If you want to lose weight, choosing the right snacks for weight loss is essential. As you can imagine, not all snacks are made equal when it comes to losing weight. Some are quite high in calories and carbohydrates, which is the last thing you need when trying to lose those last few stubborn pounds.
Luckily, though, there are quite a few snacks that are perfect for losing weight. You can find a “skinny” version of just about any snack.
Below, you’ll find our rankings for the best weight loss snacks on the market.
Research
Rankings
1. Youtopia Snacks
Each pack of these snacks includes only 130 calories. However, they’re very high in protein, so they keep you fuller than most other snacks on the market.
Various flavors are available as well, including some with dried fruits. For these reasons, they are BodyNutrition’s #1 snack for weight loss.
2. The Original Keto Snack Bar
This keto-friendly snack bar is the perfect fit if you’re on the keto diet for weight loss. Its peanut and coconut-based formulation keeps the carb content low and the fiber and fat content high.
While it’s not compatible with all diets, it’s a fantastic option both for keto dieters and more general low-carb diets.
3. NuGo Slim Bars
NuGo Slim break the mold when it comes to protein bars: while most competitors lean heavily on sugar for flavoring, NuGo Slim keeps the carbs to an absolute minimum, delivering a high-protein, low-calorie snack that’s great for use as a meal replacement thanks both to its protein and its fiber content.
4. HighKey Mini Cookies
These cookies are keto and low-carb friendly. They contain only 2g of net carbs and are grain-free. They also contain no added preservatives, gluten, or fillers.
Despite this, they are quite tasty. Plus, these cookies are also made in the USA.
5. IQBar Brain and Body
IQBar is another energy bar that was originally designed for keto dieters but whose well-crafted ingredients list makes it a great all-around weight loss snack.
It relies on almonds, pea protein, and tapioca fiber to deliver a high-protein, high-fiber, low-carb snack that tastes great as well.
6. WonderSlim High Protein Cheddar Crunchers Chips
If you love chips, these protein chips are a great alternative. They’re cheddar-flavored, and each portion only contains 130 calories per serving.
Each serving also contains 10g of protein as well, so they help you stay fuller for longer.
7. WW Butter Popcorn
This non-GMO corn comes in a few different flavors and is perfect for smashing those cravings. Each bag is pre-portioned, reducing the odds that you’ll overeat.
Plus, this popcorn is also gluten-free, kosher, and contains no artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
8. Stretch Island Original Fruit Leather
Each pack contains ¼ cup of real fruit. They are made with no added sugar and are all-natural. No preservatives, flavors, or colors here.
These are one of the more convenient snacks because they come in tiny packages. They are straightforward to take with you.
9. Atkins Protein Meal Bar
Though they are designed to replace a meal, these bars can be used as a more substantial snack too. There are quite a few different flavors available, so there is something for just about everyone.
Each bar is quite low in net carbs but very high in protein. These are perfect for someone who has difficulty reaching their daily protein goal.
10. Fiber One Chocolate Caramel and Pretzel Bars
These bars contain only 5g of net carbs and 1 gram of sugar. They are only 70 calories each, making them an excellent choice for someone who is particularly concerned about calories.
They are also very high in fiber to help you stay full. Each box contains five individually-wrapped bars.
Category winners
Best overall snack for weight loss: Youtopia Snacks
Youtopia Snacks takes our top spot overall thanks to their 130 calorie portions that keep the carb content low and the protein content high. These qualities make it a great choice for a wide variety of dieting strategies.
Best low-carb snack for weight loss: The Original Keto Snack Bar
The Original Keto Snack Bar is designed for the keto diet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful for general-purpose low carb dieting too. With erythritol and stevia for sweetness instead of sugar, plus plenty of fiber, the net carb content is rock-bottom.
Best high-fiber snack for weight loss: IQBar Brain and Body
IQBar Brain and Body has some of the highest fiber content and the lowest carb content of any weight loss snack out there. If you’re looking to take advantage of the thermogenic and satiety-inducing effects of protein and fiber in your weight loss snack, IQBar is a good option.
Best keto-friendly snack for weight loss: The Original Keto Snack Bar
The Original Keto Snack Bar is our favorite keto-friendly bar and is also an excellent choice for an on-the-go snack for keto dieters looking to lose weight. It’s got a great macro profile and includes dried coconut for high-quality triglycerides, making it perfectly suited for the ketogenic diet.
