The 35 Best High-Protein, Low-Carb Snacks, According To Nutritionists

Before you miss those pita chips too much, know this: Low-carb snacks can come in handy if you’re trying to reach or maintain a healthy weight. Why? “Lower-carb eating tends to eliminate highly-processed foods, like cookies, crackers, and other baked goods,” says Florida-based nutritionist Gabrielle Mancella, RD.

That said, low-carb eaters (especially those with healthy weight goals) need to make sure they consume enough protein, which helps repair and build metabolism-boosting muscle tissue, Mancella says.

That’s exactly where high-protein, low-carb snacks come in.

Protein is super satiating and provides long-lasting fuel, so low-carb snacks that pack protein won’t leave you hungry again in 20 minutes (which, be honest, those pretzels totally did).

Don’t worry, high-protein, low-carb snacking is yummier than every right now, thanks to shifting diet trends (ahem, keto) and all of the new snacks popping up on store shelves as a result.

“I try to stick to a plant-based diet, so some of my favorite high-protein, low-carb snacks include carrots with peanut butter or celery and nuts and seeds,” says Mancella. (Even leftover chicken with a little tomato and balsamic glaze can be a perfectly good snack, if you eat meat, though.)

Whatever you’re hankering for, one of these 35 high-protein, low-carb snacks (all nutritionist-approved!) is sure to do the trick …

Justin’s Classic Almond Butter

Grab a spoon or Mancella’s go-to carrot sticks, dig into this all-natural almond butter, and consider yourself fueled up ’til dinner—without racking up the carbs.
Per 1.15-oz serving: 200 cal, 18 g fat (2.5 g sat), 6 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein