I’m a huge fan of snacks! While I admire people who just eat their 3 meals a day, I’m not that girl. I have to snack to keep my blood sugar from dropping. I rarely make it from lunch to dinner without a snack. While there’s nothing wrong with snacking in and of itself, it can pack on the pounds if you don’t snack wisely! I recently went through a phase where all I wanted to snack on was those chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. I love the taste, but they have 490 calories in each one!!! YIKES!
I’ve been on the hunt for some yummy snacks that won’t kill my caloric intake. Here are some great snacks that are 100 calories or less!
1. Nuts
Almonds are a great source of fiber and protein which means your blood sugar levels will stay even. It also means you’ll stay full for a lot longer. A handful of almonds or pistachios, about 12-15, is around 100 calories. I know 12-15 nuts doesn’t sound like much, but you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by how much they fill you up!
2. Hardboiled egg
Hardboiled eggs are one of my go-to snacks! They can be made ahead of time and they’re easy to store and easy to eat. Plus, they’re packed with protein! Each egg contains about 75 calories.
3. Hummus and veggies or pita bread
Hummus is a dip prepared from chick peas and tahini or sesame paste. It’s delicious, packed with protein and fiber and seriously filling. Two tablespoons and a wedge of pita bread come in around 100 calories. For more fiber and a serving of veggies use carrot sticks or celery instead of pita bread.
4. Pudding
Craving chocolate? Grab a low fat pudding cup. I was just looking at these this morning. The sugar free pudding cups have 60 calories. I typically make sugar-free, fat-free pudding at home. I make them with Unsweetened Almond Milk and the calorie count is really low! Between the therapeutic effects of chocolate and the calcium and protein, this is a great snack!
5. Popcorn
Three cups of air popped popcorn without butter comes in at around 90 calories. While popcorn doesn’t have much nutritional value, it’s a great snack for when you have the munchies because you can eat quite a bit for a pretty small amount of calories. If you like sweet and salty, consider adding a few m&ms or some chocolate chips. It will increase the calorie count, but I think it’s delicious this way!
6. Tortilla chips
You can eat around 15 bite sized tortilla chips and have some calories to spare. Ten chips come in around 55 calories. I also like to whip up homemade salsa to go with my chips. It adds a whole lot of flavor for very little calories.
7. Blueberries
Blueberries pack quite a punch when it comes to antioxidants. And you can eat a whole cup of them and only consume 75 calories.
8. Banana
Not a blueberry fan? Eat a banana. A small to medium banana is around 100 calories.
9. Watermelon
I’m not a big watermelon fan, but I know that there are lots of you out there who love it. If you fall into the love it category, I have great news. You can eat half a medium watermelon and only consume 50 calories.
10. Kellogg’s Special K Chocolate Pretzel Bars
All I can say is YUM! If you’ve never had these, you are missing out. The only problem with these is that it’s hard to just eat one.
11. Small apple and Laughing Cow Cheese
This is another one of my go-to snacks. While it may seem like a weird snack, it’s quite delightful. Cut your apple into wedges and then spread a thin layer of Laughing Cow cheese on them. It’s like a party in your mouth! A small apple (2.5 inches diameter) typically has about 55 calories and a Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge has 35 calories!
Snack time is easy when you’re prepared. And while non-processed foods are always preferred, it’s OK to occasionally indulge in some of the low calorie processed options available.
They key to snacking right is planning ahead! With a little extra time and effort, you can make sure you won’t go hungry and you won’t gain weight!
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