Most times, people who are dieting or trying to lose weight don’t snack at all. They think that they’ll gain weight, be unhealthy, or that healthy foods are gross. The truth is, healthy snacks can be delicious! If looking for ideas on low calorie snacks you have certainly come to the right place.
The best thing about healthy snacks is that you can customize them to your liking. In addition, chances are, if there’s a recipe for something then you can substitute ingredients and make a healthy version.
Most people don’t know what’s considered a healthy snack or even where to start. Here are 40 different snacks that are healthy and delicious!
Our List of 40 Low Calorie Snacks
1. Hummus and Raw Vegetables
You can use pretty much any vegetables you like and, if you wanted to, you could get a few different veggies so you could have some variety. For the hummus, you can either buy it at the store or easily make it yourself. If you buy at the store, make sure you read the ingredients!
2. Hard-Boiled Eggs
The great thing about this snack is that you can boil several eggs at once and you’ll have a few days worth of snacks. You can eat them either by themselves or add them to something like a salad.
3. Raw Seeds
Raw seeds are a great source of fiber and vitamin E. They are also pretty low in calories. There are so many different seeds that you can have. These include: almonds, cashews, and pistachios.
4. Slices of Fresh Vegetables
If you’re not a fan of dips, you can eat slices of raw vegetables by themselves. This is another one of those low calorie snacks where you have several options. Some options are: cucumbers, carrots, or peppers.
5. Smoothies
Smoothies are extremely versatile. You can make them pretty much anyway you want. For example, you could go for all fruit and make a strawberry banana smoothie or you can add some veggies and do fruit with spinach. The possibilities are endless.
6. Whole Grain Crackers
There are several different brands of whole grain crackers that are pretty good. You can eat them by themselves or put something on them, such as: cheese, low-fat peanut butter, or even hummus.
7. Apple Slices with Nut Butters
Apples are great low calorie snacks that are extremely healthy but if you don’t like eating them plain, you can add different kinds of nut butters on them, such as low-fat peanut butter or almond butter.
8. Bite-Sized Salmon Pieces
Salmon is one of the healthiest types of fish and you could have it as a snack by cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces. You could also have them with crackers or low-fat cream cheese.
9. Low-Fat String Cheese
Low-fat string cheese is something that you can have for a quick snack. Since you can buy several of them in bags, you’ll have snacks for a few days. Just make sure it’s low-fat and you’re good to go!
10. Homemade Fresh Fruit Popsicles
Popsicles are great on a hot day, but they are so full of sugar. You can get around this by blending up some fruits and making your own popsicles. You can combine pretty much any fruit you want!
11. Roasted Seeds
We already know that raw seeds are a great option for a healthy snack. If you don’t really want them raw, then you can pop them into the oven and roast them. You can use any kind of seasoning you want, such as: garlic or cajun.
12. Oven Baked Veggie Chips
These are a great alternative to unhealthy potato chips. All you do is pick the vegetable you want and slice them very thin. Put a little bit of seasoning on them and pop them in the oven!
13. Mixed Nuts
Mixed nuts are a great snack. Its not only one of our favorite low calorie snacks but also has lots of great health benefits. Since you’ll have several different ones in the mix, you will get more nutrients, such as: fiber, vitamin E, protein, and potassium. They are also great if on a weight loss diet.
14. Trail Mix
Trail mix is a great way to get several different healthy ingredients. The healthiest is one that has: cereal that has high fiber, different kinds of nuts, and different kinds of dried fruit.
15. Beef Jerky
Not only is beef jerky low in calories, but it’s also high in protein. You can either get some from the store or buy a dehydrator and make your own. You could even make turkey jerky or deer jerky if you didn’t want beef.
16. Frozen Fruit
Frozen fruits are delicious little treats. You can either buy them pre-frozen from the store or you can buy fresh fruit and freeze them yourself. If you wanted a little variety, you could freeze several different kinds of fruit together.
17. Sweet Potato Fries
These are a fantastic substitute to normal french fries. They aren’t as unhealthy and they aren’t deep fried. All you do is cut the sweet potatoes into the fry shape, add a little seasoning if you want, and put them in the oven!
18. Salads
There are tons of different types of salads and they all make a great snack. As long as you use healthy ingredients, you can make it pretty much any way you want.
19. Squares of Fresh Cheese
Cheese is a great snack that helps keep energy up. You want to make sure it’s fresh and low-fat. You can have anything from cheddar to pepper jack. Just cut them into bite size pieces and add something like crackers if you want!
20. Pretzels
You can get some whole-grain pretzels and put them in a little baggy and take them wherever you go. You can get anything from pretzel sticks to pretzel bites. Just make sure you read the ingredients!
