High Protein Snacks in Pakistan: 15 Desi and Ready-to-Eat Ideas
Most of our favourite snacks are built on flour, oil and sugar: samosas, pakoras, biscuits with chai. Tasty, but there is very little protein in them, so an hour later you are hungry again. Here are 15 high protein snacks you can buy or make in Pakistan, with roughly how much protein each one gives you.
Whey Protein Granola: 8 g of protein in a 40 g handful
High protein snacks at a glance
| Snack | Portion | Protein, about |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken tikka or boti | 100 g | 25 g |
| Hung dahi with protein granola | 150 g dahi and 40 g granola | 20 g |
| Paneer tikka | 100 g paneer | 18 g |
| Tuna on crackers | Half a 185 g tin | 17 g |
| Kala chana chaat | 1 cup | 15 g |
| Protein bar | 1 bar | 10 to 20 g |
| Boiled eggs | 2 eggs | 12 g |
| Shami kebab | 2 kebabs | 12 g |
| Bhuna chana | 50 g | 10 g |
| Lassi | 1 glass | 8 g |
| Milk | 1 glass (250 ml) | 8 g |
| Roasted peanuts | 30 g (a handful) | 8 g |
| Peanut butter toast | 1 slice, 1 tablespoon | 8 g |
| Cheese and crackers | 30 g cheese | 7 g |
| Almonds | 30 g (a small handful) | 6 g |
Figures are rounded estimates from standard nutrition tables for the portions shown. Brands, recipes and portion sizes vary, so check labels where you can.
Grab and go: no cooking at all
Bhuna chana (about 10 g in 50 g)
Roasted chickpeas, the paper-cone snack from every thela and dry fruit shop. Crunchy, cheap and filling. Buy them plain or with just salt, and keep a jar on your desk.
Roasted peanuts (about 8 g in a handful)
Moongphali has more protein than almonds, gram for gram, and costs less. A 30 g handful is plenty; nuts are calorie-dense, so measure once and you'll know what a handful looks like.
Almonds (about 6 g in 30 g)
A small handful, about 20 to 25 almonds. Roast them in a dry pan for a few minutes and they taste twice as good.
A glass of milk or lassi (about 8 g)
The most underrated protein in a Pakistani kitchen. Swap your second cup of chai for a glass of milk, or have a lassi in the afternoon. For more, blend in a scoop of whey; read protein powder vs protein granola first.
Cheese and crackers (about 7 g)
30 g of cheddar or a couple of cheese slices with a few crackers. Easy for a work bag or a school lunchbox.
Protein bars (10 to 20 g)
Some are good; some are chocolate bars with a protein label. Check the back: at least 10 g of protein, and less sugar than protein, is a sensible rule.
Five-minute snacks
Hung dahi with protein granola (about 20 g)
Hang plain dahi in a muslin cloth overnight for thick, creamy dahi with about twice the protein. Spoon 150 g into a bowl and top it with 40 g of Whey Protein Granola, which has 8 g of protein on its own, and some fruit. It works as a snack, a light dinner or a quick breakfast. More ideas in our granola bowls.
Hung dahi, granola and fruit: about 20 g of protein in five minutes
Boiled eggs (about 12 g for two)
Boil a few at once and keep them in the fridge for three or four days. Add chaat masala and black pepper and they never get boring.
Tuna on crackers (about 17 g)
Half a tin of tuna mixed with a spoon of hung dahi, lemon and green chilli, piled onto crackers or a slice of brown bread.
Kala chana chaat (about 15 g a cup)
Boil a big batch of black chickpeas on Sunday and you have a week of snacks. Toss a cup with onion, tomato, lemon and chaat masala.
Peanut butter toast (about 8 g)
One slice of brown bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Add banana slices for something sweet, or a glass of milk to double the protein.
Desi snacks with real protein
Chicken tikka or boti (about 25 g in 100 g)
The highest-protein snack on this list. Leftover tikka from last night's dinner counts, and so do a few pieces of boti from a good grill.
Paneer tikka (about 18 g in 100 g)
The vegetarian answer to chicken tikka. Cube the paneer, coat it in dahi and tikka masala, and grill it or cook it in a hot pan for a few minutes.
Shami kebab (about 12 g for two)
Made with meat and chana dal, so the protein comes from both. Shallow-fry rather than deep-fry, and freeze a batch for busy days.
When you want something sweet
A sweet craving with chai is normal, and you don't have to fight it with willpower alone. A bowl of dahi and granola, or a couple of dates with a handful of almonds, gives you something sweet with some protein alongside. Our Peanut Butter Walnut chocolate date has about 6 g of protein, though at about 188 calories it is a dessert, not a diet snack. More ideas in healthy snacks with chai.
Snacks with less protein than you'd think
Fruit chaat, makhana, rice cakes and biscuits give you very little protein. They are fine to enjoy, but if you want a snack that holds you over, pair them with something from the list above: fruit chaat with a bowl of dahi, or makhana with a handful of peanuts.
How much protein do you need?
The usual guideline for adults is about 0.8 g of protein for every kilo you weigh, every day, so around 50 to 65 g for most people. Active people, and anyone trying to build muscle, often aim higher. For a number that fits your health and goals, ask a doctor or a qualified dietitian. Starting the day well helps too: here are high protein breakfasts that get you 15 to 30 g before lunch.
Quick answers
What is the highest protein snack in Pakistan?
Chicken tikka or boti, at about 25 g of protein in 100 g, followed by paneer tikka and tuna. Of the snacks you can buy ready to eat, protein bars and bhuna chana give the most.
What are cheap high protein snacks in Pakistan?
Kala chana, bhuna chana, eggs and peanuts give you the most protein for your money.
What are high protein snacks for weight loss?
Snacks with protein and fibre, such as kala chana chaat, boiled eggs, hung dahi with fruit, or bhuna chana, tend to be filling for the calories. Portions still matter, especially with nuts.
Is granola a high protein snack?
Most granola has 3 to 6 g of protein in a 40 g serving. Our Whey Protein Granola has 8 g, and with 150 g of hung dahi you get about 20 g. See all our granola.
Are there high protein snacks without eggs?
Yes: bhuna chana, kala chana chaat, paneer tikka, hung dahi with granola, peanuts, lassi and chicken tikka all have no eggs.
