Don't Sleep on These: 12 Underrated Protein Snacks Worth Trying in Can

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Published 26 October 2026 · A Top Nutrition & Fitness roundup. We only feature products that are in stock and ready to ship same day from our Montreal store — every snack below is live right now.

Some of the best snacks in the shop are the ones that quietly sit on the shelf while everyone reaches for the same five bestsellers. This is our "don't sleep on these" list: twelve genuinely good, in-stock protein and low-sugar snacks that deserve a spot in your cart. We've grouped them by how people actually shop — plant-based, keto and low-sugar bars, salty crunch, candy, and grab-and-go shakes and broth — with honest specs on each. Prices are current at time of writing.

🌱 Plant-based picks worth a second look

If you follow a vegan diet — or just want cleaner ingredients — these four punch above their weight. Our full ranked list lives in Best Vegan Protein Snacks in Canada 2026, and the gluten-free crossover picks are in Best Gluten-Free Protein Snacks in Canada 2026.

SimplyProtein GF Vegan Protein Bar (1 bar) — a Canadian, plant-based bar with 13 g of soy protein, only 2 g of sugar (cane sugar is the only added sweetener) and 6–7 g of fibre at 150–170 calories. Gluten-free and genuinely a bar, not a candy bar in disguise. About $3.48 — one of the best-value plant bars we carry.
Nutraphase Clean Beans (3 servings) — roasted broad-bean (fava) crisps with a real, craveable crunch. Each 85 g bag is three servings and delivers 18 g of plant protein and just 2 g of sugar, vegan and gluten-free. Sweet Mesquite BBQ, Dill Pickle, Salt & Vinegar and Spicy Cajun are all excellent. A smarter swap for chips or croutons at $5.99.
SimplyProtein GF Plant Protein+ Shake (330 ml) — a dairy-free, gluten-free ready-to-drink shake with about 15 g of plant protein and low sugar. Grab-and-go protein that doesn't taste chalky, around $5.99.
Simply Protein Vegan Tortilla Chips (1 bag) — 100% plant-based tortilla chips with cleaner ingredients and real crunch, in five flavours including two higher-protein options (Fiesta Taco and Jalapeño Ranch). Protein and fibre vary by flavour — check the bag — but they're sturdy enough for salsa and guac. About $6.00.

🔥 Keto & low-sugar bars that fly under the radar

Everyone knows the big-name bars. These three are every bit as good for a low-sugar treat. Compare the whole lineup in Best Protein Bars in Canada 2026 and the low-carb angle in Best Keto Snacks in Canada 2026.

SNCK GF KETO Protein Bar (1 bar) — a soft, low-sugar bar with about 16 g of protein (milk protein with collagen and pea) and roughly 1–4 g of sugar depending on flavour, with no added sugar. Caramel Pop is a standout. Around $4.35 a bar.
PhD Smart Keto Protein Bar (1 Bar) — a triple-layered bar with about 20–22 g of protein, under 2.1 g of sugar and roughly 2–4 g of net carbs per 64 g bar. A soft core, caramel layer and crispy soya pieces in couverture chocolate make it an easy swap for a candy bar. About $5.29.
Quest Nutrition GF Overload Protein Bar (1 bar) — Quest's most maximalist bar: more coating, drizzle and mix-ins, while still keeping 20 g of protein, 1 g of sugar and just 3 g of net carbs with 11 g of fibre at around 200 calories. It's built for people chasing top-tier protein-per-bar — read the panel against your own macro targets. About $6.25.

🧂 Salty & crunchy, if sweet isn't your thing

Savoury snackers are spoiled here. The full savoury list is in Best Salty Protein Snacks in Canada 2026, and the crunchy-chip picks are in Best Protein Chips in Canada 2026.

Quest Nutrition GF Cheese Crackers (1 bag) — baked, cheesy, gluten-free crackers in two protein sizes: a 30 g bag with 10 g protein and 5 g net carbs (130 cal), or a 44 g bag with 15 g protein and 10 g net carbs (190 cal). Both have just 2 g of sugar. Cheddar Blast, Spicy Cheddar and Zesty Ranch, around $5.69.
Omaha GF Protein Popcorn (1 bag) — genuinely rare: a popcorn that hits roughly 32–40 g of protein per bag (it varies by flavour) and still tastes like a treat, at about 150 calories per 31 g serving. Gluten-free. A fun, high-protein swap for movie night at $14.99.

Nutraphase Clean Beans and the SimplyProtein Vegan Tortilla Chips above double as excellent salty snacks too.

🍬 Candy & gummies, done the low-sugar way

Go Nutrition GF Go Gummies (1 bag) — low-sugar gummy bears from Quebec's Go Nutrition. A 50 g bag is about 90 calories with 30 g of fibre and just 1 g of sugar, vegan and gluten-free, sweetened with stevia and monk fruit, and made with no sugar alcohols. About $4.59. Great for a vegan sweet tooth — and because the fibre comes from inulin and isomalto-oligosaccharides, go easy at first if you're not used to a high-fibre snack. You'll find more low-sugar candy in our keto snacks guide.

🥤 Shakes & broth for grab-and-go

Select GF Protein Shake – RTD — PEScience's ready-to-drink shake: 25 g of protein for 130 calories, 4 g of carbs and 0 g of sugar per bottle, which makes it a tidy fit for low-carb and calorie-conscious days. Chocolate Truffle and Vanilla Cupcake both taste like dessert. It does contain milk, so it isn't dairy-free. Around $5.49.
Siip Instant Keto Bone Broth-to-Go — single-serve bone broth sticks you just add to hot water: about 8–10 g of protein and 2–4 g of net carbs per stick at 20–50 calories (beef and chicken), with a vegan mushroom option too. The Roast Beef box carries a keto certification mark. A warm, savoury, almost-no-carb pick-me-up — a 4-stick pack is about $10.99.

Why buy from Top Nutrition & Fitness

We're a family-run supplement and healthy-snack shop in Montreal, hand-picking and taste-testing the best of North American nutrition since 2016. We ship Canada-wide with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 4 PM, free shipping on qualifying orders, and rewards on every purchase. If a snack made this list, it's because we'd happily eat it ourselves.