20+ Healthy Low-Calorie Snacks: A Dieting Cheat Code

We all know we should eat healthy and stick to a diet. However, sometimes we need a snack, either planned or ready, just in case we get the munchies. This is why you need to have some low-calorie snacks ready to go. This article will go over some delicious low-calorie snacks that provide taste and nutrition while not packing on a ton of calories.

Benefits Of Having Healthy Snacks

One of the biggest reasons people gain unwanted weight is from excess snacking. Worse, their snacks generally include foods that aren't necessarily healthy. Over time, these extra calories add up and result in unwanted weight gain.

A great way to mitigate this issue is by having a good selection of low-calorie snacks that work with your diet. Snacks should be easy to make, packed with nutrition, and keep the calories low. 

Here are the top 3 benefits of having low-calorie snacks.

1. Improve Nutritional Balance

If you're careful with your snack choices, you can actually use them to fill in gaps in your nutrition. 

Many low-calorie snacks are often packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals while keeping calories in check. 

These snacks can provide essential nutrients without contributing excess sugar, fat, or unhealthy additives, making it easier to maintain a balanced diet.

2. Promotes Satiety Without Overeating

Waiting between meals can be tiring sometimes. Maybe you're hungry, or perhaps you just got triggered. Either way, filling in these gaps with unhealthy foods due to hunger isn't going to help.

By having low-calorie snack options, you can help curb hunger between meals. You can strategically plan your snacks in between meals to keep your diet on track.

Healthy, low-calorie options that include protein, fiber, or healthy fats can help regulate your appetite and prevent unnecessary snacking on higher-calorie, less nutritious foods.

3. Adds Variety In Your Diet

Some foods work better with a diet than they do with a whole meal. 

Using low-calorie snacks can help add not only more nutrients and minerals, you can add new flavors as well.

Healthy Low-Calorie Snacks For Weight Loss

We're first going to go over some healthy snack ideas for weight loss. 

Keep in mind when we give the calories, we will give a range. The exact calories will depend largely on your specific choice of food.

*Many of the calorie numbers were grabbed from fatsecret.com. As always, be sure to double-check the calories in your food purchase.

Fruit

We won't go into too much detail here, but fruit is always a great choice. What type of fruit? What fruit do you like!?

On their own, all fruits are delicious and deliver their own benefits. However, here are some of our favorites;

• Orange
• Mango
• Apple
• Mixed Berries

Yogurt & Granola

• 150-200 calories 

Yogurt and granola is a delicious snack that delivers protein and healthy carbs. Further, it delivers a heavy dose of probiotics for gut health. 

Another reason we love this low-calorie snack is it's ridiculously easy to make. Keep in mind that you can alter the calorie amount as well as macros makeup by using different yogurts and granola. 

Some non-flavored Greek yogurt can deliver 16g of protein at only 90 calories.

If you have the room, you can also add some berries to add flavor and nutrition.

Hummus w/ Vegetable Sticks

• 100-250 calories 

Hummus is a very common snack from the Middle East and Mediterranean. It's mashed up chickpeas with a variety of ingredients such as;

• Sesame seed paste
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Garlic
• Seasonings

You can then dip various vegetable sticks in the hummus for a delicious snack. Not only are they low-calorie, but you'll also get your servings of vegetables and crucial vitamins.

If you search, you can find some healthy, low-calorie brands of hummus that deliver just 45 calories per serving of hummus.

Apple Slice w/ Nut Butter

• (1 medium Apple) 95 calories + (1 tbsp Nut Butter) 90-110

Fruit and nut butter is a classic, healthy snack. Technically, you can use other fruits, such as a banana. However, apples are a great choice as well and deliver a tad more filling fiber.¹

Your primary concern will be the nut butter. Nut butter is delicious but can be high in calories. Therefore, don't just eat from the jar! Measure out how much you want and then use that amount.

Tomato w/ Mozzarella Caprese 

• 100-140 per serving

Getting a little fancy here!

Now, these can take a little bit of time to prepare, but it's really not that long once you get the gist. A nice tomato slice with a slice of mozzarella cheese on top is as simple as it gets, yet ridiculously delicious.

You can choose to up the taste with various add-ons such as;

• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Garlic

You can also choose to eat these cool or warm them up before snacking on them!

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 Italian tomatoes 
• 4 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese 
• 18 leaves basil 
• 0.1 tsp salt 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 cups shredded mixed lettuce

Glass Of Milk

• 90-150 calories (skim - whole)

Seriously. A glass of milk.

A snack doesn't need to be complicated, and a big glass of milk can hit the spot. Milk can be a great snack that is surprisingly filling and delivers essential nutrients.²

Plus, did you know that milk can be a better source of hydration than a sports drink? This is due to its viscosity and the amount of nutrients in it.

