15 Healthy Snacks That Can Help You Lose Weight

Published July 17, 2020 · Lola Covington

A snack helps with weight loss when it fills you up on few calories, and the ones that do that best are high in protein or fiber, low in what nutritionists call energy density, and eaten in a set portion instead of straight from the bag. Get those things right and a snack keeps you full until dinner instead of leaving you hunting for more an hour later.

None of these snacks are magic. You still lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn over the week. What good snacks do is make that deficit livable: they blunt hunger, steady your energy, and stop the mid-afternoon slump from turning into a handful of whatever is closest. Below are 15 that earn their place, each with a realistic portion and the reason it works. Calorie and nutrient figures are rounded from the USDA FoodData Central database, so treat them as close estimates rather than exact numbers, since brands and portions vary.

What to look for in a weight-loss snack

Before the list, it helps to know what separates a snack that works from one that just feels healthy. Four things do most of the work:

• Protein. It is the most filling of the three macronutrients and the slowest to digest, so a few grams go a long way toward quieting hunger.
• Fiber. It adds bulk without many calories and slows digestion, which flattens the blood-sugar spikes that trigger cravings an hour later.
• Low energy density. Foods with a lot of water or air (vegetables, fruit, popcorn) let you eat a big, satisfying volume for very few calories.
• A defined portion. Even a healthy snack works against you if you eat it endlessly. The snacks that win come pre-portioned or are easy to measure out once.

Almost every snack below leans on at least two of these. Keep them in mind and you can judge any snack that is not on the list.

1. Plain Greek yogurt

About 110 calories and 17 grams of protein in a three-quarter-cup serving of nonfat plain. That protein-to-calorie ratio is hard to beat, and protein is the most filling macronutrient there is. Buy it plain and stir in your own berries, because the flavored tubs can hide two or three teaspoons of added sugar. A spoonful of chia or a few chopped nuts turns it into a snack that holds you for hours.

2. Almonds

A one-ounce handful, roughly 23 nuts, runs about 165 calories with 6 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber. The mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fat digests slowly, so a small portion carries you a long way between meals. Count them out once rather than eating from the container, since nut calories climb fast. Buy them unsalted or lightly salted and skip the flavored, candied versions.

3. Mixed berries

A full cup of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries is about 85 calories and brings 4 grams of fiber. Berries are mostly water, so you get a big, satisfying bowl for very little, the whole idea behind low energy density. The natural sweetness also does a decent job of standing in for dessert when a sugar craving hits. Frozen berries work just as well and cost less out of season.

4. Hummus with raw vegetables

Three tablespoons of hummus with sliced carrots, celery, and bell pepper lands around 120 to 140 calories with 3 to 4 grams of fiber. The chickpea base adds a little plant protein, and all that raw crunch takes time to eat, which gives your body a chance to register fullness before you overdo it. Prep the veggie sticks ahead so the easy option is also the healthy one.

5. A hard-boiled egg

One large egg is about 78 calories and 6 grams of high-quality protein, plus choline. Eggs rank near the top of satiety studies for a reason, holding hunger off for hours on very few calories. Boil a batch on Sunday and you have a grab-and-go snack all week. A second egg still keeps you under 160 calories if one is not enough.

6. Low-fat cottage cheese

Half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese gives you roughly 90 calories and 12 grams of protein. Much of that is casein, a slow-digesting protein that keeps you full longer than fast-acting proteins do, which is why it is a favorite evening snack. A crack of black pepper or a few cherry tomatoes turns it savory; a handful of berries makes it sweet.

7. Pumpkin seeds

A one-ounce serving of shelled pumpkin seeds carries about 150 calories, 8 grams of protein, and a solid dose of magnesium. They are calorie-dense, so keep it to a small handful, but the protein and mineral content make that handful worth it when you want something crunchy and savory. They travel well, which makes them a useful desk-drawer snack.

8. Apple slices with peanut butter

A medium apple with a level tablespoon of natural peanut butter is around 185 calories, with 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. The apple’s fiber and water fill you up while the peanut butter’s protein and fat slow how fast the sugar hits, so you avoid the spike-and-crash of fruit on its own. Choose a peanut butter whose only ingredients are peanuts and maybe salt.

9. String cheese

One part-skim string cheese stick is about 80 calories with 6 to 7 grams of protein and a hit of calcium. It is portion control built into the packaging: one stick is one snack, no measuring and no bag to overshoot. Keep a few in the fridge at work, where the vending machine is usually the only other option.

10. Chia seed pudding

Two tablespoons of chia seeds stirred into half a cup of unsweetened almond milk sets into a pudding with roughly 115 calories, about 10 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. Chia absorbs many times its weight in liquid and expands in your stomach, so a small bowl fills you up like a much bigger one. Make it the night before and top it with berries in the morning.

