Steak Packs the Protein, But Zero Fiber: How to Pick Snacks That Deliver Both

Steak is a protein powerhouse but offers no fiber, while many everyday snacks can deliver both essential nutrients. This guide compares options like oatmeal, seeds, and dairy to help you choose snacks that maximize satiety and fuel your goals.

Dr. Lena Hanson

June 20, 2026 · Updated October 27, 2026 · 4 min read

Here's the punchline from the nutritional data: a 3.5-ounce serving of cooked top sirloin steak delivers an impressive 22.8 grams of protein — and exactly zero grams of fiber. If your goal is a snack that keeps you full and fueled, steak is a protein heavyweight but a fiber featherweight. The good news is that several everyday options, from oatmeal cooked with milk to a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds, bring meaningful amounts of both nutrients to the table. This guide compares them side by side so you can match the snack to the goal.

Comparing High-Protein, High-Fiber Snack Options

Let's start with the benchmark. According to USDA-based figures cited by Chicago Steak Company, a 100-gram cooked serving of top sirloin contains 22.8 grams of protein, 149 calories, and no carbohydrates at all. USDA FoodData Central data for broiled, separable lean-only top sirloin tells a similar story: 26 grams of protein per 3-ounce cooked serving, with zero carbohydrate. That makes steak a dense protein source — but as an animal food, it contributes no dietary fiber whatsoever.

Plant-based and dairy options tell a different story. Registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty, writing for TODAY, highlights oatmeal as a quiet overachiever: one cup cooked with one cup of milk provides 13 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. The trick is the preparation — cooking with milk instead of water adds roughly 8 grams of protein, and soy or pea milk work as dairy-free alternatives. Cassetty also points to research suggesting oatmeal led to greater satiety and reduced hunger for hours afterward compared with cold cereal, with oatmeal eaters consuming fewer calories at lunch.

Seeds are the other standout category. Per Cassetty's list, a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) offers 9 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber, while three tablespoons of hemp seeds deliver 10 grams of protein and just 1 gram of fiber — most hemp seed fiber lives in the shells, which are typically removed. Dairy, meanwhile, is a protein specialist: Cleveland Clinic notes that plain, fat-free Greek yogurt packs about 15 grams of protein per serving, and a half-cup of low-fat cottage cheese delivers more than 10 grams. Both, however, are negligible on fiber unless you add fruit or berries yourself.

Reported protein and fiber per standard serving of common snack options
Snack Option	Serving Size	Protein (grams)	Fiber (grams)
Top sirloin steak (cooked, lean)	3.5 oz (100 g)	22.8	0
Top sirloin steak (broiled, separable lean only)	3 oz (85 g)	26	0
Plain, fat-free Greek yogurt	1 serving	~15	Negligible
Low-fat cottage cheese	Half-cup	>10	Negligible
Oatmeal, cooked with milk	1 cup (with 1 cup milk)	13	4
Hemp seeds	3 tablespoons	10	1
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)	Quarter-cup	9	2

Choosing the Right Snack for Your Goals

Now put the table to work. If your priority is satiety between meals — staying full so you're not raiding the pantry by 4 p.m. — the evidence favors pairing protein with fiber rather than loading up on either alone. That's why Cleveland Clinic tops its snack list with Greek yogurt plus berries, and cottage cheese plus fruit: the dairy supplies the protein, and the added produce supplies the fiber the dairy lacks. Oatmeal works the same trick in one bowl, which is why Cassetty flags it for people managing their weight.

For muscle recovery, protein is the headline nutrient, and the data supports going where the grams are. Steak leads at 22.8–26 grams per serving, but Greek yogurt at roughly 15 grams and cottage cheese at more than 10 grams per half-cup are convenient, no-cook alternatives. If you also want fiber in the same snack — which supports steady digestion and sustained energy rather than a quick spike — oatmeal with milk or a seed-topped yogurt gets you both without a second food.

For plant-based eaters, the seeds deserve a spotlight. Hemp seeds are what Cassetty calls a complete plant protein, carrying all essential amino acids along with omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and their mild taste makes them easy to sprinkle over oatmeal, salads, or leafy greens. Pumpkin seeds add magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats to their 9 grams of protein. Neither is a fiber giant, but both make excellent toppers for higher-fiber bases.

A note on scope: this is a selection of supported options, not an exhaustive list, and it doesn't include protein bars — no reliable data for them was available here. It's also not medical or personalized dietary advice; anyone with specific health conditions or targets should work with a healthcare professional.