9 Plant-Based Snacks That Pack a Lot of Protein

You don't have to be vegan to introduce plant-based snacks into your everyday routine. Nor do plant-based snacks have to be low-protein (or lack flavor). Protein helps keep you full since it takes longer to digest, and also supports lots of bodily functions, including muscle growth and hormone synthesis.

Whether you're looking to reduce your meat intake or you just need a little more protein to support your plant-based lifestyle, here are a few ideas to get your snack on with a little extra protein.

1. Chia Pudding

Pictured recipe: Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding

If you haven't yet tried making your own chia pudding, you're in for a treat. Let chia seeds steep in almond milk or another plant-based milk overnight to swell and create a gel-like consistency. Stir in the fruit or sweetener of your choice and serve for a sweet snack with a whole lot of protein. If you want something smoother, you can pulse the prepared pudding in the blender. With cocoa powder, it makes a silky chocolate pudding. It's a delightful dessert-like snack that can deliver as much as 13 grams of protein per serving, depending on what type of plant-based milk you use. Soy milk naturally has the most protein out of the plant-based milks.

2. Tofu

Pictured recipe: Soy-Lime Roasted Tofu

Avoid relegating tofu to just sit-down family meals. Warm or chilled, tofu can also make a great snack. Cubed, marinated and roasted, set this out for parties, or munch on it to get you through the afternoon for a snack that packs 4 grams to 8 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving.

3. Plant-Based Yogurt

You have a lot of choices when it comes to plant-based yogurts. Yogurt can be made with all sorts of nuts and legumes—like cashews, almonds and pea milk—but oat, coconut and soy-based yogurt are also options. Because there are so many different types, the protein content can really vary.

There is some protein in nut and oat milk yogurt—from less than 1 gram up to about 3 grams of protein per serving—but soy yogurt packs about 7 grams of protein per serving. You can add more protein by sprinkling in some nuts and seeds. Just be mindful of the amount of added sugar in flavored yogurt varieties.

4. Roasted Chickpeas

Pictured recipe: Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

For salty snack cravings, roasted chickpeas can give you the same crunchy satisfaction potato chips offer, but with about three times the protein. Roasting them at home takes about 45 minutes in the oven, but if time's not on your side there are plenty of good choices at the grocery store or online. Just be mindful of the sodium content in store-bought crunchy chickpeas.

5. Roasted Nuts

Pictured recipe: Rosemary-Garlic Pecans

Nuts (including legumes, like peanuts) can make great sweet or savory snacks, whether you want to mix up spices with your nuts at home, or you just have time to stop at the market to pick up snacks with plant-based protein. Curried cashews, spiced pecans or roasted peanuts are filling, tasty nuggets of protein, and can contain up to 7 grams of protein per 1-oz serving.

6. Wasabi Peas

For something really spicy to munch on, wasabi peas turn up the heat on crunchy snacks. They're the little green spheres you usually find in the bulk item section of the grocery store, but there are also bagged peas you can buy online. If you don't like spicy but love crunch, look for "freeze-dried peas." They're all the fun of wasabi peas without the horseradish flavor. Either way, they contain about 4 grams of protein for 1-ounce serving, per the USDA.

7. Smoothies

Pictured Recipe: Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie

Smoothies can be healthy snacks cleverly disguised as desserts. Some recipes use yogurt, milk or kefir to thicken smoothies to give them a creamier texture and bump up the protein, but those ingredients can easily be swapped out for plant-based milk and yogurt, and flavored with any of your favorite fruit.

The amount of protein a smoothie contains is up to you. EatingWell's Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie (pictured above) is made with almond milk and almond butter, which gives it 6 grams of protein per serving, but it and other smoothie recipes can be fortified with a plant-based protein powder if you need more protein power.

8. Hummus (and Bean Dips)

Pictured recipe: Garlic Hummus

Out of a tub from the grocery store or fresh from your blender, black beans, white beans and chickpeas can be spiced and flavored for creamy dips with a healthy dose of plant-based protein. Try bean dip or hummus with raw veggies, tortilla chips or whole grain pita for a complete snack. Hummus and bean dips deliver 2 to 7 grams of protein for a 1/4 cup to a 1/3 cup serving.

9. Seeded Crackers

Pictured recipe: Homemade Multi-Seed Crackers

Seeded crackers offer a lot more crunch, satisfaction and nutrition than your average saltine. As part of your party platter, people who follow a plant-based diet and omnivores alike will appreciate the crunch of plant-powered crackers with spreads, dips or peanut butter. Plant-based seeded crackers are easy to find at the grocery store, but you can make them at home as well. They can contain as much as 3 grams of protein per serving.

The Bottom Line

Vegan snacks don't necessarily mean low in protein. Whether you eat nuts, seeds, plant-based milks and yogurts, or legumes as is or kick them up a notch with any of our vegan snack recipes, you'll not only get a boost of protein, but you'll also get tasty satisfaction that will tide you over to your next meal.