11. Edamame

Half a cup of shelled, boiled edamame is about 95 calories with 11 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, making it one of the few plant snacks that delivers a complete protein. A sprinkle of salt and it satisfies the same urge as chips for a fraction of the calories. Buy it frozen and it steams in a few minutes straight from the freezer.

12. Air-popped popcorn

Three cups of air-popped popcorn is only about 90 calories and brings 3.5 grams of fiber as a whole grain. You get a big, crunchy volume that takes real time to eat, so your brain reads it as a proper snack. Skip the butter and reach for a little salt, cinnamon, or nutritional yeast instead. Bagged microwave popcorn is a different story, so pop your own when you can.

13. Walnuts

A one-ounce serving, about 14 halves, is roughly 185 calories with 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber, plus plant-based omega-3 fats. Like almonds, they are calorie-dense, so portion them out, but that same richness is what makes a small handful feel indulgent and hold you over between meals. They are an easy addition to yogurt or oatmeal when you want more staying power.

14. Roasted chickpeas

Half a cup of roasted chickpeas gives you about 120 to 140 calories with 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. They scratch the crunchy-snack itch far better than crackers, and the fiber-plus-protein combination slows digestion so you stay full. Season a drained can and roast a batch for the week; they keep for several days in a jar.

15. Seaweed snacks

A single roasted seaweed pack is around 30 calories or fewer, with almost nothing to count and a savory, salty, umami taste. When you want something to crunch on at essentially no calorie cost, this is the one. Look for lower-sodium packs if you are watching salt, and treat them as a bridge to your next meal rather than a source of protein.

How to snack without undoing your progress

The snack list matters less than how you eat from it. A few habits make most of the difference:

• Portion it out first. Almonds in a small bowl beat almonds from the bag every time. Pre-portioning is the single biggest lever for keeping snack calories in check.
• Snack on purpose, not on autopilot. The mid-afternoon dip, around 3 to 4 p.m., is a natural time for a real snack. Eating in front of a screen while distracted is where extra calories sneak in.
• Prep ahead. Boil the eggs, portion the nuts, make the chia pudding on Sunday. A ready snack is what stops you from grabbing the vending-machine option on a busy afternoon.
• Pair protein with produce. An apple alone fades fast; an apple with peanut butter or cheese lasts. Combining a protein or fat with fruit or vegetables keeps you full longer than either on its own.
• Go easy on these. Chips, crackers, candy, sweetened dried fruit, and most “granola” bars tend to be low in fiber and high in refined carbs, so they leave you hungry again fast. They are not forbidden, just not the ones that help.

Pair snacks with the rest of your day and they work even harder. If you are building meals to match, our healthy lunch recipes for weight loss and oats recipes for weight loss slot in nicely, and if you want to branch out, here are a few unexpectedly healthy snacks worth trying.

Frequently asked questions

Can you actually lose weight by eating snacks?

Yes, as long as your total calories for the day still add up to a deficit. Snacks do not cause weight loss on their own; a well-chosen, high-protein or high-fiber snack helps by keeping you full so you eat less overall and skip the bigger, hungrier splurges later. The problem is unplanned snacking, not snacking itself.

Are nuts good for weight loss even though they are high in calories?

They can be, in a controlled portion of about one ounce a day. The protein, fiber, and fat make nuts very filling, and people who snack on portioned nuts tend not to overeat them. The trick is counting them out rather than grazing from the container, where it is easy to eat three times the serving without noticing.

How much protein should a weight-loss snack have?

Aim for at least 5 to 6 grams. What matters most is the protein-to-calorie ratio: a 100-calorie serving of Greek yogurt with 17 grams of protein does far more for fullness than a 120-calorie bar with 3 grams. When a snack is short on protein, pairing it with one that has plenty evens things out.

When is the best time to snack when trying to lose weight?

The mid-afternoon energy dip, roughly 3 to 4 p.m., is the most useful window, because a real snack there prevents overeating at dinner. A protein snack after a workout also helps recovery. Late-night grazing in front of the TV is the habit most worth breaking, since those calories are rarely driven by real hunger.

Which snacks should I avoid when trying to lose weight?

Go light on refined carbs with little fiber, such as chips, crackers, and candy, along with sweetened dried fruit and liquid calories like juice. They spike blood sugar and leave you hungry again quickly, which works against the whole point of snacking. You do not have to ban them, just keep them occasional rather than daily.

The bottom line

The best weight-loss snacks all share the same DNA: protein or fiber, a sensible portion, and few enough calories to fit your day. Keep a couple of these stocked and ready, eat them on purpose instead of on autopilot, and snacking stops being the thing that derails your progress and starts being the thing that protects it. Pick two or three that fit your taste and schedule this week, and let the rest wait until those feel like habit.

lola

Editor

Lola Covington runs this kitchen and writes most of the weeknight dinners and baking guides here.

View all posts by lola →

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