The Best Low Calorie Snacks That Actually Keep You Full

Smart snacking is an important part of healthy eating. If you don’t take care of your cravings throughout the day, you’re more prone to overeating at your next meal. Unfortunately, a lot of the healthiest foods aren’t substantial enough to hold you over until dinner. So how can you pick the best low calorie snacks that will actually keep you full? We’ve got you covered.

WHAT MAKES YOU FULL?

To know how to pick the best snacks, you need to know what actually makes you full. The two macronutrients that contribute most to fullness are fiber and protein.

Fiber’s effects are pretty obvious: fiber takes longer for your digestive system to break down, which means your body will be humming along for a few hours before it decides you need more food.

Protein, on the other hand, is a little more complex. To put it simply, protein reduces the hormone that makes you feel hungry (ghrelin) and increases the hormone that makes you feel full (peptide YY).

THE BEST LOW CALORIE SNACKS

So with all that in mind, it’s clear that a low calorie snack should be high in fiber or high in protein. We’ve put together a list of some of your best options.

PROTEIN SHAKES

This one is a no-brainer. A protein shake with no fillers is a great, low calorie way to pack in this crucial macro. Some shakes even throw some dietary fiber in to keep you extra full.

OUR PICK:

VEGA PROTEIN NUTRITION SHAKE

PEARS

Pears are high in fiber, and while they do contain a good bit of fructose, it balances out. Just make sure you eat the skin.

AVOCADO

Avocados are actually one of the highest fiber fruits around. However, you need to use moderation, as their high fat content means a little bit goes a long way. Stick to half an avocado or less and spread it on toast.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS & FAVA BEANS

Chickpeas and Fava (broad) beans are high in both fiber and protein. If you roast them in a healthy oil and go easy on the salt, they’re a great snack that can keep you going all day.

OUR PICK:

BIENA ROASTED CHICKPEA SNACKS

OATMEAL

Oats are a great source of fiber, complex carbs, and protein. If you avoid the overly sweetened varieties, they are a perfect midday snack.

GREEK YOGURT

Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse that also delivers probiotics for a healthy gut. Regular yogurt often has a lot of sugar, but most Greek yogurt brands keep it clean.

OUR PICK:

POWERFUL FOODS POWERFUL YOGURT

BLACKBERRIES

High in fiber, lower in sugar than most other fruit, and delicious. Blackberries are a great low calorie snack that keeps you full and delivers crucial nutrients, including B vitamins.

POPCORN

If your idea of popcorn is the buttery movie theater variety, you may not think of it as a low calorie snack. However, a lightly salted bag of popcorn without the butter is incredibly low calorie and contains a good amount of dietary fibers.

OUR PICK:

LESSER EVIL POPCORN

COTTAGE CHEESE

Cottage cheese has been used as a diet food for years, and that’s because when compared to other varieties of cheese, it’s got the same amount of fat with at least double the protein.

ALMONDS

Almonds, like all nuts, are another “in moderation” food. They have a high fat content, which means high calories, but they also give you protein and fiber. So a handful of nuts may not seem like a lot of food, but the nutrients can keep you satisfied for hours.

OUR PICK:

BLUE DIAMOND 100-CALORIE PACKS

LOW CALORIE PROTEIN SNACK PACKS

Snacks packs are a great for two reasons: 1) they have built-in portion-control, and 2) they're excellent for on-the-go snacking. However, finding ones that are low calorie, high-protein, high-fiber, and low-sugar is tough! Because of this, we designed Youtopia Snacks. . . specifically designed around the macronutrient ratio that Dietitians recommend, Youtopia was intentionally created to be a low calorie snack that keeps you full until your next meal!

OUR PICK:

YOUTOPIA SNACKS

WE GET IT.

Snacking is hard. You don’t always have time to compare nutrition labels and portion out an appropriate serving. That’s why Youtopia Snacks exist. We do the legwork by balancing out the macros and calculating the perfect serving sizes. Long story short, our low calorie snacks can help you eat smarter.

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