High-protein foods

Low-Calorie High-Protein Snacks14 snacks ranked by protein per calorie, with cost per snack

When your appetite is small, every bite has to count. We ranked 14 everyday snacks by how much protein you get for the calories, and priced each one. The surprise: some “healthy” snacks barely move your protein total, and the best ones cost under a dollar.

By EverAbleUpdated November 20266 min read

This article is general information, not personal medical or nutrition advice. If you have kidney disease, take medication that affects appetite, or follow a diet your clinician prescribed, check with them before changing how much protein you eat. Read our health disclaimer.

A woman’s hands spooning plain Greek yogurt from a cup at a kitchen table, with halved hard-boiled eggs, a string cheese and a bowl of edamame beside a canvas lunch bag

The short version

Most protein per calorie: shrimp, canned tuna and plain nonfat Greek yogurt, each about 17 to 24 g of protein per 100 calories.
Best value: two hard-boiled eggs (13 g of protein for $0.28), a cup of skim milk (8 g for $0.17) and plain Greek yogurt (17 g for $0.61).
Healthy but not high-protein: almonds and peanut butter have only about 4 g of protein per 100 calories. Fine as snacks, but not the way to fill a protein gap.
Pair two to reach 20 g or more, close to a protein-rich meal. See four pairs.

Nutrition from USDA FoodData Central; prices from Walmart.com on November 2, 2026. See our method.

Jump toThe ranking Full table Snack pairs Surprises Small appetite Questions

Which snacks give the most protein for the calories?

We used the same measure as our product rankings: grams of protein per 100 calories. The higher the number, the more protein you get before you feel full. Each snack is a normal portion, not a giant one.

Protein per 100 calories, 14 snacks

Longer bar = more protein for the calories. USDA values; the protein bar uses its label.

Shrimp cocktail (cooked shrimp)24.2 g

Canned light tuna22.6 g

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt17.3 g

Smoked salmon15.6 g

Deli turkey roll-ups14.0 g

Cottage cheese, 2%12.8 g

Protein bar (our #1 bar)11.1 g

Skim milk9.9 g

Edamame (shelled)9.8 g

Hard-boiled eggs8.1 g

Beef jerky8.1 g

String cheese, part-skim8.1 g

Peanut butter3.7 g

Almonds3.7 g

DairyEggsSeafoodMeatPlantPackaged

All 14 snacks, side by side

Red figures are at or above 15% of the Daily Value in one snack: 3 g of saturated fat or 460 mg of sodium.

#	Snack and portion	Protein	Calories	Protein per 100 cal	Cost per snack	Saturated fat	Sodium
1	Shrimp cocktail (cooked shrimp) 3 oz	20 g	84	24.2 g	$1.74	0.0 g	94 mg
2	Canned light tuna 1 can (drained)	22 g	97	22.6 g	$0.96	0.2 g	279 mg
3	Plain nonfat Greek yogurt ¾ cup (6 oz)	17 g	100	17.3 g	$0.61	0.2 g	61 mg
4	Smoked salmon 2 oz	10 g	66	15.6 g	$3.23	0.5 g	381 mg
5	Deli turkey roll-ups 2 oz	8 g	60	14.0 g	$0.89	0.5 g	509 mg
6	Cottage cheese, 2% ½ cup	12 g	92	12.8 g	$0.49	1.4 g	348 mg
7	Protein bar (our #1 bar) 1 bar	21 g	190	11.1 g	$1.32	2.5 g	—
8	Skim milk 1 cup	8 g	83	9.9 g	$0.17	0.1 g	103 mg
9	Edamame (shelled) ½ cup	9 g	90	9.8 g	$0.77	0.5 g	4 mg
10	Hard-boiled eggs 2 large	13 g	155	8.1 g	$0.28	3.3 g	124 mg
11	Beef jerky 1 oz	9 g	116	8.1 g	$1.38	3.1 g	505 mg
12	String cheese, part-skim 1 stick (1 oz)	7 g	83	8.1 g	$0.26	3.2 g	186 mg
13	Peanut butter 2 Tbsp	7 g	191	3.7 g	$0.16	3.3 g	136 mg
14	Almonds 1 oz (about 23)	6 g	164	3.7 g	$0.44	1.1 g	0 mg

USDA values for each portion; the protein bar uses its label and has no sodium figure in our data. Cost per snack is the package price divided by the portions it holds.

Pair two snacks to reach 20 grams or more

One snack usually lands between 5 and 25 grams. Two together can match a protein-rich meal, which helps if you’d rather eat small amounts more often.

Sweet and savory

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt + String cheese, part-skim

24 g protein183 calories · about $0.88

Portions: ¾ cup (6 oz) plus 1 stick (1 oz).

No cooking

Cottage cheese, 2% + Edamame (shelled)

21 g protein181 calories · about $1.26

Portions: ½ cup plus ½ cup.

Biggest protein total

Canned light tuna + Hard-boiled eggs

35 g protein252 calories · about $1.24

Portions: 1 can (drained) plus 2 large.

Lightest on calories

Shrimp cocktail (cooked shrimp) + Skim milk

29 g protein167 calories · about $1.91

Portions: 3 oz plus 1 cup.

Three things that surprised us

Nuts are a fat snack, not a protein snack

An ounce of almonds has 6 g of protein but 164 calories. Two tablespoons of peanut butter: 7 g for 191 calories. Plain Greek yogurt gives 17 g for 100.

Jerky is high protein, and very salty

One ounce has 9 g of protein and about 505 mg of sodium, 22% of the Daily Value. Deli turkey and smoked salmon are also high in sodium.

