Best high-protein savory snacks
Tuna and chicken pouches, meat sticks and protein chips, ranked by protein per calorie.
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Not everyone wants a sweet protein bar. We ranked the 13 savory high-protein snacks we track (tuna and chicken pouches, meat sticks and protein chips) by grams of protein per 100 calories.
Savory high-protein snacks, ranked
| # | Item | Protein | Calories | Protein / 100 cal | Leaderboard rank | Price / serving | $ / 10 g protein | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 70 | 24.3 | #1 | $0.90 | $0.53 | label |
| 2 | StarKist Albacore White Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) 1 pouch (74 g) | 17 g | 80 | 21.3 | #4 | $2.06 | $1.21 | 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 | #50 | $2.56 | $2.13 | 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 | #53–56 | — | — | label |
| 6 | Legendary Foods Popped Protein Chips (5 flavors) Ranch, Nacho Cheese, Barbecue, Jalapeño Cheddar, Pizza · 1 bag | 20 g | 160 | 12.5 | #64–68 | $3.57 | $1.78 | label |
What stands out
Pouches win. The three StarKist pouches take the top spots, with StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch) at 24.3.
Best no-fork option: Chomps Turkey Sticks – Original / Pepperoni, 12 g for 80 calories (15.0). Small, but efficient.
Chips: Quest (13.6) beats Legendary (12.5) per calorie; see Quest vs Legendary protein chips.
Price where we have it: light tuna is $0.53 per 10 g of protein, Legendary chips $1.78 and Chomps $2.13.
How to use this list
- Fewest calories for the protein: the pouches, at 41–62 calories per 10 g of protein. The chips are 74 (Quest) and 80 (Legendary).
- Most protein in one pack: a bag of chips (19 g–20 g) or a tuna pouch (17 g) beats a single turkey stick (12 g).
- Flavor doesn't change the numbers within either chip line, so pick the flavor you like.
- Want to cook with them? Our recipes use the tuna and chicken pouches.
What's missing
We don't track beef jerky, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs or edamame yet, so they aren't here. That's a gap in our data, not a verdict on them.
Caveats
Numbers come from each brand's or restaurant's published nutrition info, linked in the table, and can change. Flavors with identical label numbers are grouped into one row. We track 143 products, not every product on the market, so a missing product isn't a verdict on it. We rank by protein per calorie only and don't track sugar, fat, sodium or ingredients. General information, not dietary advice.
See all 143 products on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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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.