High-Protein Low-Carb Snacks
These carry real protein without much carb weight alongside it. Both numbers come from USDA FoodData Central, the same sourcing standard used for every macro on this site.
The list
- Beef jerky (1 oz): about 9g protein, about 3g carbs
- Mozzarella string cheese (1 stick): about 7g protein, about 1g carb
- Turkey or chicken deli meat, rolled (2 oz): about 12g protein, about 2g carbs
- Hard-boiled eggs (2 large): about 12g protein, under 1g carb
- Almonds (1 oz, about 23 almonds): about 6g protein, about 6g carbs
- Peanut butter (2 tablespoons): about 7g protein, about 6g carbs
Cheese, eggs, and jerky carry the least carb weight per gram of protein of anything on the full snacks list. Nuts and nut butters are still low-carb by most standards, they just carry more than the animal-protein options above.
From the recipe box
For a full snack recipe rather than a single food, the buffalo chicken dip is the one on this site built specifically low-carb (2g carbs per serving). For more low-carb cooking generally, browse High-Protein Low-Carb Meals.
FAQ
What actually counts as low-carb for a snack?
I don’t use a strict cutoff here the way the recipe side of this site does (that’s a carbs_g under 20 and under the protein number, see any low-carb recipe for the exact rule). For a single snack food rather than a full recipe, single digits to low teens of carbs is a reasonable bar, everything on this list keeps carbs to single digits per serving.
Are nuts low-carb enough to snack on freely?
In the portion listed, yes, but nuts are easy to eat well past one serving without noticing, and the carbs (and calories) add up fast past that first ounce. Measuring out a serving ahead of time keeps that in check better than eating from the bag.