Our High Protein Vegan Snacks Keep you Feeling Full and Satiated
Our high protein vegan snacks are a necessity if you find yourself starving by the time mealtime rolls around, or if by the end of the day you find yourself totally unsatisfied and searching for all the food.
This is a good indicator that
a) you’re not eating enough during the day and
b) your meals and snacks may not contain enough protein and fat to keep you satiated.
If you follow a vegan diet, are considering a vegan diet, or just need more snack ideas, we’ve rounded up a list of snacks that are designed to keep you satisfied between meals. Getting enough protein can sometimes be a concern with the vegan diet, but with a little extra planning, you can easily have enough protein in your diet.
I love Perfect Bars and they can be a perfectly delicious snack option or addition to a meal. But sometimes I like to make my own version, which is why I made this copycat version. You can also amp up the protein by adding your favorite protein powder.
Energy bites are such a convenient snack. It takes a little bit of effort to make (and you usually have to dirty the food processor), but I make a big batch and store them in the freezer.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Ok, these are actually more energy bites. But these happen to be inspired by some of my favorite Girl Scout cookies. Gotta get the food processor out, but these are basically nuts, dates, and different flavorings. And they are so tasty.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bites
- Lemon Cookie Bites
- Coconut Cookie Bites
- Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites
Roasted bean snacks are a great option for something crunchy, salty, and satisfying. With more protein and fiber than chips, these will help keep you full. You can either make your own roasted chickpeas, or you can purchase Biena roasted chickpeas or Bada Bean roasted fava beans.
Chia. Yep, like the ch-ch-ch-chia pets that we all know and love. Chia seeds are little seeds that actually swell when put in liquid. You may find them in drinks, smoothies, and fruit pouches, but you can also make your own chia pudding. This is basically chia seeds soaked in liquid (like almond or soy milk) until it plumps up and gets a gel-like consistency. You can add any flavors and toppings you want!
Dessert hummus. It’s a thing, and it’s delicious. Some companies make dessert hummus, but I prefer to make my own. My favorite is basically like an edible chocolate chip cookie dough. I’ll just eat it with a spoon, but you can also smear it on graham crackers or something similar.
Of course there is savory hummus. Also something you can purchase, but it’s easy to make your own. Chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil. Blend it in the food processor. But I like to experiment with different types of beans as well. Have you ever made black bean hummus?
Vegan pudding? Yep, I went there. Where does the protein come from? Silken tofu of course. I actually like to use silken tofu for an easy protein source for smoothies too. It blends easily and you don’t know it’s there. I also like to whip up some coconut cream (the solid part when you open up a can of coconut cream) as a topping, but you can buy whipped coconut topping too.
Chips and salsa may not seem like a filling snack, but if you use black bean salsa? Now we have protein and fiber to keep you satisfied. You could even get chips that are whole grain, contain flax or chia seeds, or are even made from beans. These will also be more filling that traditional tortilla chips.
Trail mix makes for a great snack that is going to be filling and satisfying. You can really use any trail mix. If you’re looking for something a little different, how about spicy peanuts and pepitas? Traditional trail mix has nuts and seeds, but we do what we want. This mixture of peanuts and pumpkin seeds is definitely delicious.
Socca is a flatbread made with chickpea flour, making it gluten free if you’re into that kind of thing. You can use socca flatbread as a base for pizza, but you can also dip it into anything for a snack! Or just enjoy it’s on it’s own, I’ve been known to do that as well.
Soy Yogurt with Granola
Soy yogurt as well as other protein-fortified plant yogurts (like Siggi’s coconut yogurt) are great alternatives to regular yogurt because it is still a decent source of protein. I like to pair it with some nutty granola for additional fat and fiber. Together, this simple snack will keep you satiated.
Almond Yogurt with Hemp Hearts
Almond milk yogurt will probably be lower in protein than soy yogurt, and definitely much lower than cow’s milk yogurt. I like to pair my almond yogurt with hemp hearts for an additional boost of protein. You can add other toppings like nuts, nut butter, or fruit as well!
Apple Nachos
Apple nachos have recently become a favorite of mine, Sliced apple drizzled in melty nut butter, chocolate, and whatever toppings your heart desires. I like to amp up the protein by sprinkling with hemp hearts, seeds, chopped nuts, etc. I also like to add tasty toppings like cacao nibs, Lil Bucks sprouted buckwheat, chocolate chips, granola, dried fruit…the options are endless.
Smoothies make great meals or snacks, but if you want them to keep you full, you need protein and fat. It can’t just be blended fruit with almond milk or fruit juice. You’ll be hungry again soon enough. I like to add protein powder, hemp hearts, or silken tofu for protein. If you’d like to add a little fat, you can experiment with ground flaxseed, avocado, or a little nut butter.
Do you need both protein and fat? It depends on how long until your next meal. If the smoothie IS the meal, then I definitely add both.
Edamame is another great protein that is super snackable on its own. You can buy the bags of frozen edamame in the pods, nuke them in the microwave, and snack away. I also like to get edamame that has already been shelled, which can easily be used to make tasty salads and stir fry. Try our Easy Edamame Salad on it’s own, or like a salsa with chips!
If you’ve been searching for high protein vegan snacks to keep you full and satisfied, we hope we’ve inspired you with our list of recipes! If you’re looking for more plant-based meal ideas, check out our recipe database or our 11 High Protein Vegetarian Meals blog.
-Blog reviewed and updated by Rebecca Bitzer MS RD LD September 10, 2021
An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.