This list of easy protein snacks is full of lots of 5-minute options for busy families! Everything from make-ahead protein options to quick protein snacks for busy parents!

Hi friends!

As an RD, I frequently get asked for high-protein snack ideas since getting enough protein is curently all the rage! I recently shared some Cottage Cheese Protein Snacks and now I’m back today to share more high-protein ideas!

Easy Healthy Snacks To Make

So if you’re looking for some high-protein snacks to make that taste good and require minimal time and effort, scroll down! I’ve got lots of ideas for you.

All of these snacks are quick and easy, selected with busy families in mind and many can be prepped ahead of time so they’re easy to grab during a busy week!

5 Minute Protein Snacks (No Cooking Required)

If you have big protein goals, there are lots of quick and easy 5-minute protein snacks out there that don’t require any cooking! Here are a few ideas

• Tuna Salad – Easy to whip up and can easily be customized to include more veggies, your favorite seasonings, etc. If you don’t like mayo, try using hummus or plain yogurt to make it creamy. Enjoy with crackers, put it in a wrap or sandwich, or serve with veggies like mini bell peppers for scooping!
• Protein Energy Bites – Can easily be whipped up with a food processor and just a few ingredients like oats, protein powder and nut butter. Add more nuts and seeds like pepitas, hemp hearts, etc for extra protein!
• Yogurt Parfait – Start with Greek yogurt and add your favorite toppings like fruit, chopped nuts and seeds, protein granola, etc to boost the protein content
• Turkey and Cheese Rollups – Grab some thinly sliced turkey or ham and add to a wrap with sliced veggies and cheese, plus cream cheese, hummus and/or guacamole. Or skip the wrap and wrap the deli meat around the cheese and veggies.
• Protein Smoothie – Endless flavor combination are possible. Use Greek yogurt or milk to add protein, plus a scoop or two of protein powder to increase the protein even more, plus your favorite frozen fruit and some hemp or seeds!

Easy Protein Snack Ideas Kids Will Love

It can be tricky to get enough protein into your kids when all they seem to want are carbs and fruit, but here are a simple, kid-friendly ideas:

• Chocolate milk – Pair a glass of chocolate milk with a high fiber muffin for a quick snack! If they’re not a fan of chocolate milk, swap for a container of lower sugar yogurt like Chobani or Siggis.
• String cheese – String cheese typically has 7g protein per stick. Pair it with a handful of crackers or trail mix!
• Protein pasta – Several different brand options out there- Barilla, Banza, etc and many taste just like regular pasta! Just add sauce if desired and serve!
• Cereal and milk – Choose a low sugar cereal and top with milk. Add some fresh blueberries for sweetness! Here are some Low Sugar Cereals for Kids.
• Frozen waffles – Look for a brand low in added sugar and sodium and high in protein. Top with nut butter! Here are some of the Best Healthy Frozen Waffles. Or make your own and freeze them.

Other ideas include energy bites, Lentil Banana Muffins, ham and cheese pinwheels, and even chicken nuggets! Here’s a great post from my friend and fellow RD Sally on Protein Snacks for Kids.

Simple Make-Ahead Protein Options

The easiest way to make sure you’re eating enough protein during the week is to prep it ahead of time. Lean protein like chicken and steak can be prepped ahead of time in large batches along with pancakes and patties that can be reheated during the week. And things like chia pudding and overnight oats are best made ahead of time as well!

• Chia pudding – Make it with milk, add yogurt for more protein, sweeten with fruit and add fun mix-ins! If you’re not a fan of chia, try overnight oats instead!
• Egg wraps – Eat these warm or cold, by themselves, or filled with your favorites like turkey, avocado and cheese. If you don’t want wraps, you could also make egg muffins or egg waffles.
• Protein Pancakes – Lots of different options out there using oats, almond flour, protein powder, etc so you can find one that fits your needs!
• Air fryer steak bites – quick and easy to cook and have on hand for meals and snacks. Or try meatballs if you don’t like steak.
• Tuna Patties – An easy way to transform canned tuna into a portable snack.
• Greek yogurt bark – Start with Greek yogurt and add whatever mix-ins you like – pepitas, hemp seeds, chopped nuts, fruit, granola, etc. You can also mix in some peanut butter! Spread it on parchment paper to freeze and then break into pieces. If you prefer, you can also spoon the mixture into popsicle molds so kids can eat it that way!

Easy Protein Snacks with 3 Ingredients or Less

Sometimes you just don’t have time for a complicated snack and you need something super simple with minimal ingredients. These ideas can be boiled down to 3 simple ingredients but can also easily be jazzed up with a few simple tweaks!

