18 Healthy Snacks That Can help You Lose Weight

​Sometimes you simply get too busy to prepare and eat a healthy meal. Having some healthy snacks on hand can be useful when this happens.

Here are 17 healthy and weight loss friendly snacks to add to your diet.

1. Green Superfood Smoothie
Smoothies are an excellent way of adding in nutrient dense food to your daily regime. Add a banana a handful of greens and a teaspoon of your favourite green superfood, such as moringa and spirulina or wheatgrass powder !

2. Mixed Nuts
Nuts are an ideal nutritious snack. They have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and may help prevent cancers and other diseases. They contain about 180 calories in a 28gram serving, on average.

3. Red Bell Pepper with Guacamole
Red peppers are extremely healthy ! Pair it up with 85grams of guacamole which adds healthy fats and fiber while keeping this snack’s calorie count under 200.

4. Greek Yogurt and Mixed Berries
Plain Greek yogurt or goat’s / sheep’s yogurt and berries make a delicious, nutrient dense snack. Combine 100grams of yogurt with a half cup of berries – provides about 10grams of protein and is less than 150 calories. 

5. Apple Slices with Peanut Butter
Apple and peanut butter are a great duo. A medium apple with 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter provides a nice balance of sweet flavor with crisp and creamy textures at under 200 calories.

6. Cottage Cheese with Flaxseeds and Cinnamon
Cottage cheese, ground flaxseeds and cinnamon each have impressive health benefits on their own. Together, they’re a super-healthy snack.
Here’s an easy recipe that combines all three ingredients to provide about 15 grams of protein with less than 150 calories:

Cinnamon Flaxseed Pudding
Ingredients:
1/2      cup cottage cheese
1          tablespoon flaxseeds
1/2      teaspoon cinnamon
Stevia or other sweetener, if desired.

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

7. Celery Sticks with Humus
Celery sticks with humus are a classic low-carb snack.
Five small celery sticks with 60grams of humus contain less than 200 calories.

8. Kale Chips
Kale is unbelievably healthy. It’s loaded with fiber and antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol. A 1-cup serving of raw kale provides more than 100% of the RDI for vitamins A, C and K. This easy recipe for kale chips provides about 150 calories:

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1      cup bite-sized kale leaves
1      tablespoon olive oil
1/2   teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Place kale pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350° F (175° C) for 10–15 minutes.

9. Dark Chocolate and Almonds
Dark chocolate and almonds make for a rich and satisfying snack especially when you’ve got a chocolate craving to satisfy. Both dark chocolate and almonds are high in magnesium. 30 grams of each provides about 300 calories in total, depending on cocoa content.

10. Cucumber Slices with Tahini or Hummus
Cucumber and tahini or hummus are nutritious and go well together.
One cup of sliced cucumbers dipped in 100 grams of  tahini or hummus has about 180 calories.

11. A Piece of Fruit
Healthy snacks don’t need to be complicated. Just a single piece of fruit can be incredibly satisfying. Easy to carry fruits are bananas, oranges, mandarins, apples, pears and grapefruits.

12. Cherry Tomatoes with Mozzarella
Dedicated to cheese lovers tomatoes and mozzarella cheese are a flavor match made in heaven, and they’re healthy too. One cup of cherry tomatoes paired with 60 grams of mozzarella cheese has less than 200 calories.

13. Chia Seed Pudding
Chia seeds are loaded with fiber and omega-3’s. Chia seed pudding is one great example, and makes a satisfying snack at less than 200 calories:

Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients:
1      tablespoon chia seeds
1/3  cup water
1      tablespoon cocoa powder
1      tablespoon peanut butter
Stevia or other sweetener, if desired. Combine chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir in cocoa powder, peanut butter and sweetener.

14. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are one of the healthiest and most weight-loss friendly foods you can eat. Two large, hard-boiled eggs contain about 140 calories and 13 grams of protein.

15. Canned Salmon or Sardines
Canned fish is a fantastic healthy snack that requires no refrigeration. Fish is a great source of weight loss friendly protein, potassium, vitamin B12 and magnesium. A 100 grams serving of salmon or sardines contains 17–23 grams of protein and 130–180 calories.

16. Edamame
Edamame is a dish of steamed unripened soybeans. One cup of edamame has around 17 grams of protein and 180 calories.

17. Olives
Olives are one of the nutritious staples of the Mediterranean diet. Depending on their size, 25 green or black olives contain about 100–175 calories.

18. Spicy Avocado
Avocados are among the most nutritious and satisfying foods on the planet. Sprinkle half a medium avocado with salt and a dash of cayenne pepper for a savory, filling snack with around 130 calories.

Sometimes you just really need a quick, easy and nutritious snack. Having some healthy and nutritious options close by can help you avoid unhealthy and fattening alternatives.