5 Perfect Protein-Packed Gym Snacks

The muscle-building ideal is 20 grams of protein, half before and half after your workout. Bring these convenient snacks to the gym to fuel growth.


1) Chicken, Turkey, or Tuna (3 oz)
14-22 grams protein
66-100 calories

Wrap one of these standbys in a piece of bread. Four slices of chicken or turkey provide 14 grams of protein, while half a can of tuna has nearly 22 grams.


2)Eggs (three)
19 grams protein
232 calories

They're still incredible after all these years. Hard-boiled eggs are most convenient, but it's also easy to scramble a few in the a.m. and scoop them into a microwavable container. Don't sweat the fat: It's healthy and filling.



3) Chocolate 2% Milk (16 oz)
About 17 grams protein
333 calories

Refresh and rebuild at the same time. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition shows that chocolate milk may be the ideal postworkout beverage for building muscle.



4) Whey Powder (30 g scoop)
24 grams protein
110 calories

This milk-derived product continues to rule the gym. Mix it with milk instead of water if you want a bit more protein. Try Nitrean; it has whey isolate for quick absorption, and casein, which is digested slowly.



5) Greek Yogurt (5.3 oz container)
15 grams protein
80 calories

Greek-style yogurt is a lifter's dream: It's easy to carry and packed with protein. Skip yogurts with fruit and sugar; to add flavor, drop in a few berries or nuts.




I read this info and I agree with most except 4. The item is just too costly for most budgets. I would never believe, until now, that chocolate milk would be beneficial after a good workout.

Fo sho. I knew most of this, but Now I think I'll actually apply it. I have whey protein as well. I usually mix it with a big bowl of yogurt.

Nice list though not so sure about eggs and the chocolate milk.

Eggs, classic, if it wasn't for salmonella, I'd eat them raw for protein. But eggs do have quite a bit of cholesterol (in the yolk) if you consume that many every time you workout. But if you work out regularly it's fine. Just not the best alternative for people who work out once like...every 2 weeks.

Chocolate Milk I'm just worried about the sugar in it. It's just too good to be true in my opinion. I love chocolate milk too, can't believe its actually good for you :|

Great list, I use Whey Protein and Tuna Sandwiches for my post workout.

For Whey Protein, I heard muscle milk is a good brand to buy from. It tastes like ice cream when you mix it with milk (digests slower if you do so with milk) and tastes like.. crap...with water. But every protein I tried with water tastes like crap to me so ionno might be different for you.

What's also good is cottage cheese. Why? It has the Casein protein which digests slowly. Best to eat it before you sleep so you can have constant protein supplied to your body overnight. Cottage cheese isn't as bad as people say it is. I like it actually.

In #1, what kind of Tuna are you talking about? Some types of tuna, such as Yellowfin, have very high contents of Mercury...

Yellowfin is expensive and it depends on your budget

I believe, in the 33 cent or 50 cent can, it is another tuna breed. I checked my cans, I have albacore but not the white meat.
The white meat chucks go for $1.50 to $2.00 for a 6.5 ounce can.


Bluefin tuna: This is generally the variety of choice for fresh tuna connoisseurs. It has a bit more fat, and thus more flavor, than the other varieties. At maturity, the flesh is dark red, with an appearance very similar to raw beef. This variety is the largest, growing up to 1,600 pounds. Most of the bluefin harvest is exported to Japan and sold at a premium price for sushimi.

Yellowfin tuna: Also known as ahi. Less expensive than bluefin, this variety is nearly as good as bluefin and also more common and easy to find in the markets. It is pale-pink, with flavor a bit stronger than albacore. It is also often canned.

Skipjack tuna: Also known as bonito and aku. This variety is usually canned. It generally has the strongest flavor and highest fat content. It is also the smallest variety, seldom growing larger than 25 pounds. Dried bonito is known as katsuobushi and is used in Japanese cuisine.

Albacore tuna: This is the variety with the lightest flesh and mildest flavor. It's usually canned as white tuna and sold at a higher price than light chunk tuna

Here's what I see:

Tuna is tuna. Tuna has protein. Tuna is food. I eat food. All other facts are irrelevant.

You'd have to eat a lot of fish to get mercury poisoning. Just saying. The amount in any fish is so miniscule that unless you eat it a lot (and I'm saying breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks for like half a year), you wouldn't be at risk.

Oh, something I'd like to add to the list! (if you don't mind): Chick Peas!!! I just had some today and holymother*%^ing sweet apple sauce!

Per 125ml of Chicken Peas:
10g of protein
8g of fibre (makes you full, helps your digestive system :D)
3g of fat (of which 2.8 of it is unsaturated)
170 Calories

That's just 125ml too (which is very little) , a can is 540ml usually and cost about a dollar. I feel bad that I ate a whole can of chick peas though, too many calories for one serving...

The taste might not be for everyone though.