First up, let’s start with the obvious. Snacking is normal. You shouldn’t feel bad about feeling hungry between meals. You shouldn’t ever feel bad about feeling hungry, or wanting satisfying snacks. The key to snacking is to ensure that you’re dealing with that hungry feeling without consuming a high number of calories. A lot of food we think of “snack” foods can have as many calories as a full meal. Dark chocolate is a great snack, but there are 170 calories in just 1 ounce. Finding a way to satiate your hunger with minimal calories doesn’t have to be a challenge, and it doesn’t have to hurt your weight loss journey.
One of the key challenges with snacks can be portion size. If you open a large back of nuts with the plan to only eat a few, it can be far too easy to eat more than you should and end up consuming far more calories than planned. Breaking large bags of your snacks into smaller, snack-sized servings or purchasing snack-sized versions from a grocery store can help you manage this.
In this article, I’m going to share a range of healthy snacks with you, all with a relatively low number of calories. Try a few and see which leave you feeling full until your next meal. I’ve tried to include a big variety so I’m sure you’ll find something that you like.
25 Healthy Low Calorie Snack Ideas
Under 100 Calories Snacks
1 cup of blueberries
Blueberries are one of my most favorite satisfying snacks. Sweet and juicy, they are full of antioxidants and have only 83 calories in a one cup serving. So you can snack away without worrying about calories! It’s great for weight loss as well, and if you’re gluten free, fruit is always a great option!
1 hard-boiled egg
If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of boiled eggs! You can boil them and leave them unpeeled in your fridge for up to a week, for an easy snack. They’re also a great source of protein! With 6 grams of protein and 78 calories each, you’ll get an energy boost with your snack. Plus, if you worry about weight loss, egg whites have just 15 calories, so you can take out the yolks if you want to be even more weight loss friendly.
1 orange
Such an easy snack and perfect for travel, the orange peel helps protect your snack on the go. Filled with vitamins and fiber, you’re looking at about 60 calories per orange. The other benefit to oranges is the time you take to peel and eat will help you slow down and really enjoy your snack. As I already mentioned, fruit is always a good satisfying snack that’s great for weight loss and is gluten free of course.
1 Cup of Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the lowest calorie snack options, coming in at just 46 calories per one cup serving. Fresh picked in a great option, but don’t be scared of frozen when they’re not in season. They have all the goodness snap frozen into them when they’re picked!
1 Piece of String Cheese
The perfect snack on the go. With calcium, 8 grams of protein and only 80 calories, one stick of part-skim string cheese is always a good idea to have in your bag as you head off to lectures. Plus they come with built in portion control!
1/2 Cup of Oatmeal
Honestly, this is my go to afternoon snack, even though some people class it as a breakfast food. 1/2 cup of oatmeal cooked with water (not milk) is 83 calories will still give you that protein and fiber kick. Keep your toppings simple with a bit of cinnamon or a few berries, but don’t add too many or the calories will creep up.
A Handful of Almonds
I love nuts because not only are they a delicious high protein snack, they’re also packed full of healthy fats. Pack 10-15 into a small bag and take with you to class to know you’ve got a healthy snack on hand that if eaten in place of carbohydrates can reduce cholesterol and belly fat. Or if you’re in a rush, grab a spoonful of peanut butter. Or mix in with some dried fruit to make your own trail mix.
Ice Cream Bar
I know it seems strange to include on a list of snacks, but sometimes you’ll have a craving for something sweet and creamy! Check the package and look at how many calories there are. There are plenty of mini options that will still bring you in under 100 calories.
Side Salad
61 calories
Ingredients
2 cups leafy greens, butter lettuce
1/2 small cucumber
1/2 green bell pepper
1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
1 dash of salt and pepper
Instructions
Chop cucumber and bell peppers.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Add a 1/3 cup of cherry tomatoes if you prefer.
1/2 Cup of Cottage Cheese With Cucumbers
This snack is a perfect mix of creamy, protein rich cottage cheese with refreshing cucumbers. Grab yourself some 1% cottage cheese which only has 81 calories per 1/2 cup serving. By pairing it with a cup serving of cucumber sticks, you’ll still be under 100 calories. Cucumbers are a great option to snack on without adding too many calories to a dish.
1/4 Cup of Dried Cranberries
I know a lot of people tend to avoid dried fruit when they’re dieting as it can be very high in added sugar. But this is where portion control plays a big part. A quarter of a cup of dried cranberries is totally fine as a snack. It comes in at just 93 calories. But make sure you’re not sneaking back for more every few minutes!
