- 5 hours ago
Looking for easy, high-protein snacks that actually taste good? In this video, Nicole shares nine simple, protein-packed recipes that are perfect for meal prep, afternoon cravings, post-workout fuel, or anytime you need a satisfying bite. From a creamy Everything Bagel Greek Yogurt Dip and crispy Air Fryer Wonton Mozzarella Sticks to High-Protein Rice Krispie Treats and BBQ Chicken Peppers, these snacks are packed with flavor without being complicated.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00If you need more protein without another boring shake
00:02or bar, I've got you covered.
00:04Here are nine protein packed snacks
00:06that are easy, satisfying, and actually worth eating.
00:09I'm gonna start with, you know, my favorite food, dip.
00:13And this is an everything bagel protein dip.
00:16Don't worry, not everything is going to start
00:18with cottage cheese, but this recipe does
00:20because it just makes sense.
00:22The base of this dip is Greek yogurt,
00:25which also has a lot of protein,
00:26and then half the amount of cottage cheese.
00:28I like getting the really small curd cottage cheese,
00:32just so you don't get all those big scary chunks in there.
00:35A lot of dips start with sour cream as the base,
00:38but a great protein swab is just to do Greek yogurt instead.
00:41If you have enough flavorings,
00:43the difference in flavor won't make a difference.
00:46The recipe just calls to stir the ingredients together.
00:48I like to trick people, especially my kids.
00:52If they see the curds, they're gonna know it's cottage cheese.
00:55When it's whipped, it really takes on the flavor
00:57of cream cheese more than cottage cheese,
00:59or it at least tricks your brain
01:01to thinking it's more of a cream cheese.
01:02It's just a little bit of ranch.
01:04It's not too much, because you want the flavor
01:06of the everything bagel to stand out.
01:08If your everything bagel seasoning doesn't have enough salt,
01:11you might want to add a little pinch of salt in there too.
01:13But it doesn't get much easier than that.
01:14I love this dip with just some crisp veggies.
01:17You could also do it with some bagel chips
01:19to really sell the bagel theme.
01:25A little more sprinkle for the top.
01:32I would not know.
01:34I was even trying to pick out the cottage cheese.
01:36And the Greek yogurt is not too tangy,
01:38thanks to the salt from the ranch seasoning
01:40and the everything bagel.
01:41I love the little bits of salty crunch in there.
01:43It's a perfect dip.
01:45I haven't made a dip I don't like though.
01:47String cheese is an easy way to get that extra protein.
01:50And I'm gonna double down.
01:52These are crispy air fried salami and cheese sticks.
01:55Starting with the string cheese,
01:56I found some that even have more protein.
01:58So eight grams per string cheese.
02:01And I'm gonna say two as a serving.
02:04So you're starting with 16.
02:05Then we're gonna add more protein from wonton wrappers
02:09and pepperoni or salami.
02:11So this snack for six pieces
02:14will give you over 20 grams of protein,
02:16closer to like 25 grams of protein.
02:18Okay, so you get these little wonton wrappers.
02:21You can do bigger ones and do like the egg roll wrappers,
02:23but this fits perfectly with a third of a cheese stick.
02:27And you're going to run some water
02:29along the edges of your wrapper.
02:31Okay, take your cheese,
02:32wrap your salami or pepperoni around,
02:35fold the corner up,
02:36then tuck in the sides and roll it up.
02:38Super fast, super easy.
02:40And I was really surprised at how crunchy
02:43and crispy these get in the air fryer.
02:45I like to preheat my air fryer for a couple minutes.
02:47That way they start in a hot environment
02:49to get crispy faster.
02:51They're just gonna go into the air fryer.
02:52I'm gonna coat them with a little olive oil spray.
02:55Then we're gonna air fry at 350 degrees
02:57for about seven minutes.
02:58You'll flip them halfway through.
03:00And they look like fried treats.
03:02And who doesn't love a fried snack?
03:04Of course they're delicious like this.
03:05You could dip them in some marinara.
03:07I'm gonna do a little garlic butter, pinch of salt,
03:09a little bit of parsley.
03:11And then I'm just gonna brush this butter
03:12over each little bite.
03:13A little bit goes a long way.
03:14So you're not adding a bunch of fat to this.
03:17It's just, it's a lot of flavor and a little butter.
03:19Smells like, what'd you get it like a pizza place?
03:26Crunchy.
03:31Tastes like garlic bread and pizza put together.
03:34Crunchy on the outside, it's buttery.
03:36There's a lot of flavor in that little bite.
03:38Six of these is a really hearty snack.
03:40It's gonna keep you full for a long time.
03:42This is a great way to eat a string cheese.
