40 Low Calorie Snacks (Under 50, 100 and 200 Calories)
40 low calorie snacks with calories and protein – high-protein snacks, snacks under 50, 100 and 200 calories, sweet ideas and tips for store-bought snacks.
Snacks can make or break a diet. A handful of nuts here, a cookie there, and you’ve eaten 500 calories without noticing. The right snacks do the opposite: they keep you full between meals for very few calories. Here are 40 low calorie snacks – grouped into high-protein snacks and snacks under 50, 100 and 200 calories – with calories and protein for every portion.
The short answer: the best low calorie snacks are high in protein, fiber or water: plain Greek yogurt or skyr, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, a tuna pouch, edamame, fresh fruit, raw vegetables with hummus and air-popped popcorn. Aim for snacks of about 100–200 calories, choose ones with protein when you can, and count them – snacks are the easiest calories to forget.
What makes a good low calorie snack?
| What to look for | Why it helps | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Fills you up more than carbs or fat | Greek yogurt, skyr, eggs, tuna, cottage cheese |
| Fiber | Slows digestion, keeps you full | Fruit, vegetables, popcorn, edamame, chickpeas |
| Lots of water | Big portion, few calories | Cucumber, watermelon, berries, tomatoes |
| Few added calories | No oil, sugar or cream | Plain instead of flavored, raw instead of fried |
Protein makes the biggest difference. In one study, women who ate a high-protein yogurt as an afternoon snack felt less hungry and ate about 100 fewer calories at dinner than when they ate chocolate with the same calories (Ortinau et al., Nutrition Journal, 2014).
Calories and protein are based on USDA FoodData Central values and rounded. Brands differ – check the label of what you buy.
High protein low calorie snacks
These give you 6–20 g of protein for 80–145 calories – the most filling snacks per calorie.
| Snack | Portion | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain nonfat Greek yogurt | 170 g (6 oz) | 100 | 18 g |
| Plain skyr | 150 g | 95 | 16 g |
| Cottage cheese (2%) | ½ cup (113 g) | 100 | 13 g |
| Tuna pouch (in water) | 1 pouch (74 g) | 85 | 19 g |
| Hard-boiled eggs | 2 large | 145 | 13 g |
| Edamame, shelled | ½ cup (78 g) | 95 | 9 g |
| Shrimp with cocktail sauce | 100 g + 2 tbsp | 115 | 20 g |
| String cheese | 1 stick (28 g) | 80 | 7 g |
| Beef jerky | 1 oz (28 g) | 115 | 9 g |
| Roasted chickpeas | ¼ cup (30 g) | 110 | 6 g |
More ideas in our list of high-protein snacks.
Snacks under 50 calories
Perfect when you’re a little hungry or want something to crunch on. Most are vegetables and fruit with lots of water.
| Snack | Portion | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber slices | 1 cup | 18 | 1 g |
| Celery sticks | 2 large stalks | 13 | 1 g |
| Cherry tomatoes | 1 cup (150 g) | 25 | 1 g |
| Bell pepper strips | 1 pepper | 30 | 1 g |
| Strawberries | 1 cup (150 g) | 50 | 1 g |
| Watermelon | 1 cup (150 g) | 45 | 1 g |
| Air-popped popcorn | 1 cup (8 g) | 30 | 1 g |
| Baby carrots | 1 cup (100 g) | 40 | 1 g |
| Dill pickle | 1 large (100 g) | 12 | 0 g |
| Roasted seaweed snack | 1 small pack (5 g) | 25 | 0 g |
Snacks under 100 calories
| Snack | Portion | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 1 medium | 95 | 1 g |
| Orange | 1 medium | 70 | 1 g |
| Air-popped popcorn | 3 cups (24 g) | 95 | 3 g |
| Rice cake with hummus | 1 cake + 1 tbsp | 60 | 2 g |
| Cucumber with hummus | 1 cup + 2 tbsp | 70 | 3 g |
| Hard-boiled egg | 1 large | 70 | 6 g |
| Almonds | 10 almonds (12 g) | 70 | 3 g |
| Dark chocolate (70%+) | 2 small squares (10 g) | 60 | 1 g |
| Kiwis | 2 small | 85 | 2 g |
| Greek yogurt bar (frozen) | 1 bar | 85 | 5 g |
Healthy snacks for weight loss (100–200 calories)
These are more filling, small meals – good when lunch and dinner are far apart.
