the dip alone. [1] [2]

Nuts and seeds

A 20 g palmful of nuts gives about 4 to 5 g of protein. Peanuts give about 5.2 g and almonds about 4.2 g; other nuts are not in the dataset rows used here. [1] [2] Pumpkin seeds give about 5 g for the same 20 g. [1]

Peanut butter on one slice of wholemeal toast is about 8 g. The 20 g of spread gives 4.6 g and the 40 g slice 3.8 g. [1] [2] At about 208 kcal it is the highest-energy snack on the list.

How do you pair snacks to reach 10 g?

Put two of the smaller snacks together. The figures below add the CoFID values for each part. [1] [2]

• Cottage cheese (100 g) with pumpkin seeds (20 g): about 14 g of protein, 216 kcal.
• Virtually fat-free plain yoghurt (120 g) with peanuts (20 g): about 12 g, 178 kcal.
• One boiled egg (60 g) with two slices of ham (30 g): about 14 g, 118 kcal.
• Cheddar (30 g) with two oatcakes (24 g): about 10 g, 234 kcal. BNF's example day lists cheese and oatcakes as its afternoon snack; the weights here are its hard cheese and oatcake portions. [2]

The egg and ham pair gives the most protein for the least energy. For larger plates, see high-protein lunch and dinner ideas.

What should you watch for?

Energy, processed meat and added sugar. The protein figure is only one column of the table.

Energy

BNF builds its snack tables around portions under 150 kcal. [2] Eight of the fifteen snacks here land above that line, and peanut butter on toast reaches about 208 kcal.

NICE writes the guidance that NHS care follows. It says any weight-loss diet must keep total energy intake below energy expenditure. [7] A snack still counts, however much protein it carries.

Nuts and seeds

BNF puts a portion of unsalted nuts and seeds at 20 g, about what fits in your palm. That is 113 to 137 kcal. [2]

The NHS says unsalted nuts make a good snack but still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation. [8] It also says to choose unsalted nuts without added sugars. [9]

Ham and other processed meat

Ham is processed meat. The NHS names it alongside bacon and sausages as something to eat less of. [4]

If you eat more than 90 g of red or processed meat a day, the NHS says to cut down to 70 g. [10] BNF marks ham with the same 70 g a day limit, about 500 g a week. [2] Two slices at 30 g fit inside it.

Yoghurt and cheese

The yoghurt figures here are for plain yoghurt. NHS Better Health says to choose lower fat, lower sugar yoghurts and lower fat milk and cheese. [4]

BNF says to check dairy labels and go for products with less saturates, salt and sugars. [2] A flavoured pot will not match the plain CoFID value, so read the label.

What portion sizes suit men?

The BNF portions are a starting point, not a men’s guide. BNF bases them on 2,000 kcal a day. That is the estimate for an average adult woman. [2]

BNF calls them practical suggestions for healthy adults, not government recommendations. [2]

How much protein a day

The UK reference nutrient intake (RNI) for protein is 0.75 g per kilogram of body weight a day. The RNI is the UK reference figure for daily intake, not a weight-loss target. [11] For men aged 19 to 64 the government figure is 55.5 g a day. [12]

The per-kilogram figure is the same for men and women. Men’s daily figure is higher only because it rests on a 75 kg reference weight against 60 kg for women. [13]

An 85 kg man therefore has an RNI of about 64 g a day. The weight-management research studied higher intakes of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram. For him that is 102 to 136 g, a review conclusion rather than a UK guideline. [5]

Three meals at 25 to 30 g each come to 75 to 90 g. A snack at the 10 g threshold is one way to close part of the gap. The arithmetic for your own weight is in how much protein you need for weight loss.

Hand and spoon cues

BNF uses hand measures so you can judge a portion without scales. Nuts and seeds are “about the amount that fits in your palm”. Hard cheese is “about the size of two thumbs”. [2]

Its tablespoon means a 10 ml spoon of the kind you eat soup with, not a serving spoon. [2]

BNF says weighing is the most accurate way to measure a portion. [2] NHS Better Health agrees: use kitchen scales, and do not eat straight from the packet. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Are protein bars a good high-protein snack?

This article covers whole foods only. CoFID has no entry for protein bars or protein powders, so there is no UK dataset figure to give here.

Bars and powders are covered in protein shakes for weight loss.

Does a high-protein snack help with late-night eating?

One trial points that way. Twenty-seven overweight men ate 750 kcal a day below their needs for 12 weeks. The group on 25% of energy as protein reported less late-night desire to eat and greater fullness through the day.

That trial tested a higher-protein diet overall, not a snack on its own. The result is a group average, not a prediction for you.

How many snacks a day should you have?

No source used here gives a number. The NHS says not to skip meals and to include some protein in each meal. Eat sugary snacks less often and in smaller amounts.

The BNF guide shows one mid-morning and one afternoon snack in its example day. It presents that as an illustration rather than a rule.

Is Greek yoghurt higher in protein than plain yoghurt?

