The Best High Protein Snacks for Vegetarians - Store-Bought & Homemade

If you need to get more protein into your diet, incorporating high protein snacks is the quickest way. Any snack won’t do, you need to make sure you get the best vegetarian options you can find. So you begin to wonder, what are the best high protein snacks for vegetarians?

The best high-protein snacks for vegetarians are plant-based superfoods that offer an abundance of macro and micronutrients. Complete plant-based proteins like hemp, peas, and soy are the best base for a high protein snack. Whether homemade or store-bought crispy lentil snacks, hemp hearts, and trail mix provide the protein needed for energy and strength.

The benefit of knowing what superfoods are used to make high-protein vegetarian snacks means you’ll always know where to look. Whether you decide to make snacks at home or find them on store shelves, you’ll save time choosing the right high-protein nutrition. 

Keep reading to learn more about high protein foods that you can buy in stores or make at home. When you’re ready to choose your snack, let our list be your guide.

Which vegetarian foods are naturally high in protein?

More vegetarian foods than you would think are naturally high in protein. Lentils, tofu, hemp seeds all have a high protein content and that’s just a start. Plant-based foods like beans and rice can also be combined to give you a high amount of protein and complete proteins. 

Though there’s always worry about how much protein vegetarians and vegans consume, the truth is, you’re probably getting more protein than you need. After all, hemp seeds, a plant-based source of protein, contains more protein per ounce than chicken.

Hemp is one of the best plant-based protein sources because it’s a complete protein. You don’t need to worry about only consuming complete proteins, however. The combination of plant-based proteins is sure to provide the amino acids you need. For example, together beans, and rice create a complete protein.

Other complex proteins that are available to vegetarians include:

• Peas 
• Chickpeas
• Beans 
• Lentils 
• Seitan 
• Soy (including tofu and edamame)
• Quinoa
• Wild Rice
• Nuts and Seeds

The best part about plant-based protein is that it also contains essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin B, and iron. Hemp seed for example, contains all of these micronutrients including zinc and magnesium. So, not only do you get your daily values of essential nutrients, you also get omega fatty acids and all nine essential amino acids.

While many of the foods on this list are great for high protein dinner recipes they are versatile. Plant-based proteins can be transformed from whole food dinners to tasty fun treats at snack time. 

What are the best high protein snacks for vegetarians you can buy?

The best high-protein snacks for vegetarians you can buy are made from high-protein veggies. Lentil puff snacks, natural hemp hearts, and nuts are easy to eat and can be found everywhere. 

While whole food plant-based proteins are our favorites, every raw food can’t be as easy to snack on as our hemp hearts. So here’s a list of a few store-bought high-protein snacks.

hummingbars

Humming Hemp hummingbars are the best protein snack you can buy. They are quick and full of nutrition. The 11 to 12 grams of protein found in each bar is certified gluten-free, non-GMO, raw, and clean. 

With hummingbars you’ll get all the protein you need because it contains all nine essential amino acids, but you’ll get more than protein alone. Hemp protein bars also have the benefits of fiber, iron, zinc, and omega fatty acids. 

Each ingredient in hummingbars is carefully chosen, so you also get all the benefits of honey, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, dates, and almonds. Try one of our five flavors today to get the best that protein has to offer and a little bit more. 

 

 

Hemp Hearts

Hemp hearts are all-natural high protein snacks, ready to eat right out of the bag. The versatile treat has 10 grams of protein and 11 grams of omega fatty acids. The naked hemp hearts are raw but have no need to be prepared. The nutty flavor works well with other snacks, so they can also be used to add protein to homemade treats.

For a quick snack with a burst of flavor try a spoonful of our flavored varieties, spicy and honey aleppo.

Seeds

Hemp hearts aren’t the only seed packed with nutrition. In fact, our seed and date bar contains three other organic seeds, and we have a pumpkin seed bar. 

• Black Sesame seeds 1.6g of protein in a tbsp.
• Flaxseeds 1.9g
• Chia seeds 4.7g
• Pumpkin seeds 1g 

Each seed is packed with fiber, protein, and calcium as well. For more options on the go, snack on sunflower seeds and seed butter to get your protein for the day. 

Nuts and Legumes

The nuts and legumes with the most protein are peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts. Peanuts have more protein than most nuts, but they are technically a legume. Try mixing multiple nuts and legumes together to get a better, more nutritious, snack. 

Nuts and legumes go hand in hand with seeds, they are high in protein, quick, and easy. To make nuts and legumes more interesting, go for fun flavors like Thai sweet chili almonds or honey-roasted peanuts. 

Hummus and Pita Chips

Sabra Classic Hummus packs have 11g of protein. Each container comes with pita chips or pretzels you can take with you anywhere. Whole food on the go in a convenient pack is the best. They are great on the side of vegetables with your lunch as well.