Best meal replacement snack for weight loss: NuGo Slim
Want to swap out a regular meal for a weight loss snack? NuGo Slim is our recommendation, thanks to its focus on delivering high protein content while keeping the carbs to a minimum. On top of that, it’s got six grams of fiber which will help you feel full and satiated.
Best snack for weight loss for diabetics: HighKey Mini Cookies
Finding a good weight loss snack can be tricky for people with diabetes. HighKey Mini Cookies makes a nice diabetic-oriented snack that uses erythritol for sweetness instead of sugar. The fiber content is surprisingly good, too, which helps slow the impact on your metabolism.
Who should buy snacks for weight loss?
Everyone snacks. Even if you’re trying to cut back on snacking, you will likely get hungry in between meals at some point. When this happens, it is vital to have snacks available that are low in calories and net carbs. Otherwise, you may find yourself snacking on something you really shouldn’t be.
Though we would probably prefer otherwise, all the calories we eat throughout the day affect our weight loss – not just those we consume at meals. Even if you eat super healthy at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, your snacks can throw you way off if they’re high in calories and simple carbohydrates.
Even if you never plan on eating a snack, you may want to have a few craving-crushing snacks nearby just in case. No one plans to cheat on their diet, but it happens. It’s always better to give yourself another option for those situations.
These snacks are particularly useful for those on the go. If you’re at home most of the time, you can probably cook your snacks or keep some high-protein snacks nearby (like cheese). However, if you’re always at the office or running the kids around, a snack you can quickly grab is essential. Many of those we reviewed can even be kept in your car.
How we ranked
While ranking our snacks for weight loss, we first focused on snacks that were truly good for weight loss. Surprisingly, not all snacks out there labeled “weight loss snacks” are good for weight loss.
We carefully checked the nutrition label to ensure each snack we chose was low in calories. Most are also quite low in carbohydrates since we know most dieters restrict carb intake.
Secondly, we considered how long each snack would keep you full. Most snacks accomplish this in two ways: with fiber or protein. Snacks that are just full of carbohydrates are likely to be digested fast, and then you’ll find yourself hungry again.
We preferred snacks like the Youtopia Snacks, which are very high in protein.
Next, we took a look at how clean each snack was. We avoided those with lots of additives, including artificial sweeteners. We only included snacks that were as clean as possible and made with the best ingredients.
Finally, we considered added sugar. Lots of “diet” snacks are loaded with sugar. When you remove the fat from something, it makes it taste bland. A lot of products get away with this by adding tons of sugar to help with the flavor.
But sugar is simple carbohydrates. This can spike your blood sugar, making you hungry very soon after you get done eating your snack. This is a no-go.
We preferred snacks that were high in protein and fat, not sugars.
Benefits
Snacks for weight loss can lower your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating these snacks lowers your chance in a variety of ways. Firstly, it helps you lose weight. Studies have shown that just losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight alongside regular exercise can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes (1).
If you’re currently eating lots of high-calorie snacks throughout the day, just switching to these weight loss snacks may be enough for you to reach that 5% you need to lower your chance of diabetes.
Secondly, many of these snacks are very low in carbohydrates and sugar. Instead, they contain lots of fiber and proteins. Eating too many carbs at a time can make prediabetes worse and have severe consequences for those who already have diabetes.
Studies have shown that consuming foods high in sugar can increase diabetes-related risks (2).
By switching your snacks to a healthier option, you may be able to avoid developing diabetes altogether. Of course, this works best when you exercise and take control of what you eat at meals as well. However, for those who like to graze, taking control of your snack choices can be a significant step in the right direction.
Snacks for weight loss may lower your chance for a stroke. Those with obesity are much more likely to experience a stroke. If you switch your snacks to a healthier option, you may find that you’re able to lose those extra pounds that you need to lower your risk.
A stroke is severe. It can damage your brain tissue and can result in a range of disabilities. Some people have minor strokes and don’t even notice. Others have severe speech and language impairment, weakened muscles, and changes to reasoning skills.
One 2010 study review found that those with obesity had an increased stroke risk of 64 percent (3). This review looked at 25 different studies, which totaled just under 2.3 million participants. This is an extensive study, which makes it extremely accurate.
That is a huge increased risk! We highly recommend switching to some healthy snacks, as well as exercising and changing your diet.
