- At Sam’s Club, I discovered nine high-protein snacks that curb hunger between meals.
- These nutritious snacks can also double as a quick breakfast on the go, a light meal or a dessert.
- Protein-rich snacks provide energy, aid in muscle recovery and help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Full, hearty meals are a vital part of any healthy diet. But don’t discount the importance of snacks. The right snacks can help you stay satisfied between meals and keep your energy up all day. I’ve always been a big snacker myself, but now with two daughters under 3 years old, there are more snacks in my house than ever before. Healthy fats are great, and sweets can be OK in moderation, but for a snack that gives you a real boost nutritionally, I look to protein.
Protein-rich snacks help with muscle recovery, stabilize blood sugar and are an overall good choice when you’re feeling munchy. My houseful of snackers means I’m better off buying in bulk, so I get a lot of our snacks at Sam’s Club. Here are the protein-packed options that are often in my cart, including Chobani drinks, turkey and beef strips, egg bites and more.
1. Chobani Drinks
These protein drinks made with strained (Greek-style) yogurt are delicious. Mixed Berry Vanilla is my personal favorite, but Strawberries & Cream comes in at a close second. The drinks have 20 grams of protein and no added sugar (they’re sweetened with a bit of stevia) and, as a bonus, they contain lots of live and active cultures that are great for digestion and gut health. These feel like a real treat, perfect for when you’re craving something fruity and sweet.
2. Turkey and Beef Sticks
When you think of protein-packed snacks, maybe the first thing that springs to mind is jerky. Country Archer Mini Beef Sticks are pocket-size, with a 4-gram protein punch, and they’re made with 100% grass-fed beef. And while beef jerky is a classic, I also like to switch it up a bit with Jack Link’s Mini Turkey Sticks. They also have 4 g of protein, and the savory herb flavor is like a two-bite Thanksgiving dinner. My toddler loves these almost as much as I do.
3. Steak Strips
Speaking of meaty snacks, the Member’s Mark Steak Strips take jerky to the next level. They’re thick-cut bits of 100% beef, and they are delicious. They do contain some added sugar—probably part of what makes them so yummy—but with 9 g of protein per serving, I don’t mind. These steak strips provide a real boost of energy, so I especially like to bring them along as a trail snack on longer hikes.
4. Egg Bites
Eggs aren’t just for breakfast around here. Sam’s Club’s Sous Vide Egg Bites are a go-to of mine when I need a filling, savory snack. They’re made with cage-free eggs and uncured bacon, offer 20 g of protein and come in super-convenient packaging that lets you unwrap two at a time. I pop them into my air fryer for less than 10 minutes, and they come out with perfectly golden, crispy edges. Just writing about them honestly has me wishing I were snacking on one now.
5. Tuna Salad Snack Kits
My husband is a big fan of the Bumble Bee Snack on the Run kits, which come with a small tin of ready-to-eat tuna salad, a package of crackers, and even a spoon for spreading. At 8 g of protein per kit, it’s a great filler-upper for him between lunch and dinner, and the Sam’s Club–sized box means there’s always a few in the pantry when he goes looking.
6. Greek-Style Yogurt Bars
Sometimes (OK, a lot of the time) I want to end my evening with a treat. And I’ll be the first to tell you I believe a scoop of ice cream—yes, even the full-fat, full-sugar kind—can be part of a balanced eating pattern. But these chocolate-covered Clio Greek Yogurt Bars, which we always keep in the fridge, truly hit the spot. They’re a great little satisfying size, and the strained (Greek-style) yogurt inside has a perfect cheesecake-like consistency. They have 4 g of protein apiece, and you’ll have a hard time deciding whether you prefer the peach or raspberry flavor because both are so good.
7. Protein Puffs
I try hard to limit the ultra-processed snacks, but I’ll confess that during family movie night, I find myself wanting something crunchy that will, ideally, leave a coating of cheese dust on my fingers. In other words, I’m a sucker for a cheese puff, and I always have been. Luckily, Sam’s Club has just the thing. Twin Peaks Protein Puffs have all the cheesy goodness I crave, with a whopping 21 g of protein per serving.
8. Nuts
There may be no protein-packed snack more classic than nuts. We eat a ton of nuts in my house—pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, you name it. It’s rare that I leave the house without a bag of nuts in my purse, and they’re often the first thing my toddler reaches for when she wants a snack. Sam’s Club makes it easy for me to stay fully stocked, since their nut selection is fabulous and the bulk pricing means I can get a lot of nuts for a lower cost than I’d find them elsewhere.
9. Kodiak Cakes
At 15 g per serving, this flapjack and waffle mix is loaded with protein, and it’s full of easy-to-pronounce ingredients that I feel good about. Every few weeks, I mix up a big batch of batter and make some waffles and mini pancakes that I can keep in the freezer. They make a good snack on their own or with a bit of peanut butter, jam, maple syrup or honey drizzled on top.
With the kind of nonstop snacking my family does, my Sam’s Club membership is totally invaluable for making sure I’m never short on protein-packed choices.
