Best protein snacks that aren't bars
Tuna pouches, meat sticks, protein chips and pastries, ranked by protein per calorie.
Bars get most of the attention, but plenty of high-protein snacks come in other shapes: chips, meat sticks, tuna pouches, even donuts and pastries. We ranked the 26 non-bar snacks we track by grams of protein per 100 calories, the same metric as our leaderboard, using only the brands' published nutrition info.
That's 23 items from our Snacks category plus 3 StarKist ready-to-eat pouches, which we file under Meals but which most people eat as a snack. Flavors with identical numbers are grouped.
Non-bar protein snacks, ranked
| # | Item | Protein | Calories | Protein / 100 cal | Leaderboard rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 70 | 24.3 | #1 | label |
| 2 | StarKist Albacore White Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 80 | 21.3 | #4 | label |
| 3 | StarKist Premium White Chicken (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 13 g | 80 | 16.3 | #36 | label |
| 4 | Chomps Turkey Sticks – Original / Pepperoni 1 stick | 12 g | 80 | 15.0 | #53 | label |
| 5 | Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips (4 flavors) Loaded Taco, Salsa Verde, Buffalo Ranch, Pizza · 1 bag (32 g) | 19 g | 140 | 13.6 | #56–59 | label |
| 6 | Legendary Foods Mini Protein Donuts – Maple Glazed 2 donuts | 20 g | 160 | 12.5 | #64 | label |
| 7 | Legendary Foods Protein Donuts (2 flavors) Chocolate Dipped, Vanilla Glazed · 2 donuts | 20 g | 160 | 12.5 | #65–66 | label |
| 8 | Legendary Foods Popped Protein Chips (5 flavors) Ranch, Nacho Cheese, Barbecue, Jalapeño Cheddar, Pizza · 1 bag | 20 g | 160 | 12.5 | #67–71 | label |
| 9 | Legendary Foods Protein Donuts – Blueberry 2 donuts | 20 g | 170 | 11.8 | #75 | label |
| 10 | Legendary Foods Protein Pastry – Chocolate Caramel 1 pastry | 21 g | 180 | 11.7 | #76 | label |
| 11 | Legendary Foods Mini Protein Donuts – Cookies & Cream 2 donuts | 20 g | 180 | 11.1 | #83 | label |
| 12 | Legendary Foods Protein Pastry (3 flavors) Strawberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, S'mores · 1 pastry | 20 g | 180 | 11.1 | #84–86 | label |
| 13 | Legendary Foods Protein Sweet Roll (2 flavors) Cinnamon, Caramel Sticky Bun · 1 roll | 20 g | 200 | 10.0 | #100–101 | label |
| 14 | Legendary Foods Protein Sweet Roll – Milk Chocolate 1 roll | 20 g | 210 | 9.5 | #106 | label |
| 15 | Cheez-It Cheez-It Protein Original Crackers 29 crackers (30 g) | 7 g | 140 | 5.0 | #141 | label |
What stands out
Plain tuna is the champion. The StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) has 17 g of protein for 70 calories, or 24.3 per 100 calories. That isn't just the best snack here; it's the #1 product on the entire leaderboard. The albacore version is close behind at 21.3, and StarKist's Premium White Chicken (2.6 oz pouch) scores 16.3.
Meat sticks are the best grab-and-go option we track. Chomps Turkey Sticks – Original / Pepperoni are 12 g of protein for 80 calories each (15.0). They're small, so you get less protein per piece than a pouch, but they don't need a fork.
Protein chips are surprisingly good. Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips are 19 g for 140 calories a bag (13.6), and Legendary Foods Popped Protein Chips are 20 g for 160 (12.5). Both beat most protein bars we track per calorie, and every flavor of each line has the same numbers.
The sweet stuff sits lower. Legendary's protein donuts, pastries and sweet rolls all land between 9.5 and 12.5 g per 100 calories. That's in the range of a typical protein bar, so they're a reasonable swap for a bar if you'd rather have a pastry, but not a calorie bargain. The lowest item here is the Cheez-It Cheez-It Protein Original Crackers at 5.0.
Format matters more than brand. Within Legendary's snacks alone, the range runs from 12.5 for the chips down to 9.5 for the Milk Chocolate sweet roll.
What's missing
We don't track beef jerky, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, edamame or cottage cheese yet, so they aren't on this list. That isn't a verdict on them. If you have a favorite non-bar snack with a published label, tell us and we'll consider adding it (see how we rank for how to send one in).
How to use this list
- Lowest calories for the protein: tuna or chicken pouches.
- Portable and no prep: meat sticks or protein chips.
- Craving something sweet: the Legendary pastries and donuts score about like a bar. Check best bars per calorie to compare.
- Price: we have confirmed prices for only a few of these. For example, the StarKist light tuna pouch works out to $0.53 per 10 g of protein (Amazon 24-pack price), Chomps to $2.13 and Legendary chips to $1.78 (brand-site packs), at the pack sizes shown on the leaderboard.
Caveats
All numbers are from brand websites and can change. The StarKist pouch numbers are per 1 pouch (74 g) as listed on StarKist's site. Several Legendary items list a serving ("1 bag", "2 donuts") without a gram weight, so check the package. Prices are per serving at the pack size we found on the brand site on the date we checked, not store prices.
See every snack next to bars, shakes and fast food on the full leaderboard.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.