One idea is to make a 50/50 mix of milk and chocolate milk!

Hard-Boiled Eggs

• 60-70 calories per egg

Another simple snack that delivers a ton of nutrients. It obviously has protein in the white, but it also delivers choline, an essential nutrient for your brain, and a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids.

We don't know about you, but a single hard-boiled egg is extremely satisfying. As one egg only has 60-70 calories, you could eat up to 3 and still be under 200 calories.

Half A PBJ

• 120-160 calories

We're pretty sure the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is on everyone's list of favorite foods. They're delicious and easy to make.

They can be higher in calories; however, they are largely dependent on jelly and peanut butter. Therefore, for a snack, just make half!

For a real treat, heat up one slice of bread with peanut butter. We're not sure why, but warm peanut butter brings the taste to another level! Plus, from our experience, the taste is stronger, and you don't need to use it as much.

String Cheese

• 70-80 calories 

String cheese is another favorite food from our childhood that should be in your rotation of low-calorie snacks.

Depending on the cheese and brand, calories can vary slightly, but they are usually around 70-80 calories.

Tip: We like to heat up our mozzarella sticks because melted mozzarella is a delicacy in our books!

No-Bake Protein Balls

Protein balls are basically a mixture of oatmeal and protein powder along with various add-in ingredients. There are several types you can make, but we prefer the no-bake option.

The only downside of these is they require a little bit of time to prepare. It's not a lot, but you need to set aside some time. 

We recommend that you prepare these as a part of your meal prep. You can make as many as you want and then keep a bowl of them in the fridge. Generally, they're able to be stored for up to 5 days after prep.

We'll leave this site, which has a variety of recipes.

Skinny Popcorn

• 100-150 calories

Popcorn has gotten a bad rap in the past as people associate it with a ton of butter and a ridiculously large Coke at the movies.

Here's the thing: the popcorn isn't high in calories; the bucket of butter is! Have you ever noticed how "corn" is considered a healthier food?!

"Skinny" popcorn is a type of popcorn that is prepared to be lower in calories and a healthier option. We do want to be clear that "skinny" is nothing more than a marketing strategy – the popcorn is the same as in theaters.

However, by minimizing the butter and other add-ons, this can be a nice little snack.

High-Protein Snacks

Now, let's go over some snacks that are made to satisfy your hunger while increasing your protein intake.³

These snacks will focus on high-protein snacks!

Greek Yogurt

• 110-160 calories

Greek yogurt is a type of yogurt that strains the whey liquid and other liquids from yogurt. This causes the need for more milk, which is then basically condensed.

If you're wondering where the protein comes from if the whey is trained, it's casein! 

Greek yogurt is thicker than normal yogurt, tangier, and has greater protein concentration. You can find different brands that offer 16+ grams at 90-150 calories.

Better yet, it takes zero prep and is ready to eat!

Jerky 

• 60-70 calories

Jerky is another high-protein snack that's ready to go. It's basically dried-out meat that's seasoned and can be eaten right out of a package.

Jerky can be made with really any type of meat, such as;

• Beef
• Pork
• Chicken

With that said, we'd strongly recommend you eat a nutritional brand that uses whole foods rather than something like Slim-Jim's, which uses processed meats.

Protein Shake

• 110-210 calories, dependent on choice of liquid

One of the most obvious ideas for a high-protein snack is the classic protein shakes! No other high-protein snack will deliver as much protein at such little calories. 

Most protein brands will now deliver 20-25g of protein at 110-150 calories. From here, you can add it with the liquid of your choice. This will affect its texture and its caloric makeup as well.

• Water
• Skim Milk
• Whole Milk
• Oat Milk
• Almond Milk

Either one works, depending on your needs.

Deli Meat Wraps

• 60-90 calories depends on meat.

Simple. Delicious. High in protein.

Something about fresh deli meat can be very satisfying. That's as complex as it needs to get. 

If this sounds appetizing, go to the deli (ideally) and get a pound (or two) of your favorite deli meat. Any type can do, but again, know that processed foods will have more calories. 

Some of our favorites are

• Ham
• Turkey
• Chicken Breast
• Roast Beef

Keep it in your fridge, and when you need a quick snack, all you need to do is grab a piece. You can also add some cheese for a little extra.

Cottage-Cheese

• 90-110 calories

Cottage cheese can have an acquired taste, partly due to its texture. However, if you try and like it, you're in for one of the best high-protein snacks there is.

Cottage cheese is basically made by adding an acid known as rennet to milk. This separates the milk by drawing the whey liquid out, which leaves curds.

A low-fat cottage cheese will deliver around 13g at 110 calories.

Egg-White Wrap 

• 30-35 calories per wrap + add-ons

Did you know that you can now buy egg-white wraps? They do! You can find egg-white wraps that deliver 5-6g of protein at just 30-35 calories. 

