Healthy Snacks – A Complete Guide

A selection of healthy snacks pictured in the same-sized plate.

Raw Almonds

20 almonds
Calories: 139

Raw Mixed Nuts

30g or ~1oz
Calories: 178

Dried Fruit

40g or 1.4oz
Calories: 97
Note: Dried fruits are more calorie dense (per weight) than fresh fruit – and are easier to overeat.

Mandarin


180g, 1 medium & 1 small.
Calories: 95
Note: Great packaging. Small portions. Seasonal

Banana


1 medium banana – 118g
Calories: 105

Note: Nicely prepackaged.

Grapes


215g or 7.6oz
Calories: 148

Note: Seasonal

Tuna

85g or 3oz
Calories: 99
Note: Be wary of tuna in oil – many oils are vegetable oils (high in omega-6 rather than omega-3 EFA’s).

Dried Peas


25g or .9oz
Calories: 72

Note: Find in bulk bins – often with different seasonings.

Popcorn


2 cups
Calories: 62 (air-popped) or 110 (oil-popped), no added condiments.
Note: Avoid pre-packaged popcorn (often contains trans fat).

Baby Carrots


170g or 6oz
Calories: 60
Note: Convenient – available pre-washed and pre-bagged.

Celery & Hummus

40g or 1.4oz hummus
Calories: 108
Note: Buy celery pre-cut and pre-washed. Goes well with many other dips.

Cherry Tomatoes

150g or 1 Cup
Calories: 27

Note: Seasonal.

Whole-grain Crispbread with Cottage Cheese

1 cracker or crispbread plus ~45g (1.5oz) cottage cheese (light)
Calories: 70

Note: Choose completely whole grain crackers with minimal oil.

Bean Salad

80g or 2.8oz
Calories: 90

Fruit

Great for snacks, but many have a very short season (berries, peaches, nectarines) and others a bit messy for snacking at work (grapefruit, oranges, melon).

See some good fruit choices.

It’s Not Just About Calories

Some snacks may be low in calories, but lack in other essential nutrients.

What’s more – some snacks do nothing to satisfy the appetite. What’s the point in saving 20 calories just to be very hungry 15 minutes later? No vending machine will be safe from you…

See also a selection of 200 calorie snacks

Not Everyone Needs to Snack

3 square meals daily is fine for some, but for others snacking is where it’s at – without a little pre-planning, most snacks will not be the best choices.

Snacking on the right choices is a great way to maintain even energy levels, manage hunger and prevent binge eating

Building Positive Habits

Snacking is habit forming. Switch out bad food choices for good ones, and the trek to the vending machine will soon be history.

NOTE: All items were carefully weighed and measured. Calorie amounts came from the USDA nutrient database or from labels. Photography from Healthy Eater – used with permission..