| Snack | Portion | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple with peanut butter | 1 apple + 1 tbsp | 190 | 5 g |
| Greek yogurt with berries and honey | 170 g + ½ cup + 1 tsp | 160 | 18 g |
| Cottage cheese with pineapple | ½ cup + ½ cup | 140 | 13 g |
| Veggies with hummus | 1½ cups + 3 tbsp | 135 | 5 g |
| Almonds | 1 oz (28 g, about 23) | 160 | 6 g |
| Rye crispbread with cottage cheese | 2 slices + ½ cup | 180 | 15 g |
| Banana with Greek yogurt | 1 small + 100 g | 150 | 11 g |
| Edamame | 1 cup shelled (155 g) | 190 | 19 g |
| Tuna on rice cakes | 1 pouch + 2 cakes | 155 | 21 g |
| Trail mix | 3 tbsp (30 g) | 145 | 4 g |
Sweet low calorie snacks
- Frozen grapes or berries – like a mini sorbet, about 60–100 calories per cup.
- Baked apple with cinnamon – about 100 calories, add 2 tbsp Greek yogurt.
- Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and a few berries – tastes like chocolate pudding for about 130 calories.
- 2 squares of dark chocolate (70%+) – about 60 calories.
- Frozen banana slices dipped in a little dark chocolate – about 120 calories for half a banana.
For bigger treats, see how to pick the healthiest ice cream.
Store-bought low calorie snacks: check the label
“Light”, “100-calorie pack”, “protein” and “low sugar” on the front don’t mean healthy. Many of these snacks are ultra-processed and replace sugar and fat with:
- Sugar alcohols like maltitol or erythritol, which can cause bloating
- Sweeteners like sucralose
- Added fibers like inulin or polydextrose
- Starches and flavorings like maltodextrin and natural flavors
Better store-bought options: plain Greek yogurt, single-serve cottage cheese, tuna pouches, plain popcorn, roasted seaweed, frozen edamame and plain rice cakes. See our guides to the healthiest protein bars, healthiest chips and crackers, rice cakes and the healthiest yogurt.
How to snack and still lose weight
- Snack when you’re hungry, not bored. Ask yourself: would I eat an apple right now? If not, it’s probably not hunger.
- Plan snacks into your day – about 100–200 calories, once or twice a day. Use our calorie calculator to find your daily target.
- Put a portion on a plate. Eating from the bag is the fastest way to double the calories.
- Pair protein with fiber: yogurt + berries, apple + peanut butter, veggies + hummus.
- Keep easy snacks visible – fruit on the counter, cut vegetables at eye level in the fridge.
- Watch drinks: juice, smoothies and fancy coffee can have 200–400 calories.
- Count your snacks. People who keep track of what they eat lose more weight (Burke et al., Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2011). Read more about how a calorie deficit works, and see our list of low-calorie foods.
Count your snacks in seconds. With NutriSmart, you snap a photo of your snack – or scan the barcode if it’s packaged – and the app counts the calories and protein and shows how much you have left for the day. For store-bought snacks, it also flags sweeteners and other additives and gives the product a health score out of 100.Get the app free
The bottom line
The best low calorie snacks are high in protein, fiber or water: Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese, eggs, tuna, edamame, fruit, raw vegetables with hummus and popcorn. Keep snacks to about 100–200 calories, put the portion on a plate and count them in your day. Be careful with “light” packaged snacks – many are ultra-processed – and check the label before you buy.
FAQ
What are the best low calorie snacks?
Snacks that are high in protein, fiber or water and low in calories: plain Greek yogurt or skyr, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, a tuna pouch, edamame, fresh fruit, raw vegetables with hummus and air-popped popcorn. They fill you up for under 100–200 calories.
What snacks are under 100 calories?
An apple, an orange, 3 cups of air-popped popcorn, 2 kiwis, a hard-boiled egg, 10 almonds, 2 small squares of dark chocolate, plain Greek yogurt (170 g), skyr (150 g), half a cup of cottage cheese or a tuna pouch.
What are high protein low calorie snacks?
Plain Greek yogurt (18 g protein for 100 calories), skyr, cottage cheese, a tuna pouch (19 g for 85 calories), shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, edamame and string cheese.
What are healthy snacks for weight loss?
Choose snacks with protein or fiber that keep you full, like Greek yogurt with berries, cottage cheese with pineapple, an apple with peanut butter, veggies with hummus or edamame. Keep them to about 100–200 calories and count them in your daily total.
What can I snack on at night without gaining weight?
If you're really hungry, pick something small and filling: Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese, a piece of fruit, cucumber or carrot sticks, or 3 cups of popcorn. It's the total calories of the day that matter, not the time.
Are store-bought low calorie snacks healthy?
Some are, many aren't. "100-calorie packs", light chips and diet bars are often ultra-processed and full of sweeteners, sugar alcohols, starches and flavors. Check the ingredient list – the shorter, the better.
