Planned snacks are a great way to keep your energy levels up, stopping that mid-morning or mid afternoon slump. We recommend that in between Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and then before you go to bed, you plan a snack to give you something to look forward to, keep hunger pangs at bay and keep your metabolism firing efficiently.
To ensure you ‘budget’ for your snacks properly we advise that you try and keep them to around or just below 100 calories each, as this makes it easier to track.
Pieces of fruit are easy to grab, but we don’t always want something sweet, or we might just want something different.
We asked our members for their favourite ‘100 calorie and under’ snacks, and they didn’t let us down, so here are some ideas to get your taste buds tingling…
Savoury
1 melba toast (approx 40 cals) with thinly spread reduced fat houmous (50 cals) and cucumber slices
Hard Boiled egg (80 calories each)
Beef Jerky 25g snack bag (75 calories a bag)
Beef tomato slices (20 calories), with up to half a ball of reduced fat mozzarella (100 calories), fresh basil leaves or any salad leaves you prefer.
1/2 an avocado sliced into strips (80 calories) and dipped into up to a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (15 calories)
Chickpea puffs (95 calories a bag)
Mini flavoured rice cakes (90 calories a bag)
Lentil Koftas (approx 65 calories each)
Crab sticks (18 calories each)
75g prawns (60 calories) and a tablespoon of seafood sauce (40 calories)
10 cashews (100 calories)
6 olives (100 calories)
Snack packs of popcorn (45-100 calories depending on brand and flavours)
Oxo cube in hot water (15 calories)
Cup of Bovril (25 calories)
Ryvita (40 calories), reduced fat soft cheese (48 calories) and 2 sliced grapes (5 calories)
Sweet
Fruit – 40-120 calories depending on size and type of fruit
Slice of malt loaf – about 1cm thick slice (65 calories per slice)
Small pots of high protein yogurts (approx 85 – 115 calories per pot)
Rice cake/cereal bars (approx 95 calories per bar) – so many flavours to choose from – chocolate orange, salted caramel, fruity
Celery stick with up to a tablespoon of peanut butter (95 calories)
Dried Fruit/Nut/Seed shot packs (approx 100-150 calories per pack depending on variety)
White and milk chocolate mousses, frozen (calories vary widely between brands but worth a look!)
No added sugar jelly pots (6 calories per pot)
Chocolate biscuits – If you choose wisely, you can get a chocolate biscuit for just over 100 calories, you might be surprised at what you can eat!
Meringue Nest (51 calories) tablespoon 0%fat natural yogurt (30 calories) 80g chopped strawberries (20 calories)
Fibre one cake bars (90 calories per bar)
Marshmallow and wafer bars (50 calories per bar)
Ice lollies – check the packaging but most are under or around 100 calories per lolly.
Health Warning: Always check the labels on the foods you are buying, as calories will vary from brand to brand.
Tell us your favourite under 100 calorie snacks in the comments below!