Have you ever gotten past your lunch break at work, only to crash and burn midway between then and your clock-out time? If so, you’re not alone. The 2 pm Slump, as it’s called, is common enough that doctors and dieticians both have taken note of it.
Several tips circulate the internet about how to prevent the mid-afternoon crash. However, by far the most common is the recommendation that you get a snack to help you keep your energy levels up. Not just any snack will do, though. Only high-protein snacks will do the trick.
Want to know what snacks will help you refocus and recharge? These are the best high-protein snacks you can keep on you.
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Never Underestimate Meat
Most don’t think of meat as being a snack ingredient, but it’s one of the best high-protein snacks around. Meat snacks can crop up in a few different forms. The most common would be beef jerky. However, jerkies can be rather high in sodium, making them a less than optimal choice.
A simple egg bite or a smear of chicken/tuna salad on crackers can go a long way towards satiating your hunger without too many extra carbs. If you do use jerky or canned meat, make sure you double-check the sodium content. Those meats tend to get slathered in salt to keep them preserved and safe to eat.
Delicious Dairy and Cheese
Yogurts and cheeses can be exceptional high-protein snacks to ride through your mid-afternoon crash. Assuming, of course, that you don’t have an aversion or an allergy to lactose. (Though even if you do, there are plenty of options on the market without lactose that still offers the protein and other nutrients.)
Cheese and crackers are a common choice for those mid-afternoon munchies. However, if you’re looking for high-protein low-carb snacks, you can forgo the crackers for a bit more cheese. Or else, pair the cheese with nuts and dried fruit. Whatever you choose, make sure that you have a nice, cool lunchbox to store it in.
Nutty About Nuts
Nuts, whether in their natural state or smashed into butter, are a staple of most easy high-protein snacks. They take center stage in trail mixes, sandwiches, smoothies, or as dips for fruit. Companies like american dream nut butter specialize in and pride themselves on using nuts with low-sugar mix-ins to create unique flavors.
Different nuts will have different flavor profiles and healthy fats. Cashews and pecans tend to be calorically heavy, but offer a smoother flavor profile and easier bite than almonds. And, of course, you can’t beat the utility of the classic peanut. Whether roasted and salted or fused into granola with honey, it can provide that extra bit of protein to get you through your day.
Smooth Over the Crash With a Smoothie
If you’re looking for healthy high-protein snacks, you can’t get much better than a smoothie. You can load smoothies with natural, high-protein ingredients like nuts, yogurt, and milk. However, if all of that still doesn’t do the trick for you, you can always throw in a spoonful or two of protein powder.
Whether you use whey, pea, or some other type, those protein mix-ins can help your smoothie smooth out the afternoon crash. Just make sure that you keep it at your desk, or else labeled clearly in the company fridge. The last thing you need is to buy an add-on to stop the office lunch thief.
Beans Can Be Magical
Yes, yes, haha, beans can give you gas. However, the other thing beans can give you is a shockingly high amount of protein. High atop many lists of easy high-protein snacks sits hummus. Hummus, which is made from garbanzo beans, otherwise known as chickpeas.
Hummus is especially versatile among high-protein snacks. You can mix it with sweet ingredients to create a dessert hummus. You can also go the traditional, savory route and consume it with crackers or vegetables.
Not feeling hummus on a particular day? No worries. You can make a small serving of black bean or chickpea salad to get you through the afternoon and to the end of your shift.
Looking for more of a crunch? You can bake the chickpeas instead with your favorite seasonings. This creates a delightful, crunchy, high-protein alternative to your afternoon bag of chips.
Seeds and Crackers
Crackers tend to make you think of carbs. However, there are plenty of cracker-based high-protein low-carb snacks around. For most of these, the cracker itself got made using almond or coconut flour. Those flours can have a significantly higher protein content than a standard white or wheat.
If you want to boost the protein and nutrient content of the crackers further, incorporating seeds is a great way to do it. Hemp, flax, chia, sunflower, and sesame seeds can boost the protein content of any cracker through the roof. If you make one of these protein-loaded crackers, then load it up with chicken salad or cheese, you can fill up without too much food.
Looking for More Ideas for High-Protein Snacks?
High-protein snacks can help curb cravings for sugar and sustain your energy levels throughout the day. Whether you prefer meats, seeds, nuts, cheeses, or a nice smoothie, there are tons of recipes available online for healthy high-protein snacks that are easy to make.
Are you interested in discovering more foods with a high protein content? Do you crave more inspiration and delicious recipes for high-protein snacks that will get you through the day? If so, then check out the Food and Cooking section of our blog for more delectable snack ideas.