3 Cups of Air-Popped Popcorn
If you feel like you need a lot of food to curb your cravings, then air popped popcorn could be the perfect answer. It only has 30 calories per cup, so you can eat a lot! You just need to avoid the pre-popped stuff, oil popping and adding a whole of sugar to the top. Keep it simple and you can indulge in this delicious snack.
Nonfat Greek Yogurt
I always keep some plain greek yogurt in my fridge for when I’m at home and I’m craving a snack. Yogurt is a great source of healthy fats, it’s good for blood pressure, and it’s a good source of protein.
Sometimes I also purchase single-servings to help manage portion control on the go. Look for fat-free options that are still under the 100 calorie mark. There are plenty of options but you need to double check what you’re buying.
8 Baby Carrots With 1 Tablespoon of Dip
I absolutely love carrots as a snack. Super healthy, sweet and full of carotenoids and vitamin A which are shown to improve your eyesight. So important when you’re staring at textbooks or screens all day long! Eight raw baby carrots, which you can find in most supermarkets, have 40 calories so you can add a tablespoon of dip like hummus or tzatziki if you want to make your veggies a little more exciting.
1 Slice of Raisin Bread
This one always pushed my ability to control my portions. If you want to indulge in this, you need to stick to one slice with a little butter. It’s a delicious, sweet treat but make sure you stick to the portions.
20 Pistachios
One thing I love about pistachios is that if you buy them with their shells still on, you’re forced to slow down and appreciate your snack a little more. That can help your brain recognize the full signals your stomach is sending before you overeat. You want to eat about 20 pistachios and this will account for 80 calories, still under that 100 calorie threshold. They’re also packed with unsaturated fat and antioxidants.
100-200 Calories
The following snacks are above 100 calories but below 200 calories, which is still very low-calorie and should easily work with your weight loss meal plans.
Low Carb Tea Sandwiches
146 calories
Ingredients
1/2 cucumber
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 Tbsp dill
1 Tbsp chives
Dash of salt
Instructions
Cut herbs finely.
Slice cucumber.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until herbs are mixed in.
Spread mixture evenly on cucumber.
1 Cup Veggies and Guac
130.5 calories
Ingredients
1/2 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup celery stalks, chopped in half
1 single-serving packet guacamole
Instructions
Dip veggies into guac
No guac packets? Use 1/4 cup guac.
Apple and Egg
149 calories
Ingredients
1 small apple
1 large egg
Instructions
Hard boil egg and serve with apple.
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
105 calories
Ingredients
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp barbeque sauce
1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated
1 dash garlic salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray baking sheet with an oil spray.
Cut cauliflower into small pieces.
Bake cauliflower for 30 minutes.
Take cauliflower out, mix with other ingredients, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Fried Egg and Cheese
132 calories
Ingredients
1 large egg
2 Tbsp Cheese, shredded, cheddar (Tbsp units)
1 dash basil and oregano
Instructions
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Crack in egg, then flip when cooked most of the way through. Top with cheese and seasonings.
No dairy? Use a dairy free cheese, or avocado on the side
In-Shell Edamame
Edamame is an excellent source of plant-based protein. It’s also packed with nutrients as it’s a good source of not only plant-based protein, but also fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
130 calories
Ingredients
⅔ cup edamame, in shell
1 dash salt
Instructions
Season the edamame with salt and eat the beans inside.
Mango Spinach Smoothie
131.75 calories
Ingredients
1 cup leafy greens, spinach, raw
1/4 zucchini
1/4 celery stalks, chopped in half
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 banana
1/2 cup Almond milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice.
Blend until smooth.
String Cheese with Prosciutto
130 calories
Ingredients
1 oz prosciutto
1 serving Cheese, string cheese, mozzarella, full fat/ regular
Instructions
Wrap prosciutto around the string cheese.
Homemade Raspberry Frozen Yogurt
172 calories
Ingredients
- 2 oz Yogurt, plain, Greek, 2%, from tub – 43 calories
- 1 cup Raspberries, frozen, not sweetened – 80 calories
- ¼ tsp Vanilla – 0 calories
- 1 Tbsp Maple syrup (Tbsp) – 50 calories
Instructions
- This recipe works best when making at least 2 servings at once. So multiply the ingredients by at least 2 servings, and then divide by 2 or more equal sized servings at the end.
- Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until very smooth.
- Transfer to a loaf pan.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Scoop out with an ice cream scoop and serve.
- Dairy free? Use a dairy-free yogurt. Don’t use a non-fat version.
- Note: Any frozen fruit will work, if you don’t like raspberries!