21. Fruit Drizzled with Dark Chocolate
If you want something a little sweet without feeling guilty, try some fruit drizzled with dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is much healthier than other chocolates because it has a high amount of antioxidants.
22. Homemade Sorbet Made with Fresh Fruit
Traditional sorbert is healthier than ice cream but still has quite a bit of sugar. You can get around this by using fresh fruit and making your own sorbert at home!
23. Low-Fat Flavored or Plain Yogurt
Low-fat yogurt is a great snack choice. As long as it’s low-fat, you can have plain or flavored. In addition, you can add stuff to it to give it a little more flavor. You could add nuts, fruit, or even a little bit of honey.
24. Zucchini Fries
Zuchinni fries are another great alternative to normal french fries. You can either bake them plain or bread them with breadcrumbs. It’s really up to you. Keep in mind, while it’s ok to use breadcrumbs, they’re going to be a little more fattening than baking them on their own.
25. Homemade Fruit and Cream Cheese Muffins
These are a good, sweet snack. Use low-fat cream cheese and whole-grain flour. You can also use pretty much any fruits you want, such as: strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
26. Parfait using Greek Yogurt, Nuts, and Fruit
You can have one of these as a quick and delicious pick me up. All you do is take some low-fat Greek yogurt and add nuts and fruits to it. If you want a little more flavor, then you can try using flavored low-fat yogurt instead of plain.
27. Homemade Whole-Wheat Banana Bread
By using whole-wheat flour, you can make a healthy version of banana bread. If you wanted a little crunch, you could add some nuts to it!
28. Unsweetened Applesauce
The flavored applesauces are usually pretty high in sugar and calories. Instead, you can try getting unsweetened applesauce. If you want to add a little flavor, try sprinkling a little bit of cinnamon in!
29. Fat-Free Pudding
You don’t want to get regular pudding because it’s full of sugar and calories. If you have a craving, try fat-free or sugar-free pudding. Often times, it tastes exactly the same but has better contents.
30. Dried Fruits
You don’t want to eat a whole lot of these, but you can have a few. You can use pretty much any fruit and all you do is cut them the way you want and bake them until they dry out. It’s a great addition to your list of healthy low calorie snacks.
31. Fruit Pizza
You only want to have 1 or 2 slices, but you can use fat-free dough and low-fat cream cheese. Then you would slice up your fruit and put it right on top. Make sure you bake the dough first!
32. Rice Cakes
Rice cakes are available in almost all bigger box stores and they come in a variety of flavors. They are healthy and delicious and you can have 2 or 3 at a time!
33. Fruit Cups/Canned Fruit
Getting fruit cups or fruits in cans can be a quick and healthy snack. Keep in mind, you only want to get ones that are in their own fruit juices because other juices are too high in sugar.
34. Baked Fruits
Baked fruits can be a nice warm snack. They soften up everything and make it the flavors burst out. You can bake anything from apples, to strawberries, to blueberries. Just experiment and see what you like the best!
35. Ants On A Log
Ants on a log are a fun and delicious snack. All you do is cut up some celery, add some peanut butter in the middle, and put a few raisins in the peanut butter!
36. Baked Fruit Chips
These are similar to the veggie chips, except you use fruit. Slice up the fruit to the shape and thickness you want then put them in the oven until they get crispy and golden. It’s definitely worth adding to your options of low calorie snacks.
37. Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
You can either have this on it’s own or mix in some fruit. Keep in mind, a little bit can go a long way. Some of the fruits that go great are: mango and cantaloupe.
38. Popcorn Clusters Made with Dark Chocolate
You want to make sure you use air popped popcorn and if you don’t, you want to limit the amount of microwave popcorn you use. Once it’s popped, use some dark chocolate to make them stick together!
39. Homemade Zucchini Bread
Similar to the banana bread, you can do the same thing with zucchini. All you do is use whole-grain or whole-wheat flour and grate some zucchini. Everything else can stay the same and it makes it much healthier than the traditional version.
40. Freeze Dried Fruit
Usually, if you want to make these at home then you have to get a specific appliance to make sure it’s done correctly. The good news is that most big box stores will sell this type of fruit so you don’t have to spend a bunch of money if it’s not something you have a lot. Its a great option to your list of low calorie snacks.
These are just a tiny handful of the healthy low calorie snacks that you can enjoy. With there being so many, you’re sure to find something that you absolutely love. Experiment and see what you enjoy and what you’re not too fond of. You won’t have to feel guilty or feel like you’re cheating on your diet!
Let us know what you thnk!
