Hi guys!

Lately, I've been upping my protein intake to fuel my heavy lifting and build muscle mass - so on top of my protein smoothies I have for breakfast, I've been eating snacks that are HIGH in protein.

Since I'm on the go a lot whether I'm rushing out the door for a meeting, a workout, or an event - having a few snacks I know I can count on and ready in the fridge, definitely helps between meals. It also helps keep me full and from any unnecessary cravings or spending too much time lingering over the snack table at events.

Most packaged, processed, to-go food items are usually high in fat and carbs but lacking in protein! When your day includes exercise, it’s super important to bring along nourishing snacks that will keep you going and support all those muscles you’re using.

So I'm going to jump right into all things protein:

Protein is one of the three macronutrients, the other two being carbohydrates and lipids aka fats.
1 gram of protein is equal to 4 calories no matter what the food source. 1g of chicken protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of chickpea protein = 4 calories
It is recommended that active women need around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. (source: here) For my body weight and goals I'm currently getting in 115g of protein per day! That is a lot!

Protein is found in high quantities in eggs, animal meats, lentils, chickpeas, beans, milk, greek yogurt, and nuts. And is found in smaller amounts in many many other foods!

Because protein is so important I'm sharing 4 awesome, high protein, snacks that are quick and easy to prepare for busy bees like me!

Here are some of my go-to protein snacks.

Nature Valley Protein Peanut & Chocolate Bar - These bars by Nature Valley contain 20% of your daily protein needs and are my go to. My nutritionist has given me the go ahead to have one of these daily but since they taste so good she recommended three times a week to help satisfy any chocolate cravings I might have. Each bar has over 10 grams of protein and is gluten-free! They beat a chocolate bar any day!

P.S They come in two flavours - Peanut & Chocolate and team Salted Caramel Nut!

Trail Mix: (5g-15g protein)

I head to the bulk section every week and load up on a trail mix with high protein content. You can either make your own or choose a premade mix. Trail Mix is a fusion of flavour, texture and nutrition from the choicest nuts, dried fruits and seeds. This power snack is an ideal on-the-go food to fuel the body through a busy day.

Apples and Nut Butter:

This is my fave snack, it is fresh and sweet. You can mix up the kinds of nut butter but I like to use Peanut butter - Peanut butter and peanuts are known for helping you feel full and have been shown to promote feelings of fullness when consumed between meals (Source: Healthline)

Yoghurt and Berries :

Traditional Greek yoghurt is regular yoghurt strained to remove liquid whey and lactose. The result is a thicker yoghurt with higher protein, less sodium and less sugar. Top that off with ½ cup of fresh or frozen berries and a dash of honey and boom!

If you want to take it further, put in a tbsp of peanut butter for an extra 4g or so of protein or add cinnamon to help with sugar cravings.

Here you have it! My easy 4 most reached-for on-the-go protein snacks. Hope you enjoyed this blog post!

Hannah Xx

#CreatedforNatureValley

Protein On The Go