Something a little different this time. Since we are all super awesome, leading super busy lives, it is sometimes difficult to make every single meal or snack from scratch. While I do love baking, sometimes I simply do not have the time or the energy for it or perhaps, I only need that one-off snack that doesn’t quite justify a whole tray-bake. And sometimes, it’s nice to just munch on something less cake-y, like crisps or popcorn.
In the past couple of years, I must have developed eagle-eye sense for low calorie snacks that I can consume lots of. I have trialled many, loved some and hated others. I have a few all time favourites and a few that I thought were good but discovered actually weren’t as good as I thought.
I must admit I find most of them when I shop after my workouts. I think we can agree that shopping after a workout is actually a bad bad baaaad idea especially if you haven’t eaten, it creates a gravitational force towards the snack isle. Thankfully, my willpower tends to be strong enough to put most of the stuff in my basket back on the shelf eventually. The ones that make it through though, that’s the real shit so here are the current reigning snacks (Note most of these are still processed and not ideal on a daily basis).
If you’re after a quick cheat sheet for these or looking for more similar content, check out my Instagram and follow for updates!
Savoury
Popchips
97 calories / 23g pack
+ Low calorie, tasty, comparable to other crisps, small packs
– Low protein, relatively high fat
I have to date only tried the barbeque version. That’s probably down to them being so good I haven’t really been tempted by another flavour yet. They come in small packs of 23g with 97 calories per pack. There are quite a few in there so you will be good munching for a while unless you plan on stuffing handfuls of them in your mouth. These are baked not fried so they will have less fat than your average crisps and about 60% the calories.
Corners Popchips
101 kcal / 25g
+ Low fat, high protein, low calorie, great taste
– Could only find big bags to date, pricey
These in texture seem a bit like tortilla chips to me and I have had them as such, as a side to burritos or fajitas. You can get quite a sizable portion for 100 calories worth so they are a great mid-day snack to keep you going up until dinner.
Sweet or Savoury – Versatile
Nude Popcorn
30-50kcal / pack
+ Sweet or savoury, small packs, low fat, no odd ingredients
– Low protein, REALLY small portions, can be replicated at home cheaper
These aren’t actually as good as they look – The calories on the pack are really low but you will notice that so is the portion – they come in 12g and 17g packs. HOWEVER the pack size is also what helps you limit your intake so you do only have the minimal amount when that craving hits. You can stretch that bag quite far as well if you don’t eat mouthfuls of it at a time. They are pretty good in terms of ingredients too. A lot of the low calorie popcorn brands use sweeteners which add an odd aftertaste sometimes. If you have time though, you will achieve the same calorie/gram by popping your own corn.
Corn Cakes
25 kcal/corn cake
+ Very versatile, a lot better than rice cakes, cheap, easy to portion
– Easy to get carried away with peanut butter, go stale and meh if not sealed properly
These have been a regular re-stock item in my cupboards. Do not be fooled, while they may look like rice cakes, they are NOTHING like rice cakes. They are crispy and lightly salted and I’ve quite happily snacked on them plain or covered in spreads. I’ve had them with breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, I have them for breakfast every week alongside scrambled eggs or similar. They have replaced toast for me on many occasions as a lower calorie alternative (I mean, you can have 5 of these for each large slice of bread…). My favourite variations are peanut butter or cheese spread but they would probably work spread with chocolate, jam, yogurt or similar as well. One thing to look out for though is measuring your spreads because they can quite easily take these from a light snack to a not so light meal (Not looking at you, peanut butter…)
Caramel (and other flavours) corn & rice snacks
93 kcal / bag
+ Variety of flavours, low fat, no artificial perservatives
– Relatively high sugar, low protein
Personally I would enjoy popcorn over these however they are a nice variation, particularly if you like caramel flavours. They also come in a variety of savoury flavours however I was not so keen on them. Similar brands are sold quite cheaply especially in places like Lidl or Aldi.
The obvious culprits
+Low carb, tasty, natural, healthy fats, high protein
– Easy to overeat, high fat
Nuts are an easy snack to keep around and contain a lot of healthy fats to keep you full and support your body. They are also high in protein and low in carbs so they are my go to on low carb rest days. Unfortunately they are really easy to eay by the bag (coming from someone that used to regularly empty a 500g pistachio bag….) so keep your portion size in check.
+Easy source of energy, cheap, lots of choice, rich in fibre and vitamins, low fat
– Deceptively high sugar content
Fruits are an excellent choice. They support your immune system and give you a good source of energy to keep going alongside a number of vitamins. Medium sized fruits (apples, pears, bananas etc) are roughly 100 calories each as are berries measured up to 1 cup. However, eating a few more of these won’t exactly break your diet or the bank.
Not in a crunchy mood? Well that’s lucky because these are even better
Skyr Yogurt
114 kcal / Third of the pot (150g)
+ Low calorie, low fat, low sugar, high protein (14g protein / serving)
– Can be a bit sharp
I’ve been using these for breakfast, lunch and cheesecakes – Yes that’s right, they make an amazing low fat cheesecake that tastes very similar to the real thing – I will post the recipe shortly so you can enjoy it as much as I do. One of the reasons they work so well is that they are a lot thicker than most yogurts (don’t expect a creamy greek yogurt). They come in a variety of flavours. Personally I like vanilla and strawberry best. The plain one is quite sharp on it’s own however it goes really well mixed with syrups for things like pancakes. I have also used it in curries to thicken them and add a bit of tang.
Kvarg Yogurt
90 calories / pot (150g)
+ Creamy, great flavour, very high protein (17g / serving), low fat, low sugar
– Sweeteners, pricey, less common to find
These are like the creamier, sweeter version of Skyr. They have the consistency of a mousse with 4 flavours (that I have found so far), all of which are really good.
0% fat Activia Yogurt
65 calories/pot
+ Great flavours, probiotics, low calorie, low fat
– Can be high in sugar, less protein in comparison to greek yogurt/skyr/kvarg
I only discovered these a few weeks ago. They are runnier than Skyr and Kvarg which makes them excellent to add to overnight oats or shakes. As probiotics, they also help your gut bacteria which works wonders for some people.
Last but not least
Alpen Light Bars
70 calories / bar
+ Cheap, lots of flavours, low calories, low fat
– Actually pretty small, high sugar, low protein
You will find a lot of takes on low calorie bars. Be mindful of the sugar content in them.
If you really need something in bar form and protein bars are out of the question, these are an easy on the go snack that won’t break the diet. However, long term I’d really recommend making your own bakes in place of these.
The Bottom Line
If you are having a bad, busy, slack or off day, there are OPTIONS! As long as you are mindful about your portions and eating well in general, most options are okay in moderation. Find a healthy balance and eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored.
Check out some of the recipes on the blog for more options – I will be posting more shortly. Meanwhile, if you have some of your own suggestions, bought or homemade, I’d love to try them out!
Grit Girl Guru 