When you are looking for high-protein, low-carbohydrate, low-fat snacks, many common snack foods are off limits. Pretzels, potato chips, candy bars and trail mix can be high-fat, high-carbohydrate -- or both. You still have plenty of options for nutritious and filling high-protein, low-carbohydrate, low-fat snacks, however, to keep your hunger in check before your next meal.
Beef or Chicken Skewers
Lean beef and skinless chicken breast are low-fat and carbohydrate-free, and each have 22 to 27 grams of protein in a cooked 3-ounce serving. Cut leftover cooked beef or chicken into cubes. Place them on skewers with green pepper pieces, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. For a more substantial snack, add cubes of cheese to the skewers. An ounce of low-fat cheddar cheese has 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates.
Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce leaves are fat-free, and you can use them as low-carbohydrate wrappers for high-protein fillings. Make tuna salad with fat-free mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, diced celery and onions, parsley, pepper and canned tuna, which has 22 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving. Store it in the fridge, then spread it on a lettuce leaf when you are ready for a snack. Or substitute diced cooked chicken breast for tuna. Fill a lettuce leaf with cooked, shredded chicken breast, low-sodium soy sauce, chopped green onions and water chestnuts.
Eggs
Eggs are fat-free and carbohydrate-free, and each whole egg provides 6 grams of protein. Egg whites are fat-free, with nearly 4 grams of protein per large white. Hard-boiled eggs are convenient snacks that you can prepare ahead of time. Or make baked egg cups by lining the cups of a muffin pan with lean turkey or ham slices. Beat together egg whites, low-fat parmesan cheese and diced chives. Pour some of the egg mixture into each muffin cup, and bake until the eggs are cooked. Make a batch ahead of time so that your baked egg cups are ready when you are.
Cottage Cheese
A 4-ounce serving of non-fat cottage cheese has 81 calories, 12 grams of protein and 8 grams of carbohydrates. Eat it on its own, or add cinnamon or pepper and chives to season it. Dip vegetables into cottage cheese to add dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins and minerals to your snack. Try celery sticks, snow peas, cucumber sticks and bell pepper strips. Another option for a snack with cottage cheese is to spread it on turkey breast slices and roll them up.
www.livestrong.com
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