03:45Did you know you can make high protein rice crispy treats?
03:48Well, you can and all it takes is adding protein powder
03:51to the existing recipe.
03:53Or so they say, we're doing this one together.
03:55But I thought this was a really smart use of protein powder.
03:58A lot of times people will throw protein powder in anything
04:00and it just tastes chalky.
04:03You know, you can taste it in there.
04:05It's not the same as the original.
04:08This situation feels like it'll work.
04:10So we're just gonna start out by making our rice crispy treats
04:12the old fashioned way.
04:14All protein powders are different.
04:15So this could vary based on what kind of protein powder you use.
04:19But each scoop has 21 grams and I'm gonna get as many scoops as I can in here.
04:25Probably about three.
04:26Some protein's better than no protein.
04:28These are the kind of snacks my kids like, but I always feel like,
04:31you know, they're just what they call empty calories.
04:34They're not getting any nutrition.
04:36They're not doing them any good.
04:37They don't stay full.
04:39They're full of sugar.
04:40It's gonna have sugar in it.
04:41I'm gonna feel better if it also has protein.
04:44Once this starts to melt, I'll start incorporating the protein powder.
04:47I like to use salted butter in my rice crispy treats just to balance out the sweet.
04:51If you're using unsalted butter, just add in a pinch of salt.
04:54This has over 60 grams of protein in this batch.
04:58You know what happens.
04:59You gotta act fast.
05:01Take it off the heat, stir in the rice krispies and press them in the pan.
05:04That's right, Bailey.
05:06Okay, Mike should have used slightly less protein powder.
05:10Let's say two and a half scoops instead of three.
05:13Take some wax paper or parchment, kind of help press it in.
05:16You don't need to, like, pack it too tightly, just enough to form the shape of the pan.
05:21All right, then you just have to let it cool for about an hour, and then we cut it into
05:25squares.
05:25All right, now for the moment of truth.
05:28Will these taste like delicious rice krispie treats or just blocks of protein powder?
05:32Well, they look and act like a rice krispie treat.
05:41Mmm, I don't think you would know.
05:45And you might know a little bit, but I wouldn't mind it.
05:48I feel like the more opportunities you get to add protein, the better.
05:52So this is an example of one that I would actually eat and feel good about.
05:58Chicken might be the greatest source of protein and the easiest one to get in.
06:03So this snack is barbecue chicken salad stuffed peppers.
06:07Keep the snack low-carb so you can have your carbs later.
06:09So I'm doing kind of like barbecue, cowboy, southwestern vibes here.
06:15I've got some diced red onion.
06:16I'm adding in some fresh jalapeno, chopping it all really finely.
06:21I love keeping, like, a tub of chicken salad or tuna salad on hand.
06:27Inevitably, myself or anyone in my family will open it with some crackers and dig in.
06:33I'm also adding a little cilantro.
06:35You could just do parsley here.
06:36Chicken is just a good canvas for lots of different flavors.
06:41Chicken's obviously the main source of protein, but I'm also adding in the Greek yogurt.
06:45Then I have to have a little mayonnaise just to kind of cut some of that tanginess that you get
06:49in the Greek yogurt.
06:50A little bit of Dijon.
06:51The barbecue from barbecue sauce.
06:54Whatever your favorite is.
06:56And then some dill pickle relish.
06:58Dill pickles and barbecue.
07:00Yes, yes.
07:02Going in with some barbecue rub just to accentuate that barbecue theme I've got going on.
07:06And this will add our salt and pepper.
07:09And then I'm going to stuff it into these little snack-sized peppers for the perfect bite.
07:15Cute.
07:15Chicken salad doesn't always have to be a sandwich.
07:18See?
07:19Have you served up snack-sized chicken salad like that before?
07:22Looks like the perfect bite if you ask me.
07:26Crunchy and sweet to go with the rich and creamy.
07:29If you've got something like this ready to go in the fridge, it's going to be a whole lot easier
07:33to make those good protein decisions instead of reaching for something that's just full of empty calories.
07:39It's a good idea.
07:40Next up is a protein-packed version of one of my favorite desserts.
07:43Any guesses as to what that might be?
07:46Banana pudding.
07:47Banana pudding protein yogurt cups.
07:49Having single-sized servings of yogurt makes this a quick and easy, convenient grab-and-go snack, breakfast, dessert.
07:57This is my kind of treat.
07:59So I'm starting with a yogurt cup.
08:02I grabbed one with 20 grams of protein.
08:05And I'm not going to stop there because I'm going in with a whole scoop of vanilla protein powder.
08:11That's another 21 grams here.
08:13First, I like to get the yogurt kind of stirred up a little bit and get the protein powder in
08:18there.