The cheapest protein isn’t fancy

Per gram of protein, the lowest-cost snacks were skim milk, hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter. Smoked salmon cost the most: $3.23 for 10 g.

If your appetite is small

Pick protein-dense foods. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese carry more protein per bite than most snack foods.
Drink part of it. A shake or a glass of milk or soy milk adds protein without much chewing or fullness.
Keep it within reach. Hard-boiled eggs, string cheese and single-serve yogurt need no preparation.
Start where you are. Adding one 10 to 15 gram snack a day is real progress toward your daily number.

Prefer a bar? Our protein bar ranking scores 36 bars on protein per calorie, sugar and stomach comfort. For powders, see our picks for adults over 50.

Who should be careful

Kidney disease: if you have kidney disease or your clinician has limited your protein, follow their advice.
Sodium: if you’ve been told to limit sodium, check labels on jerky, deli meat, smoked fish and cottage cheese; they vary by brand.
Allergies: several snacks here contain milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, peanuts or tree nuts.

Common questions

What is the best low-calorie high-protein snack?

On protein per calorie, cooked shrimp, canned light tuna and plain nonfat Greek yogurt lead our list. For the price and convenience, Greek yogurt and hard-boiled eggs are hard to beat.

What snack has the most protein?

Per portion, canned tuna (22 g per drained can) and the protein bar (21 g) lead our list, followed by shrimp and Greek yogurt.

Are protein bars a good snack?

Some are. Our top-ranked bar has 21 g of protein for 190 calories. Many others use sugar alcohols that can upset your stomach. See our ranking of 20 bars.

Are nuts a good source of protein?

They have some protein, but most of their calories come from fat: about 4 g of protein per 100 calories for almonds, versus 17 g for plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

How many grams of protein should a snack have?

There’s no set rule. The snacks on our list deliver 6 to 22 grams each, and most pairs get you past 20. Your daily total matters most; our calculator shows yours.

What are good high-protein snacks for seniors?

Soft, no-cook options on our list: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, milk and canned tuna. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and tuna rank in the top half for protein per calorie; eggs, string cheese and milk rank lower but still deliver 7 to 13 g each.

Where to next

How much proteinHow much protein do you need?See where every major guideline lands for your weight and age.Find your number → High-protein foodsHealthiest meats for protein, ranked17 meats and seafood by protein per calorie and cost.See the ranking → Protein barsBest protein bars: we ranked 20Thirty-six bars scored on protein per calorie, cost, sugar and testing records.See the rankings → Breakfast30 grams of protein at breakfastTen breakfasts that reach 25 to 30 grams, most with no cooking.See the ideas →

Get our free 7-day protein meal plan, plus the label checklist

Join the email and you’ll get a week of everyday meals at about 25 to 35 grams of protein each, our protein label checklist and a fill-in protein plan, all in one download as soon as you confirm. After that, about twice a month: new guides and rankings as they publish, and what changed when we update a score.

Plus a heads-up when we post a new guide or our rankings or prices change.

You’ll get one email to confirm your address. After that, about two emails a month, never more than one a week, and you can unsubscribe in one click. We never sell your data.

Almost done. Check your inbox. We’ve sent you an email to confirm your address. Click the button in it to finish signing up.

The skeptic’s footnotes

Data sources and our method, for anyone who wants to check the work.

Nutrition. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (FDC IDs): Shrimp cocktail (cooked shrimp) 175180, Canned light tuna 173709, Plain nonfat Greek yogurt 170894, Smoked salmon 173687, Deli turkey roll-ups 172941, Cottage cheese, 2% 172182, Skim milk 171269, Edamame (shelled) 168411, Hard-boiled eggs 173424, Beef jerky 167536, String cheese, part-skim 171244, Peanut butter 174266, Almonds 170567. Values scaled to each portion. Read November 2, 2026.
Prices. Walmart.com one-time prices on November 2, 2026, for a store in Orange County, California; prices vary by store and week. Products: Shrimp cocktail (cooked shrimp): Great Value Frozen Cooked Medium Shrimp, 12 oz (4 servings), $6.97 (22700527); Canned light tuna: Great Value Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 oz, $0.96 (11965048); Plain nonfat Greek yogurt: Great Value Greek Plain Nonfat Yogurt, 32 oz, $3.28 (26559565); Smoked salmon: Latitude 45 Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon, 4 oz, $6.47 (149452092); Deli turkey roll-ups: Land O’Frost Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, $7.08/lb (19974621743); Cottage cheese, 2%: Great Value 2% Lowfat Cottage Cheese, 24 oz, $2.97 (12444458); Protein bar (our #1 bar): Kirkland Signature Protein Bar, 20 bars, $26.49 at Costco online, checked Nov 1, 2026 (from our bars ranking; label values); Skim milk: Great Value Fat-Free Milk, 1 gallon, $2.74 (10450117); Edamame (shelled): Great Value Edamame (in pods), 12 oz = 2.5 servings of ½ cup edible, $1.92 (328567678); Hard-boiled eggs: Great Value Cage-Free Large White Eggs, 12 count, $1.67 (421705528); Beef jerky: Jack Link’s Original Beef Jerky, 10 oz, $13.84 (824446989); String cheese, part-skim: Great Value Part-Skim Mozzarella String Cheese, 24 sticks, $6.34 (357809532); Peanut butter: Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter, 16 oz, $2.24 (3716446909); Almonds: Great Value Natural Whole Almonds, 25 oz, $11.00 (5284690796).
Daily Values. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Daily Values: sodium 2,300 mg; saturated fat 20 g.