High-protein dairy-free snacks are an excellent way to meet your daily protein needs while ensuring you avoid the potential health risks associated with dairy. Whether you're looking to lose weight, gain muscle, manage allergies, or explore a vegan lifestyle, there are plenty of delicious high-protein dairy-free snacks to choose from.
In this article, we'll explore the benefits of high-protein dairy-free snacks and provide you with 15 simple and effective options to add to your diet.
benefits of high-protein snacks
High-protein snacks offer several health benefits, including:
- weight loss: protein can help you feel fuller for longer, reduce cravings, and improve insulin resistance, leading to weight loss and improved body composition.
- muscle growth: protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, and incorporating more high-protein snacks can help you gain muscle more quickly and effectively.
- allergies and lactose intolerance: for people with dairy allergies or lactose intolerance, high-protein dairy-free snacks can help meet the same nutrition needs without the unpleasant side effects.
simple high-protein dairy-free snacks
Now that we know the benefits of high-protein snacks, let's dive into some simple and effective options you can incorporate into your diet.
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Chickpeas: Chickpeas are a powerful, versatile snack. They can be blended into hummus or roasted with any spices and flavors you like. Some companies have even made “guilt-free” cheese puffs packed with protein from chickpeas!
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Black beans: Another powerful vegan protein, black beans are great for dips or wrapping into compact burritos that pack a punch. When you're eating black beans, make sure to include some kind of fat with your snack.
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Seeds: Seeds are great high-protein dairy-free snacks in small quantities. There are many kinds of seeds, with sunflower and pumpkin seeds being the best for on-the-go snacks. Different seeds are often high in different nutrients, but they're all easy protein sources compact enough to fit in your pocket.
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Nuts: Nuts provide so many different options for dairy-free protein snacks, but, like seeds, they tend to be high in calories, so you'll want to make sure you don't eat more than a handful or so a day to stay on track with your fitness goals.
With nuts and seeds, you'll want to keep an eye on the sugar and sodium. Many brands add sugars and salts for flavor, which means even a small serving can have a shockingly high sugar or sodium content.
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Dairy-free protein shakes: Giving up dairy doesn’t mean giving up the convenience of a protein shake!
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Tuna: Tuna pouches don’t need refrigeration and, unlike nuts or seeds, are relatively low-calorie. Tuna is high in vitamin B12 and vitamin D, as well as a whole host of other vitamins and nutrients. Despite what you may have heard, you don't have to be concerned about the mercury content of tuna. While pregnant people and small children should limit consumption of tuna in any form, canned tuna is much lower in mercury than fresh tuna.
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Smoked salmon: Unlike most of the other options we've discussed so far, smoked salmon is one of the high-protein dairy-free snacks that typically requires refrigeration. This makes it great for people who work from home, since it's still simple to prepare in between tasks.
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Jerky: Jerky is a great way to go when looking for high-protein dairy-free snacks. You can get jerky made of beef, chicken, and even fish, leaving plenty of room for variety. Jerky can pack plenty of protein but is also very high in sodium, making it best as an occasional snack rather than an everyday one.
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Eggs: Eggs are incredibly cost-effective and can be cooked in many different ways, though hard boiled is by far the easiest way to keep a supply of eggs available for swift snacks. Eggs contain all of the amino acids, even ones that other sources of proteincan be low in. While eggs do require refrigeration, you can also use them in baked goods alongside other sources of protein to make them more portable.
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Deli meats: Deli meats can often function as part of a snack or a meal, and they're easy to keep on hand. Cured meats like pepperoni or summer sausage may not even need refrigeration. However, these snacks are always very high in sodium and often contain other added ingredients. You'll want to read labels on any meats you plan to incorporate into your regular snack rotation.
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Collagen protein shots: Collagen protein powder is great for mixing into other snacks, but when it comes to snacks on the go, a liquid collagen protein shot is one of the best high-protein dairy-free snacks out there. Frog Fuel's collagen protein shots are true powerhouses of nutrition, allowing you to get all the essential amino acids you need to perform at your best, as well as a boost of natural energy, all with 0 sugar and only 60 calories.
Best yet? You get to make use of all the incredible collagen benefits for men and women alike. Of course, we think collagen is the best protein powder for kids, too!
how to make high protein snacks easy
No matter what kind of protein you choose for your high-protein dairy-free snacks, there's one thing they should all have in common: Your snacks should involve little to no prep. One of the easiest things about dairy protein is how simple it is to snack on. Cheese, yogurt, even whey protein mean that dairy is always close at hand.
For many people, though, dairy protein is simply not worth it. If your health and fitness journey includes cutting out dairy, you still have options. You can access the benefits of animal protein without dairy's more unpleasant side effects.
To be successful at switching to dairy-free snacks, make sure that your chosen snack is easy to incorporate into your routine.
If you're used to cutting cheese into cubes or shaking up a protein shake, find dairy-free alternatives that are just as simple. Or even better, find snacks that you can slip into your duffle bag for before or after a workout with no prep needed at all. Frog Fuel's liquid protein shots make a great high-protein dairy-free snack. The single-serve pouches allow you to take them on the go, and you don't need to mix them with anything to enjoy them.