Not in the UK dataset. CoFID gives 5.7 g of protein per 100 g for both plain Greek-style yoghurt and plain whole-milk yoghurt. The Greek-style entry has more fat and more energy: 133 kcal against 79.

Brands vary and strained yoghurts can differ from the dataset average, so check the protein line on the pot.

Do high-protein snacks make you eat less at the next meal?

Not reliably. A 2015 review of feeding trials found higher-protein meals increase fullness and satiety hormones. It did not show a reduction in energy intake at the next eating occasion.

The value is in the snack itself: more protein for the energy than a sweet one.

Is ham a good high-protein snack?

On protein per calorie, yes: about 17 g per 100 kcal in CoFID. Two slices at 30 g give about 5.5 g of protein for 32 kcal.

It is also processed meat, which the NHS says to eat less of. If you eat more than 90 g of red and processed meat a day, cut down to 70 g. Cold chicken breast gives more protein per gram without that limit.

Are nuts a high-protein snack?

Only in a modest way. A 20 g palmful gives about 4 to 5 g of protein for about 110 kcal. Peanuts are 46 g of fat per 100 g in CoFID and almonds about 50 g.

Pair them with yoghurt or cottage cheese to reach 10 g.

HeMed provides clinician-led weight management. This page is general health information, not medical advice. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to your GP, or use NHS 111.

Next step: see what the HeMed blood test measures.

Sources (13)

1. Public Health England, McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021 (CoFID), file McCance_Widdowsons_Composition_of_Foods_Integrated_Dataset_2021.xlsx, sheet 1.3 Proximates: protein, fat and energy (kcal) per 100 g edible portion. Published 25 March 2015, dataset updated 19 March 2021. Food codes used: 12-539 cottage cheese plain; 12-550 cottage cheese plain reduced fat; 12-555 yogurt Greek style plain; 12-533 yogurt virtually fat free plain; 12-184 yogurt whole milk plain; 12-940 eggs chicken whole boiled; 16-416 tuna canned in brine drained; 16-412 salmon smoked (cold-smoked); 11-823 oatcakes plain retail; 19-496 ham; 18-323 chicken breast grilled without skin, meat only; 13-667 beans edamame frozen boiled; 13-556 houmous; 13-496 carrots old raw; 13-670 beans chick peas canned re-heated drained; 14-892 peanut butter smooth; 11-981 bread wholemeal average; 14-877 peanuts kernel only plain unsalted; 14-896 almonds whole kernels; 14-842 pumpkin seeds; 12-174 cheese quark; 12-346 cheese Cheddar English; 14-319 apples eating raw flesh and skin. gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid. Accessed 14 October 2026.
2. British Nutrition Foundation, “Your balanced diet: get portion wise, full portion size list”, November 2021, pages 2 to 11 (hand measures, snack tables, protein foods, dairy and alternatives, fruit and vegetables, example day). nutrition.org.uk/media/pwdjfvj5/your-balanced-diet_16pp_final_web.pdf. Accessed 14 October 2026.
3. NHS, “Tips to help you lose weight”, page last reviewed 17 March 2023. nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/tips-to-help-you-lose-weight. Accessed 14 October 2026.
4. NHS Better Health, “Healthy eating when trying to lose weight”. nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/healthy-eating-when-trying-to-lose-weight. Accessed 14 October 2026.
5. Leidy HJ and colleagues. “The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015;101(6):1320S to 1329S (abstract). doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084038. Accessed 14 October 2026.
6. Leidy HJ and colleagues. “The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men”. Obesity 2011;19(4):818 to 824 (abstract). doi.org/10.1038/oby.2010.203. Accessed 14 October 2026.
7. NICE, “Overweight and obesity management”, guideline NG246, published 14 January 2025, last updated 8 January 2026, section 1.16 Dietary approaches, recommendation 1.16.3. nice.org.uk/guidance/ng246. Accessed 14 October 2026.
8. NHS, “Eating a balanced diet”, page last reviewed 30 June 2026, section on beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins. nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eating-a-balanced-diet. Accessed 14 October 2026.
9. NHS, “How to get more fibre into your diet”. nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet. Accessed 14 October 2026.
10. NHS, “Meat in your diet”, page last reviewed 1 May 2024. nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/meat-nutrition. Accessed 14 October 2026.
11. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), “Statement on nutrition and older adults living in the community”, January 2021, paragraphs 3.2 and 4.22. gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-nutrition-and-older-adults. Accessed 14 October 2026.
12. Public Health England, “Government Dietary Recommendations: energy and nutrients for males and females aged 1 to 18 years and 19+ years”, 2016, Table 2, page 7. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a749fece5274a44083b82d8/government_dietary_recommendations.pdf. Accessed 14 October 2026.
13. British Nutrition Foundation, “Protein”, last reviewed October 2023. nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/protein. Accessed 14 October 2026.

Numbered markers in the page text link to these entries. Statistics describe populations, not any one person’s results.