Snacks for weight loss can decrease your chance of certain cancers. Cancer is not a single disease. Because of this, it is hard to study “cancer” as a whole. However, it is quite apparent that cancer increases your chance for a wide variety of cancers, including breast, colon, gallbladder, and many more.
Despite the difficulties, some studies have tried to study cancer as a whole. One population-based study concluded that about 28,000 cancer cases in men and 72,000 cancer cases in women each year were associated with being overweight (4). This doesn’t mean that the cancer was caused by obesity, to be sure, but it is likely the chance of cancer went up when the participant was obese.
If you lose weight by switching to healthier snacks and losing weight, you may lower your overall cancer risk. Of course, only certain types of cancer are going to be affected. But I think we can always agree that less cancer is always better.
Snacks for weight loss may lower your chance for pregnancy complications. Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also be quite stressful – especially if you experience complications. While pregnant women do need to eat a bit more, you are not eating for two. You only need about 300 extra calories a day (5).
Still, eating while pregnant is much more about getting extra nutrients than it is just calories.
If you are overweight, your risk of complications goes up significantly. These complications can include everything from gestational diabetes to preeclampsia to blood clots. As you can imagine, it can be quite dangerous!
One study found that women with a BMI 0f 40 or higher, which puts them in the “obese” category. It found that women in this category with 60% likely to have a complication. In other words, 60% of the women in this study who were overweight had a complication of some sort. That is a huge chance (6).
The BMI you start your pregnancy with is more important than the one you end your pregnancy with, so it is essential to start dieting before you get pregnant.
Switching your usual snacks to low-calorie snacks can be a great (and easy) addition to your weight loss plan.
Snacks for weight loss may improve your mood. Everyone knows that being hungry never has a positive effect on your mood. But dieting is often associated with some hunger. After all, you’re cutting calories!
However, with filling snacks, you can stay fuller for longer and prevent cravings – all of which will help you stay on your diet.
Snacks for weight loss may improve your workout results. Working out hungry is never a good thing. Eating a protein-packed snack after or before your workout can work as fuel for your muscles, leading to more calories being burned (7).
You should consume your pre-workout meal or snack 1-2 hours before your workout (8). However, you should likely eat protein a little earlier than that to ensure that it is digested before you start working out.
Side effects
Snacks for weight loss can cause you to overeat protein. Most snacks designed for dieters are packed full of protein. This is fantastic in most cases. Protein keeps you full and can cause you to burn more calories (9). However, you can overeat protein.
When you consume more protein than you need, some of the amino acids are turned into glucose. This is the same thing carbohydrates are turned into. So, in other words, your body can turn excess protein into carbs (10).
As you imagine, this can create problems when you’re trying to lose weight.
Instead, it is recommended to consume lots of fat while dieting instead of lots of protein. Some snacks for weight loss include lots of fat, but others don’t.
Snacks for weight loss may not provide enough sodium. When you eat low amounts of carbohydrates, you will see a reduction in insulin levels (11). Insulin does many things, many of which can help you lose weight faster. However, insulin also tells your kidneys to store sodium.
With lower levels of insulin, your kidneys may dumb sodium. Sodium can make you bloat and hold water weight. But it is also a vital electrolyte. When your kidneys start dumbing sodium, you may notice a striking effect on your sodium levels.
This can cause lightheadedness, fatigue, headaches, and even constipation.
Too little sodium can even cause death in extreme and prolonged cases.
Recommended dosage
You can’t live off of snacks. Some snacks are designed to be meal replacements. However, just eating snacks or meal replacements is not part of a nutritious diet.
They can be great additions for sure, but they cannot be the only thing you live off of.
We recommend only eating one or two snacks a day. They should preferably be different snacks, so you at least diversify your diet a little bit. Eating a diverse diet is an easy way to increase the variety of nutrients you get. You should diversify your meals and your snacks.
In general, we recommend stocking up on a few different snacks, preferably those that taste different from each other. Get a one salty snack, another sweet snack, etc.
FAQ
What snack should I eat at night to lose weight?
If you get hungry before bed, you should eat something high in protein and fat. These will keep you full throughout the night, so you’ll be less hungry in the morning (and therefore eat less for breakfast).
Many of the snacks we reviewed are high in protein, and some are also high in fat. Take a look at our reviews section for the specific snacks we recommend.