• Cottage Cheese Bowl – Make them sweet or savory, Keep it simple with something like cottage cheese, fruit, pumpkin seeds or add extra ingredients if you want!
• Homemade Lunchable – Keep it simple with turkey, cheese and crackers or add extra protein with hard boiled eggs and some fruit or veggies! Don’t like turkey? Use thinly sliced chicken breast! Here are some Healthy Crackers for Kids and Adults.
• Avocado toast– Add smoked salmon or egg (or both!) for extra protein and seasonings of your choice!
• Ground turkey taco – All you really need is a tortilla or taco shell, turkey taco meat and cheese. But you can easily take it up a level with a spoonful of guacamole or salsa!
• Roasted chickpea trail mix – Popcorn, roasted chickpeas and peanuts make a great simple combo. Jazz it up a little more by adding plantain chips or dried fruit like raisins!

Quick Protein Snacks for Busy Parents

If you’re a parent, you know how tough it is to find time to eat healthy snacks on a busy day. Here are some quick ideas that will still pack a protein punch!

• Steamed edamame with salt – Cook in a skillet or look for the steamable bag to cook in the microwave!
• Greek yogurt bagel with peanut butter – or skip the peanut butter and add a fried egg with a slice of cheese!
• High protein dip with veggies – Use cottage cheese as the base and pick your favorite flavor combination!
• No-Bake Protein Bars – If you’re not a fan of store-bought protein bars, try making your own!

Grab and Go Easy Protein Ideas

Need more ideas? Here are some Healthy High protein Snack Ideas I recommend. Some of my favorite grab and go options include:

• Greek yogurt cups
• Cottage cheese cups
• Beef Stick
• Protein Bar
• Roasted Edamame or broad beans

FAQs About Easy Protein Snacks

What are the easiest protein snacks to make?

The easiest protein snacks to make require minimal ingredients and can be prepped in large batches. Simply cooking a big batch of chicken that you can throw in a wrap or taco, mixing up a dip made with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese that you can scoop with some high-protein crackers, or blending a smoothie with milk or yogurt, protein powder and fruit are great options.

What easy protein snacks require no cooking? I need quick 5-minute protein snacks?

You can still get your protein in even if you don’t have time to cook. Try simple, high protein snacks like tuna salad, protein energy bites, yogurt parfaits, turkey and cheese rollups or a simple protein smoothie.

What easy protein snacks to do kids actually eat?

There are lots of easy protein options out there that kids will eat! Try things like string cheese with crackers, a glass of chocolate milk and a high fiber muffin, a bowl of cereal and milk, frozen waffles or protein pasta with sauce!

What are simple 3-ingredient protein snacks?

Many snacks can be pared down to just 3 simple ingredients as a starting point if you’re really in a rush, but then can easily be expanded on or jazzed up if you have a couple extra minutes! Try a cottage cheese or yogurt bowl with fruit and nuts, homemade lunchables, avocado toast with smoked salmon or a fried egg, tacos or trail mix with popcorn, chickpeas and nuts.

How do you make protein snacks ahead of time?

Investing even just an hour of your time doing food prep can make a huge difference in your ability to eat well during the week ahead. Take my Food Prep Masterclass to learn everything you need to know to get started!

What easy protein snacks travel well for work?

Grab and go options like protein bars, beef sticks, trail mix and roasted edamame can be great options to throw in a bag for work and don’t need to be refrigerated.

What are the easiest protein snacks for meal prep?

Some of my favorite high-protein meal prep ideas include egg wraps or egg muffins, smoothies to keep in the freezer, energy bites or protein bars, tuna salad and lean protein in the air fryer like chicken and steak.

What easy protein snacks help with hunger during meals?

While protein is great, if you really want to stay full between meals, try to make sure you snacks include protein, fiber and/or healthy fats. Both fiber and fat will help with satiety. Things like whole grain avocado toast with a fried egg, a smoothie with high fiber muffin and anything made with beans, lentils and other legumes will help increase the fiber content of your snacks. I have lots of healthy muffins and bars made with beans and lentils.

What are budget-friendly easy protein snacks?

Beans and lentils are budget-friendly and can be a good source of both protein and fiber. Also canned tuna and chicken, edamame and plain Greek yogurt can be good options!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

These Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups are made with crescent roll dough and are a super easy dinner. They’re kid-friendly and the leftovers can be packed for lunch!

Hi friends!

Lately, I’ve been making these Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups several times a month for dinner, especially on the nights my oldest has swimming. They’re quick, easy and kid-friendly and I can prep them ahead of time so my husband can just stick them in the oven when I’m on my way home from dance class with my daughter. Then they can be eaten in the 15 minutes we have before it’s off to the next sports practice!

As an added bonus, my oldest doesn’t mind eating these cold, so I can pack the extras in his lunchbox the next day.

An Elevated Turkey and Cheese Sandwich

These roll-ups are basically just a next-level turkey sandwich. Instead of bread, it uses crescent roll dough, which everyone loves! Then you just need your favorite turkey and cheese to go on the inside. They cook quickly, they come out nice and warm with melty cheese and the whole tray disappears without much effort on our part!

