Busy people are always looking for nutritious snacks to eat on the go. Unfortunately, many of end up grabbing high-carbohydrate, high-fat and low-protein convenience store snacks, which are terrible nutritional choices.

Why Protein?
Protein is essential to life and every cell in your body contains it. It is found in your skin, bones, and muscles, as well as in your blood, hormones and enzymes.

How much is enough?
Although the opinions of experts vary greatly as to how much protein you should consume every day, the generally accepted figure is one gram of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight. Therefore, a 180-pound man should be getting about 82 grams of protein in his diet each day.

If you're one of the many people who don't manage to meet this minimum requirement, or if you're simply looking for some alternative nutritious snack ideas, read on:

• Egg whites: One egg white has only 15 calories, is fat and cholesterol-free and contains 4 grams of protein. Scramble two or three egg whites in a pan for a quick, nutritious mini-meal.
• Cottage cheese: One-half cup of 2% cottage cheese contains on average 16 grams of protein, yet only has 102 calories and 2 grams of fat (as opposed to other types of cheese, which can be extremely high in fat).
• Tuna: Tuna is a great source of protein with approximately 25 grams per can. Plus, one can of tuna in water contains approximately 111 calories and is fat-free.
• Lentils: Although they may not seem appetizing on their own, putting a handful of them in your soup or salad will give your snack a protein boost. One cup of lentils has about 230 calories, 1 gram of fat and 18 grams of protein.
• Peanut butter: One tablespoon contains about 4 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat and 95 calories. For an energy boost, spread it on a slice of whole-wheat bread (60 calories and 1 gram of fat) and top it with banana slices.
• Oatmeal: Some people, who train hard, recommend oatmeal for its balance of protein and good carbohydrates, which gives them the energy necessary to make it through an intense workout. One packet of instant oatmeal has about 5 grams of protein, 105 calories and 2 grams of fat.

Its a question of balance
No matter how busy you are, it's really not that difficult to eat nutritious, high-protein snacks. If you keep a few cans of tuna and some eggs in your fridge at all times, you'll have some healthy alternatives to fatty chips and chocolate bars.

However, keep in mind that your body does need a certain amount of carbohydrates, which is the main source of energy for working muscles and other bodily functions. Therefore, you shouldn't try to eliminate carbohydrates completely, especially if you work out.

The key is to eat a balanced diet that includes lean protein, minimally refined carbohydrates (whole grain pasta, whole grain rice), simple carbohydrates (raw fruits and vegetables), and a small amount of fat in order to provide your body with all the nutrients and energy needed to function at your best capacity.