High protein snacks for GLP-1 users: 25 ideas with grams

The best high protein snacks on a GLP-1 medication give at least 10 g of protein in a small, cool, low-fat portion: Greek yogurt or skyr, cottage cheese, eggs, string cheese, a tuna pouch, turkey slices, edamame, shrimp, chicken or a protein shake. Nuts and peanut butter are fine extras, but they carry far more calories than protein, so they are a weak way to close a protein gap.

Below: 25 snacks with protein and calories for each, which ones to pick when you're queasy, on the go or plant-based, ten pairings that reach 20 g, when and how often to snack, and the mistakes that leave people short.

Why snacks matter more on a GLP-1

These medications slow how fast your stomach empties and turn down appetite, so most people eat smaller meals. Many find they can manage only half of what they used to at dinner. That makes it hard to get a day's protein from three meals: a common target is 1.2–1.6 g per kg of a healthy reference weight, often 80–110 g a day for an adult, and our guide on how much protein on GLP-1 shows how to work out yours.

Planned snacks fix the arithmetic. Three meals of 20–25 g plus two snacks of 12–20 g gets most people to 85–100 g without ever eating a big plate. The 2025 joint advisory on nutrition for GLP-1 therapy from four US obesity and nutrition societies also puts protein first, alongside spreading it over the day.

What makes a good GLP-1 snack

• 10 g of protein or more. Under that, it is a nibble, not a protein snack.
• About 100–200 calories. Enough to count, small enough to fit a slow stomach.
• Low in fat and grease. Fatty food sits longest in the stomach and is the most common trigger of nausea and reflux on these drugs.
• Some fibre, not a lot at once. Fibre helps constipation, but 10 g in one go (a big bar, a bowl of beans) can mean gas and bloating.
• Cool or room temperature, mild smell on days you feel sick.
• No prep, or prep once a week. If it needs cooking on the day, it won't happen on a low-energy day.

25 high protein snacks, with grams

Values are typical, from USDA FoodData Central or common labels, and rounded; brands vary, so check yours. "Protein per 100 cal" shows how much protein you get for the room it takes.

The pattern: dairy, fish, shellfish, chicken and turkey give 13–24 g of protein per 100 calories. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter and hummus give 4–5 g. You can eat them, but treat them as the side, not the protein. Our ranking of the best protein sources on GLP-1 covers meals as well as snacks.

Ten pairings that reach about 20 g

1. Greek yogurt (3/4 cup) + a spoon of pumpkin seeds + berries: about 20 g.
2. Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) + 2 oz deli turkey rolled with cucumber: about 22 g.
3. Tuna pouch mixed with a spoon of Greek yogurt and mustard, on 4 whole-grain crackers: about 18 g.
4. 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1 string cheese: about 19 g.
5. 10 cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce: about 20 g.
6. Skyr cup + 1 cup ultra-filtered milk as a drink: about 28 g, split over an afternoon.
7. 2 oz rotisserie chicken + 1/4 cup hummus + carrot sticks: about 21 g.
8. Edamame (1/2 cup) + 1 cup unsweetened soy milk: about 16 g, plant-based.
9. Smoked salmon (2 oz) on 2 rice cakes with a thin layer of cottage cheese: about 15 g.
10. Half a protein shake (12 g) + 1 string cheese (7 g): about 19 g, easy on a low-appetite day.

Snacks for when you feel sick

Nausea is most common in the first weeks and after each dose increase. On those days pick cold, bland, low-fat snacks and eat them slowly:

• Greek yogurt or skyr straight from the fridge.
• Cottage cheese with a few pieces of tinned peach.
• A cold protein shake, sipped over 30–60 minutes.
• Ultra-filtered milk, plain or as a frozen "slush."
• String cheese with plain crackers.

Skip jerky, fried snacks, strong-smelling fish and anything greasy until the queasy patch passes. Our guide on what to eat on GLP-1 when nauseous has a full rough-day menu.

Snacks with no fridge, for work or travel

• Tuna or chicken pouches (14–17 g).
• Shelf-stable protein shakes (20–30 g).
• Beef or turkey jerky (9 g an ounce; high in salt, so one portion).
• Roasted edamame or roasted chickpeas, pre-portioned into 1 oz bags.
• A protein bar with 15 g+ of protein and little sugar alcohol; our guide to protein bars on GLP-1 shows what to read on the label.
• Pumpkin seeds, as a side to one of the above.

