Snacking on nutritious and low-cal snacks can keep you energized, satisfy cravings and assist your weight loss efforts. Below are 10 low-calorie snack ideas recommended by experts.
Grapes offer the perfect balance between sweet and salty snacks; one cupful has under 100 calories while providing both fiber and vitamin C benefits.
1. Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Cravings for high-calorie snacks like chips, pizza and doughnuts can thwart your weight loss efforts. To satisfy those cravings without adding calories to your daily intake, try an invigorating yet satisfying healthy snack that packs flavor without the calories.
This Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomato recipe brings all of the delicious flavors of a traditional grilled tuna melt into one satisfying tomato. Filled with delicious tuna salad and spiced Havarti cheese, then baked until tender – this is easy and incredibly satisfying. Plus it uses healthy canned tuna packed in water along with olive oil instead of mayonnaise to reduce calories, saturated fat and sodium intake while using up fresh tomatoes from your garden or market – plus adding even more flavor with drizzles of high quality olive oil on top!
2. Green Salad
Snacking on nutritious snacks is an effective way to meet weight loss goals by helping maintain stable blood sugar levels, which can prevent dizziness, weakness and hunger (1). Plus, snacks containing beneficial nutrients provide structure in a diet plan and prevent overeating (2).
As an easy snack option, try snacking on lean deli meat such as turkey pepperoni or light salami with whole-grain crackers (using portion control). Or enjoy crunchy jicama sticks topped with salsa for only 63 calories!
Fill up on protein and fiber by including cottage cheese in a whole-grain pita pocket for lunch if you need a quick way to feel satisfied. Just one cup of cottage cheese contains 12 grams of protein at only 83 calories! For added filling power, mix in herbs or spices as desired for extra satisfaction if craving a sandwich but trying to reduce carb intake. This option makes an excellent solution!
3. Greek Yogurt with Bananas
This delicious mousse-inspired treat is packed with protein and calcium for optimal nutrition. To reduce calories, opt for fat-free Greek yogurt as your ingredient of choice.
Frozen bananas combined with low-fat Greek yogurt make this quick, healthy dessert that can be ready to enjoy within 10 minutes. Packed full of protein, potassium, calcium and probiotics while providing some satisfying fiber and healthy fats – this tasty treat provides everything your body needs in one convenient package!
When looking for something sweet, opt for baking fruit instead of sweet treats. A large apple baked with cinnamon and topped with an ounce of part-skim ricotta cheese has only 78 calories while also providing fiber and vitamin C benefits.
4. Kale Chips
Kale chips are an easy, delicious, and healthy snack option to satisfy salty cravings without the excessive caloric intake associated with chips or pretzels. Packed full of essential vitamins A, C, K and E; minerals potassium and calcium; as well as powerful antioxidants to fight disease – kale chips provide the perfect healthy solution!
Baked kale chips are easy to make at home with just two ingredients! Begin by washing and drying some leaves of kale before massaging oil into them using your hands, until tenderized. Next add seasonings – nutritional yeast can add a cheesy taste or salt and pepper depending on your oven settings – spread on a baking sheet, and bake until crispy (the exact time varies depending on your oven). Kale chips make an easy way to increase vegetable intake; pair it with lean deli meat to curb pizza cravings!
5. Frozen Banana Pops
Bananas are an extremely nutritious fruit, and when covered in chocolate they make for an irresistibly delicious treat! Making frozen banana pops together is a fun activity to get the kids involved with as you create something deliciously fun and simple to create together!
Frozen bananas create a creamy, almost ice cream-like texture and consistency that tastes incredible in this simple, low-calorie recipe. They make an excellent alternative to one-ingredient ice cream recipes found all across the Internet!
To create this recipe, you will need ripe bananas (I used three), paper lollipop sticks or wooden skewers, good quality dark chocolate, toppings such as chopped nuts, shredded coconut or sprinkles – be sure to top them immediately after dipping as chocolate hardens quickly! These refreshing treats make an excellent sweet treat on a hot day. Enjoy!
6. Almonds
Almonds are one of the most beloved nuts in America, boasting calcium, magnesium, fiber and vitamin E in abundance. A recent study also demonstrated how snacking on almonds helps curb appetite for high-fat foods like crackers compared with an almond serving as a snack option.
Almond butter is made by grinding roasted almonds into a peanut-butter-like paste that can be used as an ingredient in many different recipes. Try it rolled in cocoa powder for extra flavor and protein-packed crunch, or enjoy some raw almonds with their skins on for some added crunch – they contain magnesium which has many health benefits for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (1 ounce of almonds nets about 84 calories).
7. Pretzel Sticks
Snacking effectively to achieve weight loss involves selecting nutritious snacks that will fill you up without breaking your calorie deficit, according to Goodson. Achieve this feat through proper blood sugar balance and providing energy boosts throughout the day with snack-rich options, Goodson says.
These tasty pretzel sticks make an impressive party snack or can even be packaged up and presented as gifts with ribbon. They’re easy to make! Plus they make for great packaging options!
Combine chocolate chips and butter in a resealable bag and microwave on high for 1 minute while massaging the bag. Dip pretzel rods into the chocolate sauce, and enjoy! This recipe makes enough to share or devour on your own! Each pretzel stick contains 54 calories.
8. Ice Cream
One serving of regular ice cream contains around 4.5 grams of saturated fat; you can substantially decrease this number by opting for lower-sugar options like Enlightened. This brand uses erythritol, a low-calorie sugar alcohol that doesn’t impact blood sugar or contribute to weight gain – an ideal solution for those living with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
A handful of roasted walnuts is an irresistibly satisfying sweet and salty snack packed with satisfying proteins and essential vitamins and minerals like potassium and magnesium – and only amounts to approximately 200 calories!
9. Popcorn
Popcorn is an excellent snack choice when it comes to weight loss. Packed with fiber, low calories and an energy density comparable to other snack foods, popcorn may provide the ideal solution. Unfortunately, however, popcorn contains too much sodium for some individuals’ tastebuds and could become too salty over time.
Air-popped popcorn offers only 31 calories in one serving; on the other hand, microwaved buttered popcorn contains over 10% of your recommended daily fat and sodium intakes in just one bag!
A bowl of berries provides vitamin C and K, potassium and dietary fiber. Snacking on protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter, celery with raisins sliced thin or “ants on a log” (celery sticks spread with peanut butter topped with raisins) may provide satisfying satiation without needing additional food between meals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
10. Fruit
Making nutritious snacks part of your weight-loss plan can help you ditch high-calorie sweets in favor of better alternatives that support weight loss goals. Not only can such snacks provide nutrients and satisfy cravings between meals, they can also keep you feeling full between meals.
Fruit is nature’s snack and an effective way to help with weight loss. Try mixing berries – an energy-packed low calorie option – with orange slices or apples slices for an easy, delicious and convenient bite-sized treat.
Add protein to your fruit snack for a satisfying, filling snack; for example, one cup of sliced strawberries mixed with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter provides approximately 100 calories. For something saltier try mixing smoked salmon with low-fat cream cheese in order to form a pinwheel; beware though as one slice can contain up to 600 milligrams of sodium! Alternatively try grilling turkey on whole wheat bread with reduced-fat cheddar as this combination provides protein and fiber too!