From here, you can dress it up as fancy as you want! You could;

• Add some cheese
• Use chopped-up chicken breast
• Add in diced-up tomato & onions

These can be a delicious snack you can make any time of the day.

Protein Bar

• 120-200 calories 

Similar to protein shakes, protein bars can also be a low-calorie snack that delivers a lot of nutrition. 

In the past few years, protein bars have gotten a bad wrap by some due to the fact some contain what might be deemed as unhealthy ingredients. 

This is an oversimplification, as a protein bar that delivers 20+ grams of protein is vastly different from candy that delivers 5g.  Further, many protein bars deliver other nutrients as well.

Over the past few years, there have been some increases in healthier brands, such as Rx Bar, that use just a few ingredients. 

Bottom line is it's up to you and your dietary needs. 

Zero-Calorie Snacks

Are there such things as "zero-calorie" snacks? 

Not really – but there are many foods that are ultra-low in calories. Here are some of the best foods to eat with minimal calories.

Water

• 0 calories

Nope, this is not a joke!

There's a strange thing that happens when we're slightly dehydrated; it sends the same signal it would if you were hungry to your brain – that means it can't tell the difference! 

As many people tend to be in a constant state of mild hydration, oftentimes when they're "hungry", they're really thirsty. What's worse is when you eat a snack, you're still thirsty, and you can still feel "hungry."

Therefore, next time you feel some slight hunger, especially if you feel like you just ate, have a big glass of water and see what happens. If you want some taste, use some electrolyte mix.

Black Coffee, Espresso, or Half Latte (Milk Coffee)

• 2-50 calories

We can sometimes associate coffee with the concoctions seen at Starbucks. In fact, coffee has even developed a bit of a reputation for being unhealthy due to the additives and syrups used.

In reality, coffee is nearly calorie-free. 

Black coffee has just 2 calories, which is almost like just drinking water. You could even make the argument that it's a negative calorie food by saying coffee increases energy and activity, which results in a much greater caloric burn than 2 – it's actually based on a lot of truth!

The problem is that many people aren't fans of black coffee; perhaps it's too bitter, or they just don't like the taste. No worries, there are other options!

One of our favorites is a nice latte – this is just coffee mixed with milk. Technically it must be steamed milk but not everyone has the capabilities of doing that. Therefore, you could simply take a cup of black coffee and mix in milk to taste.

The total amount depends on your taste. To keep it under 50 calories, you'd need to use less than ½ cup of skim milk or ⅓ cup of whole milk.

Seaweed Sheets

• 20-30 calories per sheet

Seaweed sheets are a popular treat in many Asian countries and have slowly found their way into the Western world. 

Specifically, seaweed sheets come from a type of seaweed known as "nori", a type of red algae. On its own, it's naturally salty with a hint of umami flavor. However, different snack brands can deliver a variety of flavors.

Most will have around 20-30 calories per sheet.

Watermelon

• 50-80 calories 

Watermelon is ridiculously low in calories. This is because watermelon is largely made of water! 

An entire 20lb watermelon only has around 1,300 calories; for the whole thing!  This means one slice is around 85 calories or so.

Not only do you get the sweet taste, but it's also great to stay hydrated on a hot day!

Celery Sticks With Balsamic Vinegar 

• 20-45 calories

Celery is another water-heavy food, but this time, it's a vegetable. One medium celery stalk (7 1/2" to 8" long and 40g) contains 5.6 calories. 

You can then use a nice balsamic vinegar for a dipping sauce. Depending on the brand, you can find a balsamic vinegar that delivers 20-40 calories per Tbsp.

Be Sure To Food Prep!

Above, we listed a bunch of awesome low-calorie snacks. However, they're only good if you have them on hand! Therefore, be sure to add these to your shopping list so when you're hungry, you can have a healthy snack! 

Healthy Snacks Are An Essential Part Of Successful Weight Loss

Don't let unhealthy snacking ruin your weight loss journey! We're not saying you can't indulge once in a while. However, having low-calorie snacks on a regular basis can play a crucial part in your diet and success! Choose wisely and simplify the weight loss process!

References 

1. Asgary, S., Rastqar, A., & Keshvari, M. (2018). Weight Loss Associated With Consumption of Apples: A Review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 37(7), 627–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2018.1447411
2. Shirreffs SM, Watson P, Maughan RJ. Milk as an effective post-exercise rehydration drink. Br J Nutr. 2007 Jul;98(1):173-80. doi: 10.1017/S0007114507695543. Epub 2007 Apr 26. PMID: 17459189. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17459189/
3. Pesta, D.H., Samuel, V.T. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutr Metab (Lond) 11, 53 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-11-53