Low Calorie Sweet Snacks
Ever wondered what are the best low calorie snacks to buy? Having a sweet tooth can make it challenging to choose healthy low calorie snacks that you enjoy. But, it absolutely is possible. I’ve taken the guesswork out of this by providing you with my top 10 low calorie sweet snacks, including low calorie vegan snacks. Here I provide you with the calorie content of each treat and links to my preferred brands so you can easily see how this can fit into your current diet strategy and locate the one that tastes the best!
Snacks have been demonised in the past as they can contain high levels of sugar and calories, meaning they can contribute to weight gain. We generally grab a snack quickly, in order to curb that feeling of hunger fast, so many of us may not make the smartest of snack choices – ever ran into a meeting with a chocolate bar in hand? Or grabbed a handful of custard creams while you run to the car to pick up the kids from school? I think we can all relate to that.
Snacks can absolutely form part of a healthy balanced diet and if you get your cupboards stocked with my 10 low calorie sweet snacks, you won’t go far wrong.
If you are looking for a low calorie snack either on the go or with minimal time from the fridge to your lips, my Top 10 Low Calorie Sweet Snacks are...
Halo Top Ice Cream (vegan friendly options available)
Smoothies (vegan friendly options available)
Fruit / frozen fruit (vegan friendly options available)
Low Calorie Ice Lollies (vegan friendly options available)
Popcorn (vegan friendly options available)
Let’s look at the calorie content of each of these, so you know how much bang you get for your buck!
Top 10 Low Calorie Sweet Snacks
Aldi Light Hot Chocolate
Aldi is going from strength to strength with their healthier options. They stock some great low calorie brands, like Sweet Freedom, as well as their own brand alternatives. Their light hot chocolate is an absolute find. It’s 99p a tub, the cost of 4 sachets of competitors such as Options and Highlights (which are also pretty good), but when it comes to taste, the Aldi version is much more decadent and it has a thicker consistency, making it more filling than the big competitor’s versions.
At just 40 calories per serving, this is a no-brainer of a snack. It’s also suitable for vegetarians. Winner.
Fulfil Protein Bars
Now, there are a lot of very good protein bars out there in the marketplace, Grenade Carb Killer and Snickers Hi Protein are definitely up there, but I wouldn’t consider these a low calorie sweet snack, more a high protein cousin. The Fulfil bars are somewhat in the middle, with 15g protein for less than 150 cals. They also provide ⅓ of your daily RDA for several vitamins.
Taste-wise, they are sweet and taste like a chocolate bar. If you haven’t tried them already, then give them a go.
Skinny Food Co Brownie Mix
Everyone loves cake and brands like Skinny Food Co, have brought low calorie baking to the masses with their simple to use cake mixes. Their Brownie Mix is super simple to use, add egg, water and oil, then bake. At 97 calories per brownie, this, for me, is one of the most dessert-like 100 calorie snacks that made the list and they are suitable for vegetarians.
Pro tip - I use milk rather than water, add an extra egg and use a tsp of baking powder. It has a minimal effect on the calories per brownie, adds protein and gives the brownie some lightness and moisture. You heard it here first!
Hartley’s Low Calorie Jelly Pots
This has been a favourite of mine for years and one I have also recommended to my sweet-toothed clients! At a mere 10 calories per pot, this is a good snack to include with your lunchbox and also a great healthy snack for children.
Halo Top Ice Cream
Halo Top has given many of us the opportunity to eat ice cream every day. I love them for that. The calorie content of their large range of tubs varies and is generally between 90 - 127 cals per serving. They taste decadent and a serving is around a 3rd of the cals of similar premium tubbed ice cream. They also offer a vegan range, so offer something for everyone. You can often find it on offer at Tesco and the Coop, so although the RRP is quite pricey, it’s often sold at a discount.
Maybe pair it with the low calorie jelly and relive your youth without blowing your target calorie intake for the day!
Fat Free Greek Yoghurt and Honey
This is an old but gold top 10 entrant. You get a whole lotta protein in this healthy sweet snack – 8.5g of protein and for only 105 cals per 100g. There are many supermarket own brands that sell fat free greek yoghurt for less than 50p per 400g, so it’s also a good option for the cash efficient among us.
Smoothies
Smoothies can pretty much be whatever you want them to be. You can include vegetables, fruit, protein powder, oats, milk...just about whatever you want. This makes smoothies a versatile low calorie snack that can be enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and just about any other individuals personal preferences. Calorie content varies depending on ingredients, but if you stick to using whole foods, you can easily create a breakfast masterpiece for around 150 calories.
Fruit / Frozen Fruit
Everyone should have a fruit bowl sitting in a prominent position in their kitchen. It’s one of the most convenient and cheapest low calorie sweet snacks around. You can grab a banana for less than 100 calories which will provide you with enough fuel to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Low Calorie Ice Lollies
You can pick up so many ice lollies that provide a low calorie snack under 100 calories. ‘Fab’ lollies are only 82 calories, ‘Fruit Pastilles’ lollies are a tiny 54 calories and they are relatively cheap to buy. Due to their inherently cold nature, they are generally not a food you can eat fast, so they should keep you distracted long enough for a sweet food craving to pass. Many brands are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, so they are a good choice all year round, not just on sunny beach days.
Popcorn
Popcorn is an effective low cal sweet treat and, due to the vast array of savoury versions popping up (no pun intended) on our supermarket shelves, it’s also a good substitute for crisp cravings.
A low calorie snack under 100 cals, popcorn is convenient, has a long shelf life, won’t cost you the earth, is vegan friendly, a good snack for the kids and tastes good. It’s a firm favourite in the top 10.
How to Snack Healthily
Here are my 5 tips for healthy snacking:
Understand your calorie needs per day based on your goals, be that weight loss, maintenance or weight gain
Track your calorie intake using a tracking tool and ensure your total calorie intake, including snacks is relative to your target
Compliment your diet with regular exercise
Keep snacks below 150 cals
Include high protein snacks
Snacking needn’t be something that causes weight gain, it can be used as an effective tool to keep hunger at bay, support your training and keep your body fueled – just ensure you are smart about it!