Yogurt

Plain yogurt is packed with probiotics and up to 3.5g of protein. Greek or low-fat yogurt can also be loaded with hemp hearts or hemp protein powder to give each other more benefits.  You have options to take this on the go or dress it up at home. For a homemade parfait add hemp hearts, granola, and fruit to your high protein yogurt. 

Cottage Cheese and Fruit Packs

A cup of cottage cheese has 25g of protein. Breakstone has a 100 calorie pineapple and cottage cheese pack that makes it easy to mix this snack on the go. It makes getting your protein easy, though you will need to have a cool place to store this treat while you’re out.

String Cheese

Cheese in general is a good way to get protein. However, slices of cheese aren’t always the best store-bought snack. String cheese is fun for everyone, not just the kids, and it packs on the protein. One piece of cheese can have up to 6g of protein and lots of calcium. 

If you love cheese don’t stop with string cheese. Grab some crackers and eat squares and cheese wheels with fruit on the side. 

Plant-Based Pork Rinds 

Pig Out Texan BBQ Pigless Pork Rinds are made from pea protein and packed with a lot of spices. Each bag of these baked treats has a whopping 25g of protein. Each snack is baked and gluten-free. This is a fun way to get your protein when you feel like you want to, well, pig out. 

Dry Roasted Edamame

Dry roasted edamame is the soybean in its finest snack form. Soy protein is a complete protein that is rich in fiber and vitamin K. So the easy poppable pocket snacks go a long way in getting you the protein you need. You can also make these at home similar to the way you would dry chickpeas. But if you are on the go Seapoint Farms has a sea salt version with 14g of protein per pack.

Harvest Snaps

Harvest Snaps are gluten-free pea, black bean, and lentil baked snacks. The pea pod shaped crips feel like eating cheese puffs, but without the guilt. The flavors make this high-protein snack easy to eat. It’s very hard not to eat the whole bag which is packed with 14g of protein. Try to stick to one serving and you’ll still get 5g of protein and 5g of fiber. With a variety of flavors, you can find one you are in the mood for any time. 

What are the best high protein snacks for vegetarians you can make?

The best high-protein snacks for vegetarians start with beans, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Seeds that are high in protein like hemp hearts and chia seeds are stars when it comes to snacking. You can easily make mixes, no-bake energy bars, and puddings that will fill you up with all the protein you need between meals.

Trail Mix

I mention trail mix often and that’s because it’s customizable and great on the go. The fact that you can choose your favorite protein-filled bites makes this a snack you can keep coming back for. Be sure to choose snacks that all contain protein such as:

• Yogurt bites
• Nuts
• Hemp hearts
• Chia seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Edamame
• Granola

When you’re in charge of your own trail mix you can add as many high protein bites as you want and avoid all the candy additions you don’t want. You can even turn your trail mix into no-bake trail mix energy balls. Don’t worry we won’t judge you if you decide to add a little candy in your mix as well. 

Energy Bites

Energy bites are no-bake protein balls or bars that are loaded with high protein foods. You can start with oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds, and nut butter and roll them. Most energy balls are no-bake, but you can also choose to bake oatmeal protein bars that last all week. Try our hemp protein ball recipe using hemp hearts and honey.

 

 

Crunchy Chickpeas

Crunchy chickpeas are easy to make and are as convenient as roasted edamame. You can make them by roasting them in the oven with your favorite seasonings. For no reason at all, I know that if you make a mistake while roasting chickpeas you don’t have to worry. You can turn your roasted chickpeas into roasted hummus. 

Dip

Dips of all different varieties can be made with high protein. All you need to do is start with high-protein veggies. Even if you choose a healthy fat like avocado as your base, you can add in the protein you need. Add hemp protein to your next dip to give it a new flavor and lots of protein. Try hemp protein in:

• Guacamole
• Bean dip
• Hummus 
• Edamame dip

Hemp protein can be added to most dips to make it a protein-packed powerhouse.

Chia Pudding and Overnight Oats 

Chia pudding and overnight oats are easy to make and are filled with protein. Oats and chia seeds already have a considerable amount of protein. However, both can also be boosted with hemp hearts or hemp protein powder for more protein and flavor. Pudding and overnight oats are so easy to make. All you have to do is add moisture and your favorite ingredients and set overnight.

Summary: High Protein Snacks for Vegetarians

High protein snacks for vegetarians are easier to find than most people believe. You don’t need meat to find food loaded with protein and micronutrients that give you everything you need. 

The best high-protein foods will always lead you to the best snacks. Oats, lentils, hemp hearts, edamame, and chia seeds are just some of the protein-filled snacks that make the base for store-bought and homemade treats. 

Whether you grab a bag of edamame on the go, or roast your chickpeas at home, you’re sure to find a satisfying snack with loads of protein. 

Wherever you go be sure you have your hemp products on hand. With hemp hearts, you can make your own protein bars. If there’s no time for baking simply grab a Hummingbar on the go. No matter what you need Humming Hemp has the nutrition for you, try a new flavor today.