The 7 Best High-Protein Foods to Eat as Snacks, According to Dietitians

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Hannah Grennwood.
Dense bean salads are hearty dishes that contain beans tossed with other delicious ingredients like veggies, meats and cheeses. These recipes are perfect for prepping in a large batch and letting the flavors marinate, only getting more flavorful throughout the week. Try options like our High-Protein Loaded Bean Salad or our White Bean Salad with Feta & Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette as part of a healthy and satisfying meal.
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Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Hannah Grennwood.
This loaded bean salad is a simple yet satisfying dish that’s full of creamy texture and all the classic fixings. The navy beans serve as a neutral base, allowing ingredients like bacon, scallions and Cheddar cheese to shine. A creamy dressing made with mayonnaise and sour cream ties everything together. This salad is rich in fiber and plant-based protein, making it the perfect easy side dish.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
This white bean salad with feta and lemon-garlic vinaigrette is quick and requires no stove time. White beans bring plant-based protein and fiber to help keep you full. Creamy feta cheese provides a tangy, salty contrast to the bright vinaigrette. Tossed with fresh herbs and toasted walnuts, this salad is perfect for a light lunch.
Photographer: Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This honey-mustard bean salad is the perfect combination of sweet, tangy and downright delicious flavors. Creamy cannellini beans and hearty chickpeas create the perfect base to soak up the zesty honey-mustard dressing. If you don’t have cannellini beans or chickpeas on hand, black beans, kidney beans or even pinto beans work well, offering flexibility to suit your pantry. Serve this salad as a light main course with crusty bread or alongside grilled chicken, salmon or tofu for a heartier meal.
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This Mason jar grain salad is the perfect grab-and-go lunch. Building a salad in a Mason jar makes it easy to prepare and take along, keeping the ingredients fresh and crisp until you’re ready to enjoy it. This colorful salad layers together farro, bell pepper, beets and arugula, all of which offer fiber and antioxidants that can help lower inflammation in your body. White beans add some plant-based protein to help you stay satisfied throughout the afternoon.
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
This three-bean salad is a wonderful addition to any meal. Rich in fiber, folate, iron and potassium, beans complement a heart-healthy diet and are also a great source of plant-based protein and iron for anyone following a vegetarian diet. Bring this colorful, healthy dish to a barbecue, serve it as an appetizer salad or side dish, and even pack it for lunch.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This chickpea-cabbage salad features carrots and cucumbers, giving it a quartet of ingredients that all begin with the letter “C”! This chopped salad is loaded with fiber and prebiotic chickpeas, promoting a healthy gut. Green cabbage keeps the color vibrant and fresh, though red cabbage works just as well.
This easy white bean and spinach caprese salad features the classic combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and tangy balsamic vinegar, but adds tender white beans and fresh baby spinach to the mix. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, cut or tear a fresh ball of mozzarella into bite-size pieces instead. If you like your salad with a little kick, try swapping out the spinach for arugula.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst
This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman
This black-eyed pea and collard green salad recipe can be served warm or at room temperature, either as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course along with rice or crusty bread. Harissa and peri-peri sauce provide gentle heat, and preserved lemon gives it briny tang.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
This chickpea, beet & feta salad is a vibrant blend of flavors and textures, marrying the earthy sweetness of beets with the creamy richness of feta cheese, all tied together with a zesty lemon-garlic dressing. If you have the time, you can roast or steam your own beets or, to keep prep fast and simple, opt for precooked beets found in the produce section of well-stocked grocery stores.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
In this light and refreshing salad, we season white beans with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend which features cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and ground black and red pepper. If you prefer a creamier texture, gently mash some of the beans as you stir everything together. The bean salad is served on a bed of lightly dressed spinach that pairs well with the beans, but could also go with grilled chicken or steak kebabs on another night.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This three-ingredient lunch takes a packaged salad kit to the next level with the addition of two pantry staples: cherry tomatoes and white beans. The Mediterranean flavor profile works well here, but another mix would be just as simple and satisfying.
If you're an avid meal prepper, consider adding these marinated beans to your weekly routine. They're very versatile: try a spoonful on a salad, tuck some into a wrap or warm them up to spoon over a grain bowl. It's worth letting the beans marinate for at least 24 hours to infuse them with deeper flavor. The olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator—just let the beans stand at room temp for an hour and stir before serving.
Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe. Serve at a potluck or for a beautiful salad at brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops or fish.
The bold flavors of the lemon-cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe make it a wonderful side dish to grilled beef and lamb, yet it's also a stellar meatless main when served with whole-wheat couscous.