08:19You've seen me do something like this before.
08:21I did like a cheesecake version.
08:23But putting your protein powder in your protein yogurt is just a genius move.
08:31Because the whole treat is not an overwhelming size.
08:34The portion size stays in this single serving.
08:38Oh, that's a lot of protein in there.
08:39But it works.
08:40And it makes it thick.
08:42So this is more like a dessert.
08:44And it hides really well in there.
08:46It's not overly chalky.
08:47Then I'm going in with a couple teaspoons of banana-flavored instant pudding to give us some of that banana
08:54flavor.
08:55Nicole, could you freeze this and make frozen yogurt out of it?
08:59Well, that's a good idea.
09:00This could be a protein frozen yogurt, banana pudding flavor.
09:06I think the possibilities are endless.
09:12It's delicious just like that.
09:14But why stop there?
09:16Now I'm going to go straight in with some vanilla wafers.
09:19All that is still fitting in that cup.
09:21Cover it up and let it chill for at least four to six hours.
09:25Okay, after it's been sitting, unwrap it, add on some slices of banana.
09:33And we have our 41 grams of protein in one little cup of yogurt.
09:39See, the vanilla wafers have softened just like they do in the real deal dessert.
09:43Adding, I think, that fresh banana on top is key.
09:48Mmm.
09:50Tastes like banana pudding.
09:51The vanilla wafers make it, you know, transforms the whole experience.
09:54I don't even have to feel guilty eating this whole thing.
09:56I think if you don't do anything else today, get yourself a 41 gram of protein dessert like this.
10:03Turning another one of my favorite foods of all time into a delicious protein snack, sweet pepper nachos, where the
10:10pepper is the chip and the vessel to hold all the protein.
10:14So you just take the little mini peppers.
10:16They're the perfect size.
10:17Cut them in half.
10:18Scoop out the seeds.
10:20And then you've got like the perfect little cup to hold all your fillings.
10:23Okay, then just line them up on a baking sheet because you are going to put these in the oven.
10:28Then you just start topping with as many protein-packed ingredients as you can.
10:32Going on with a little cheese.
10:34But the main source of protein is ground turkey.
10:37And of course, I've seasoned it like I do any of my taco meat.
10:41Ground turkey packs a lot of protein.
10:43Also adding in some black beans, protein and fiber going on.
10:48And then more cheese.
10:49All right, then I'm just going to pop them under the broiler.
10:51I want the chips to stay, I want the chips to stay good and crunchy.
10:56So I'm not trying to let this cook for a long time.
10:59The meat is warm.
11:00The beans are cooked.
11:01So I just want to melt the cheese.
11:03So I've got the broiler on high and it'll go in for just a minute or two.
11:08Just about a minute later, we've got our nachos, but they are not complete.
11:13Just yet.
11:14Instead of sour cream, doing more Greek yogurt.
11:18I'm going to flavor it with a little lime and salt.
11:20Some fresh avocado.
11:22Some red onion.
11:23See, this is like a party.
11:25Finishing it off, a little hot sauce.
11:28And then some fresh cilantro.
11:30This, my friends, is a platter of nachos with a ton of protein on it.
11:33But will it solve the nacho craving without a chip?
11:36I'll let you know.
11:41Mmm.
11:43Mm-hmm.
11:43Um, yeah, because it's all about the toppings.
11:46It's got everything you love about a nacho.
11:48It's hot and cold.
11:49It's creamy.
11:49It's crunchy.
11:50It's a perfect bite.
11:51I don't miss the chip.
11:52And I'm getting a load of protein.
11:55This next one doubles as a snack or a breakfast.
11:58These are high-protein chocolate chip muffins.
12:01And it does incorporate a little cottage cheese, but it's going to be hidden.
12:05There are some milks that have more protein than others.
12:08So if you're looking to incorporate protein without having to do any extra effort, you
12:12can get things like this, where a cup has 13 grams of protein, which is a little more
12:16than regular milk.
12:18Everything just goes straight into the blender.
12:20Pour in your muffin tin.
12:21Bake.
12:22The whole thing can happen from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.
12:27I'm going to get this going before I add in the dry ingredients.
12:31In goes self-rising flour.
12:35I love the chip.
12:36I'm also going in with some oat flour.
12:39This cup has 16 more grams of protein going straight in.
12:43And a little pinch of salt.
12:45Okay.
12:46Looks like batter.
12:47Final step, stir in some chocolate chips.
12:50And you want to stir these in.
12:52Don't blend these in.
12:53You can pour them into regular-sized muffin tins or the mini muffin tin, whatever you're
12:58feeling, for the perfect snack.