Plant-based high protein snacks

Without dairy or meat it takes a little more planning, because most plant snacks bring fibre and fat with the protein. The best options per calorie are edamame, soy milk, firm or baked tofu (check the label; packaged baked tofu often gives 10–15 g per 3 oz), soy yogurt with added protein, roasted chickpeas, and a pea or soy protein shake. Pair a plant snack with a soy milk drink to get near 15–20 g.

Sweet snacks with protein

• Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and a little honey ("chocolate pudding," about 17 g).
• Cottage cheese blended smooth with vanilla and cinnamon (about 12 g).
• A frozen protein shake in an ice-pop mould.
• Ricotta with berries and lemon zest (about 14 g).
• Chocolate ultra-filtered milk (about 13 g a cup; check the sugar).

When to snack, and how many a day

Most people on these medications do well with three small meals and one or two protein snacks. Useful times:

• Mid-afternoon, when lunch was small and dinner is hours away.
• After a strength workout, when a snack with 15–20 g fits well. If you don't train yet, our guide to strength training on GLP-1 has a two-workout home plan.
• Evening, if you couldn't finish dinner. Keep it small and light if you get reflux; stop eating 2–3 hours before lying down.
• On shot day and the day after, when appetite is lowest for many people: plan two or three small snacks instead of a full meal you won't finish.

Snacks are planned top-ups, not grazing. If you are picking at food all day, you end up with lots of small, low-protein bites and little appetite for the meals that carry most of your protein.

A day that uses snacks to reach 95 g

For a full week of meals built this way, see the GLP-1 meal plan for beginners; for the first meal of the day, the high protein GLP-1 breakfast guide has 12 small options.

Not sure how many grams you need, or how short your current day falls? The free 2-minute protein check works out both.

A shopping list for a week of snacks

• Dairy: 1 large tub plain Greek yogurt or 5 skyr cups, 1 tub cottage cheese, 1 pack string cheese, 1 carton ultra-filtered milk.
• Protein: 1 dozen eggs (boil 6 on Sunday), 2–3 tuna or chicken pouches, 8 oz deli turkey, 1 bag frozen cooked shrimp or a rotisserie chicken.
• Plant: 1 bag frozen shelled edamame, 1 small bag pumpkin seeds.
• Backup: 4–6 ready-to-drink protein shakes or 1 tub protein powder.
• Sides: berries, cucumbers, carrots, whole-grain crackers.

Mistakes people make with snacks

• Crackers, chips, granola bars and fruit as "snacks." They fill the small space you have with little protein.
• Counting nuts as protein. An ounce of almonds is 6 g of protein for 165 calories. Pair them, don't rely on them.
• Big fibre hits. High-fibre bars and bean snacks in one go are a common cause of bloating on these medications.
• Snacking instead of meals. Snacks top up; they shouldn't replace the meals where most of your protein sits.
• Late, heavy snacks if you get reflux.
• No prep. Without eggs boiled and yogurt in the fridge, the snack you reach for on a tired day is the wrong one.

When to check with your doctor or a dietitian

• You have kidney disease: ask before raising protein.
• You use insulin or a sulfonylurea: ask how snacks fit your doses, as smaller meals can change your blood sugar.
• You can't keep food or fluids down for more than a day, or you are losing weight much faster than your prescriber expects.

Questions people ask

What is the best snack on a GLP-1?

For most people, plain Greek yogurt or skyr: about 15–17 g of protein for 90–100 calories, cold, mild and easy on a slow stomach.

How much protein should a snack have on Ozempic or Mounjaro?

Aim for 10–20 g. Under 10 g does little to close a daily gap.

Are nuts a good GLP-1 snack?

They are healthy, but low in protein for their calories. Keep them to a small handful alongside a higher-protein food.

Should I snack if I'm not hungry on a GLP-1?

If your meals are small and you are short on protein, yes: a planned small snack helps you reach your target. Eat slowly and stop when you feel full.

Are protein shakes better than food snacks?

A shake gives the most protein for the least stomach room and is handy on bad days. Food snacks are better for most days because they also bring other nutrients.

What snacks should I avoid on a GLP-1?

Greasy, fried and very sugary snacks, which are the most likely to bring on nausea, reflux or a blood sugar dip, and big fibre hits in one go.

To see your own daily protein number and how many snacks you need to close the gap, take the free 2-minute protein check. More on eating and training on weight-loss medication: all our muscle plan guides.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central (protein and calories per portion). Mozaffarian D. et al., "Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity", joint advisory of ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS, Am J Clin Nutr, 2025. US prescribing information for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound (common side effects, gastric emptying). Jäger R. et al., ISSN position stand: protein and exercise, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017. This guide is about food and habits and is not medical advice; keep to your prescriber's advice.