Are weight loss snacks healthy?
No always. Weight loss snacks can be healthy. They can be low in processed ingredients and sugar, as well as calories and carbs. Some may have added vitamins and minerals to ensure you’re getting proper nutrition while you’re dieting.
However, others are not very healthy. They can be heavily processed and may contain high levels of sugar. Many “diet” snacks are low in fat, which can make their flavor bland. To up the taste, many companies will shove them full of sugar or artificial sweeteners. We recommend always choosing the high-fat snacks over the high-sugar snacks.
After all, fat doesn’t make you fat.
What is the best snack for weight loss?
For those on a low-carb diet, we highly recommend the Youtopia Snacks. These snacks are granola-style, so they contain many different ingredients in each pack. For example, one flavor includes organic, dark-chocolate covered espresso beans, cookie puffs, and almonds. Another one includes dried bananas pieces, organic dark-chocolate covered sunflower seeds, and cookie puffs. There are enough varieties for everyone to find something they like.
Each pack only contains 130 calories, as well as at least 8g of protein. Some flavors contain even more protein. The total fat is also decently high and comparable to the level of protein. There is precisely one serving per pack, so you won’t be tempted to snack on more than you should.
What is the best savory snack for weight loss?
Most weight loss snacks are sweet. This is usually to help consumers combat sweet cravings, which are typically high in carbs and empty calories.
However, not everyone craves sweets or wants sweet snacks all the time. If you need something savory, we recommend taking a look at some of the Youtopic snack flavors. Some are sweet, but others are savory.
We recommend stocking your house with both savory and sweet snacks. People crave different things at different times, so it is essential to have a healthy snack available to crush whatever craving you happen to take. The Youtopia Snacks are available in a variety pack and come with a variety of different flavors. This feature is one of the reasons we rated them so high in our reviews.
What snacks burn belly fat?
It is challenging to burn belly fat in particular. Belly fat is scientifically referred to as “visceral fat.” This fat is unique and very dangerous. Studies have shown that those with excess belly fat are at risk for specific diseases, even if they are otherwise healthy (12).
Luckily, there are a few science-backed ways to lose this fat in particular. Eating plenty of fiber is helpful, as is avoiding trans fat (13, 14). Eating high levels of protein may also be helpful (15).
When choosing a snack, you should select one that preferably checks all of these boxes. Check the nutrition label to ensure the snack is high in protein but free of trans fat. It should also have plenty of fiber.
There are many snacks on our review list that meet these criteria. Almost all of them do.
Can you purchase snacks for weight loss at the store?
Yes. There are snacks available at most stores designed for weight loss. Of course, not all of these are made equal. Many of them were created under the outdated notion that dietary fat is the driving force behind obesity. We know now that this is not true. However, some of this information has yet to change the product design at many companies.
Because of this, some companies create products that are low in fat. A low-fat content makes food bland. After all, it is the fat content that gives most food its flavor. To make up for this lack of flavor, many add lots of sugar to their snacks. This is not what you want.
We recommend taking a close look at the nutritional labels of any weight loss snack you purchase. You may have the best luck looking online since they will likely have a wide selection of options. If you’d preferably have someone just tell you what snacks to purchase, head to our review section, where we take a look at 10 of the best snacks.
Can you lose weight and snack?
It depends on what you’re snacking on. In most cases, snacks do not have a significant effect on your weight (16).
Studies have shown that snacking does not affect your metabolism or your appetite (17, 18).
With that said, some studies have found that eating protein-rich, high-fiber snacks may help you lose weight (19, 20).
However, this is not significant. In one study, it was about half a pound a week (21).
Whenever you are snacking, it is essential to compensate for your increased calorie intake at your next meal. In other words, if you eat a snack, decrease the number of calories you eat at your next meal.
Related articles
- 17 weight loss myths exposed
- 23 weight loss tips
- Weight loss diets
- Protein for weight loss
- Weight loss apps
- Weight loss programs
- Natural weight loss supplements
Recap
Snacks for weight loss can be a key part of a diet plan. Everyone snacks. Even if you don’t particularly plan on snacking, you’ll likely get hungry or feel a craving in between meals.
In these occasions, having a snack close by that is formulated to fit into your diet can be helpful. That’s why we recommend stocking up on a few different snacks – just in case.
For BodyNutrition’s #1 snack for weight loss, click here.