13:00Into the oven.
13:01There they go.
13:01The big test with these will be to see if my kids could tell if there's cottage cheese
13:08in there.
13:08We'll see.
13:09Big or small, the chocolate chip cottage cheese blender muffins.
13:14How did we do?
13:16They look pretty moist on the inside.
13:21I cannot taste the cottage cheese.
13:23Hot, steamy.
13:24You can see that it's tender and moist in there.
13:29Kind of spongy.
13:29I'd probably add a little more sugar just to make these a little sweeter for a sweet snack.
13:34But I'm glad you can't tell that there's cottage cheese in here.
13:37You could even add a scoop of that protein powder, I bet.
13:40I'm someone who loves a little something sweet with my coffee in the morning.
13:43So this is kind of that breakfast that you won't feel so guilty about because I know sugary
13:48breakfasts aren't great.
13:50But when it's got extra protein in it, it's just fine.
13:55This is a healthier muffin recipe that I promise is worth trying.
13:58Another dip to keep on hand for protein snacking, I'm doing a pepperoncini tuna dip.
14:04You can call it tuna salad, but I'm using it as a dip.
14:06I'm going to make it a little more spreadable and scoopable with those crackers.
14:10One can of tuna.
14:13This can in particular has 32 grams of protein.
14:16And I'm going in with three.
14:17We like tuna in my house.
14:19We're not afraid of it.
14:20So I'm going to go ahead and break up the tuna with my fork.
14:23Star of the show, pepperoncini.
14:26Not pepperoncini.
14:27Okay.
14:28Y'all say stuff when I say pepperoncini.
14:31It's the way it's spelled.
14:32Parsley, some red onion.
14:34Everything is really finely chopped.
14:36So minced.
14:37And I'm also going in with a little of the brine.
14:40Some dill.
14:41A little lemon juice.
14:42Give all that a mix.
14:44Now I'm going to make it creamy with our best protein shortcut.
14:51Greek yogurt.
14:52You could puree some cottage cheese and put that in here.
14:54But I promised you that we wouldn't do all cottage cheese everything.
14:58There's 96 grams of protein in the tuna.
15:01Plus I just added 17 more.
15:04That is 111.
15:08But I got to have a little mayo in there.
15:11Salt and pepper.
15:13Now we're looking like a dip.
15:14A tiny splash of balsamic vinegar.
15:17It's going to add a little sweetness.
15:19And feta cheese.
15:20It's like a little Greek salad.
15:22This small little bowl of tuna dip has over 70 grams of protein.
15:26Because the rest is over here.
15:28See?
15:28And it just scoops up like a dip.
15:31Not just a salad.
15:35Mm-hmm.
15:36There's a lot of flavor going on right there.
15:38For me, this is a way I would get some protein in at happy hour.
15:40Because this will go great with a glass of wine.
15:44Edamame, but make them crispy.
15:46This is our final snack.
15:47You get a lot of bang for your buck with edamame.
15:50It has 10 grams of protein for only like a little over 100 calories.
15:54So this is kind of a no-brainer snack.
15:57We are going to make these crispy parmesan flavored.
16:00I've bought the ones that come in a bag that are already like dried and crispy.
16:04And I'm not a fan.
16:06They kind of choke you.
16:07They are so dry.
16:08So we're going to make our own version.
16:09First thing to do is to rinse the edamame under water just to thaw it out.
16:13Dry them off a little bit.
16:14Then add them to your sheet pan.
16:17I need a little bit bigger of a pan because I don't want them to steam.
16:20I want them to get crispy.
16:21So you want them to be able to be in a single layer.
16:24And all you do is drizzle with olive oil.
16:26Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese.
16:28This is going to help it get crispy.
16:30And a little salt and pepper.
16:32Make sure they're all evenly and well coated.
16:35Then these just go into the oven 400 degrees until they are crispy and roasted.
16:40I cranked the oven up to 425 just to get them extra crispy.
16:46That seemed to work better.
16:48And I gave it an extra 5 to 10 minutes because I like this sound.
16:54Not that sound.
16:56Let's see.
16:57And as they sit, they're going to get crispier as they cool.
17:01Crispy parmesan edamame.
17:03That's a fun snack.
17:07Mmm.
17:09Mmm.
17:10Not super crunchy, but they do have that crispness on the outside.
17:14That salty parmesan bite is just, I mean, it's perfect.
17:18It's another one that makes me want a cold cocktail.
17:20What is it with this kind of food?
17:22If you're looking to hit those protein goals, snacking is the way to do it.
17:26I for sure have definitely hit my grams today.
17:31Mmm.
17:33Can you tell?
17:36Mmm.
Comments