Low-Cal Snack Ideas

Snacks are a great way to stay satisfied between meals, and they are also a great way to get more nutrients into your daily diet. There are snacks that can nourish your body and help keep your blood sugar balanced between meals, and there are snacks that add a lot of extra calories to your day while leaving you hungry between meals. Pay attention to the snacks that you choose so that you aren’t left feeling hungry after your snack.

Everyone is different, so the amount of calories one person needs will differ from what someone else needs. However, 100 calorie snack packs are popular because people think this is a good way to snack with minimal calories. Minimal calories do not mean the best snack choice.

What is more important than focusing on a calorie number is making sure that the snacks you consume contains protein and fiber. A combination of protein and fiber will help to keep you full until your next meal. When you only focus on calories, your snack might leave you feeling hungry. For example a 100 calorie piece of chocolate might taste great, but leave you wanting to eat another snack shortly after. These snack recommendations are not high in calories, and will keep you feeling full and satisfied! Remember, satisfying snacks between meals are often around 150-200 calories.

Here are some nutritious and delicious snacks for 150-200 calories:

String cheese with 1 cup of grapes

1 oz almonds with 10 raspberries

Non fat Greek yogurt with a small banana

Non fat Greek yogurt with ¼ cup granola

2 tbsp hummus with 10 baby carrots

Hard boiled egg (80 kcals) and 5 whole wheat crackers

1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 apple

1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 tablespoon of almond butter and 10 blueberries on top

2 cups of air popped popcorn seasoned with herbs and spices with ½ cup of pistachios

1 oz trail mix made of dried fruit and nuts

As you can see 150-200 calorie snacks don’t have to be boring, and can give you the energy you need to get through your day!

Linzy Ziegelbaum, MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and owner of the private practice LNZnutrition LLC. She provides nutrition counseling and education to clients of all ages with many nutrition needs. Linzy enjoys sharing her love and nutrition expertise with others through counseling, her LNZnutrition blog and social media pages, including Facebook and Instagram.

Main Photo Credit: baibaz/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: Yaroslav Melnik/shutterstock.com