They’re also a great size for feeding a crowd – similar to turkey and cheese sliders- so they make a great party appetizer!

What Cheese Goes with Turkey

You really can’t go wrong with any cheese here. My kids usually prefer mozzarella or colby jack. I personally like meunster. Swiss would also be good. You can use shredded cheese or cheese slices, whichever you prefer. 

Variations

There are lots of ways to add variety to these:

• Swap ham, or even roast beef for turkey.
• Use pepperoni instead of turkey, brush with garlic butter and dip in marinara.
• Thinly slice leftover roasted turkey, instead of lunch meat, and add some leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving!

How To Make Turkey and Cheese Wraps

A few tips for assembly:

• Buy the plain crescent roll dough. I just find it easier to work with a solid sheet vs the kind that’s already perforated for crescent rolls.
• I usually cut the sheet in half. 
• Layer your turkey and cheese slightly to one side and start rolling from that side. I’ve found that having the empty dough at the end of the roll-up helps it stick together!
• Once you’ve rolled into a log, slice into the desired size and bake!

Print

Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

These Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups are made with crescent roll dough and are a super easy dinner. They’re kid-friendly and the leftovers can be packed for lunch!

• Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

• 6–8 slices of turkey
• 1 cup shredded cheese (or 4 slices)
• 1 tube crescent roll dough (solid sheet)

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Instructions

1. Unroll dough and cut in half.
2. Layer turkey and cheese slightly to one side of the dough.
3. Roll up starting at the side closer to the fillings.
4. Slice and transfer to baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Notes

I sometimes add pepperoni with the turkey or just do pepperoni by itself. Ham would also work!

See what I mean by easy?! Let me know if you try these!

Need more easy kid-friendly dinners?

• 15 Quick Family Meals
• Easy Dinner Ideas
• 30 Kid-Friendly Dinners

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup is perfect for transforming Thanksgiving leftovers into a new meal. Or make it with chicken any time of year!

Thanks to BUSH’S® Beans for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

With the holidays coming up, I am so excited to share this Leftover Turkey and White Bean soup with all of you. If your family is anything like mine, you’ll most certainly end up with leftovers from your holiday meal. My favorite thing to do with leftover turkey is to use it to make soup! And this year I’m pairing it with some BUSH’S® Beans because nobody knows beans better. 

BUSH’S® is family-owned, and they truly care about what’s in their food and how they make it….so you can feel good about bringing them into your kitchen!

Usually, I have enough leftovers to eat a holiday dinner, have a repeat of it the next day and STILL have some leftover. By day 2 it can start to feel a bit repetitive so with this soup I wanted to transform the leftover turkey into something totally different.

Turkey and White Bean Soup

Enter BUSH’S® Beans! In this soup we’re using two cans of beans, one as a main ingredient and the other as a special addition to puree and help thicken! It’s a super easy way to make your soups creamier while also adding some extra protein and fiber. 

Want to use up even more holiday leftovers? You could put some leftover mashed potatoes in the bottom of your bowl before serving! And use the turkey bones to make your own broth!

Here’s the lineup of soup ingredients:

• BUSH’S® Beans – You can use either of their white beans. I used a mix of Cannellini and Great Northern Beans.
• Leftover turkey – You could also use leftover cooked chicken.
• Corn – Canned or frozen work well
• Green chiles – I use mild but you can grab medium or hot if you like a little kick!
• Bell pepper – Any color but green should work great.
• Onion & Garlic
• Broth – Chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Spices – Cumin and chili powder bring the flavor of this soup to life!

Here’s how you make it:

Print

Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup is perfect for transforming holiday leftovers into a new meal. Or make it with chicken any time of year!

• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1 (4.5 oz can ) diced green chiles (I use mild)
• 3/4 cup salsa verde
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 quart broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 2 cans BUSH’S® Beans -either Cannellini or Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn (canned or frozen)
• 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken

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Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute onion, garlic, peppers, green chiles, salsa verde, cumin and chili powder over medium high heat for 6-7 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup BUSH’S® Beans, 3/4 cup of onion mixture from the soup pot and 3/4 cup broth to a blender and puree until smooth.
3. Return bean mixture to the soup pot and add corn, turkey and remaining beans and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for at least 10 minutes or until ready to eat.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with avocado, cheese, tortilla chips and a squeeze of lime juice!

Notes

You can use more or less turkey depending on how much you have leftover.

You can add an extra tsp of cumin for more flavor and if you want it spicier, add more chili powder, some cayenne pepper or some jalapenos!

Looks delicious right?! Like I mentioned, if you don’t have leftover turkey, this soup would be great any time of year using cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is a great option to make this a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Top your soup with avocados, cheese and crushed tortilla chips!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–