My friend Stacie has never been a big meat-eater, but she loves her dairy.  In trying to come up with some snacks that are not dairy, but had some protein, Stacie asked me what I snack on during the day. 

I totally get what she is struggling with.  You can’t run all day on cucumbers and carrot sticks, you need something with some protein to fill you up and keep you from thinking about food!   I think most of us can agree we tend to screw-up our eating when we are not prepared, and find ourselves STARVING!  So I love Stacie’s question and today is her Birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACIE) and in honor of that I am going to throw out some easy, on-the-go protein options!

OK, I have TWO “go-to” protein snacks, I love;

1)  Grande Soy Latte is my ON THE GO protein snack that I can grab just about anywhere.  Now this is not an everyday snack, but it does the job when I had to bolt out of the house without my snacks!  170 calories/9g protein/1g Fiber…40% calcium, 15% Vit A and 8% Iron

I try to have these items with me in my car to make for a quick, easy snack ;

2) Amplify Chocolate Mint or Vanilla Protein shake and a few almonds (1/2 0z or about 10 almonds).  220 calories/27g protein/5g fiber

or

Amplify Chocolate Mint or Vanilla Protein Shake and 1 Tbl of peanut butter (a spoonful). 220 calories/28g protein/3g fiber

or

Amplify Chocolate Mint or Vanilla Protein Shake and a handful of pumpkin seeds.  260 calories/27g protein/2g fiber

MY 411 on Protein Shakes

• Google it, but there are a ton of reasons WHEY is better than Soy when it comes to protein shakes
• There are some GROSS flavors out there!  GNC sells Amplify and the two flavors mentioned are the best!  If you can not find these then ask for a recommendation and ask about returns or exchanges should you really dislike the one you get.
• BUY a BlenderBottle.  Nothing is worse than a clumpy, runny, protein shake.  The BlenderBottle ROCKS, you can throw your protein powder in the container and just add water when ready.  $5  (I have two of these so I always have one clean and with me)

Peanut Butter, I use Costco’s Kirkland Organic Brand.  Cheap, and good for you, no extra junk in it (like High Fructose Corn Syrup)!

Almonds.  Trader Joe’s sells Almonds already packaged in 10z servings, called “Just a Handful of Almonds”, can’t overeat this way, can ya?

Pumpkin seeds.  Davids.  You can buy them in most gas stations, convenience stores, or your local grocery store.  The small bags are 2 servings, so eat half a bag!

Snack list (all great sources of protein, all items I enjoy)

• Safeway Select Enlighten Black Bean soup (comes in a cup, add hot water kind of thing)- it has 10 g of protein per cup, and an amazing 14 g of fiber, and only 1 g of fat.
• LUNA Bars: These come in a variety of flavors. They are all vegan, and have 10 grams of protein in each bar. My favorites are Chocolate Pecan Pie and Lemon Zest. (processed food, so treat not staple)
• Nuts and Chocolate/dried cranberries: Very simple. Take a plastic baggie and fill it with nuts and Ghiradelli Semi-sweet chips. I like to use brazil nuts or cashews. (This would be the kind of thing I would take to the movies so I don’t sit there pissed I don’t have milk duds!)
• Peanut Butter and Apple
• Crackers and humus
• Lara Bars (watch the saturated fat in some flavors)
• Soy Crisps
• Trail Mix