My Top 20 Low Carb Snacks for Beating Cravings Between Meals
In short
When I started low carb I was still fishing around for something to nibble on between meals. That fades once you’re eating decent fat and protein, but in the meantime these are my 20 go-to snacks, all zero or very low carb. Meaty ones like beef jerky, meatballs and chicken wings, egg options like boiled eggs, devilled eggs, chaffles and egg muffins, quick cheese, celery and cucumber bites, pork crackle instead of chips, and a few sweeter treats like blueberries and cream, keto brownies and a 60-second mug cake. And watch out for pre-made snacks with low carb plastered on the label.
Key points
- The cravings fade. Once you get used to eating a decent amount of fat and protein, the mid-meal cravings kind of go away. These snacks help while you get there.
- Meat first. Beef jerky is my favourite by far, and I always have some in the fridge. Cooked meatballs and spicy chicken wings keep in the fridge for a few days too.
- Eggs, four ways. Boiled eggs, devilled eggs spiced up with curry powder or Sriracha, chaffles (cheese, egg and a little almond flour in a waffle maker) and little egg muffins you can freeze.
- Ten-second snacks. Celery with cream cheese or peanut butter, cucumber with cream cheese, and ham roll-ups around cheese or a cucumber stick.
- Cheese is the cracker. Cut cheese into little squares and pile cream cheese, chilli sauce, cucumber or tomato on top.
- Lunch box savers. Hot sticks (salami or pepperoni) last for weeks, and 30 grams of almonds isn’t many carbs. Carry them so you’re not stopping for a burrito or a meat pie.
- Pork crackle is my potato chip. Crush it up and it doubles as breadcrumbs.
- The sweeter stuff. Blueberries with whipped cream, keto brownies from the freezer, sugar-free jelly with cream, and a chocolate mug cake for late night cravings.
- If you must have chocolate, two squares of 85% cocoa will do you. Anything higher just tastes like pants.
- Check the label. A pre-made chocolate cherry snack touted as low carb was 13% carbohydrate. Low carb on the packet doesn’t make it low carb.
When I first went low carb I still found myself fishing around between meals for something to nibble on. That kind of goes away with time once you get used to eating a decent amount of fat and protein, but until it does, it helps to have the right stuff on hand. In this video I run through the 20 snacks I make on a regular basis. They’re all zero or very low carb, so you can munch on them quite safely while you get on the straight and narrow.
I’m not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist, just a bloke telling you what worked for me. Talk to your doctor before you change your diet.
Meaty snacks
- Beef jerky. My go-to snack and my favourite option by far. I always have some in the fridge, and it’s easy to pop in a bag if you’re off on a picnic. Here’s how I make it, and there’s a written version in easy beef jerky.
- Meatballs. I cook up a batch, leave them in the fridge and grab one or two when the urge hits.
- Chicken wings. Cheap and cheerful. I’ll give them a spicy coating, maybe some peri peri sauce, and they’re good in the fridge for a few days. They don’t generally last that long.
Egg snacks
- Boiled eggs. A lot of people’s go-to. Keep a few in the fridge and it takes two seconds to grab one.
- Devilled eggs. Cut boiled eggs in half, scoop out the yolks, mash them with a bit of mayo and spice them up with some curry powder or Sriracha.
- Chaffles. Basically a cheese and egg mix with a little almond flour, cooked in a waffle maker. I picked one up brand new for 10 bucks. Put some bacon and egg on one for a lovely breakfast sandwich, or freeze them and pull them out into the toaster.
- Egg muffins. A bit more work. Some cheese and chopped onion or other veg (capsicum, whatever) in a muffin tray, mine had chopped-up meatballs too, topped with beaten egg and cream and cooked for 10 minutes or so. They freeze well, so you can pull out a few when you want them.
Ten-second snacks
- Celery and cream cheese. A 10-second snack that hits the spot.
- Celery and peanut butter. If you want something a little sweeter and crunchy.
- Cheese “crackers”. Cut cheese into little squares and treat it like a cracker. Top it with cream cheese, a bit of chilli sauce, cucumber, tomato, whatever you like.
- Cucumber and cream cheese. Another 10-second option.
- Ham roll-ups. A bit of pressed ham wrapped around cheese, cream cheese or a cucumber stick. Ultra low carb and pretty tasty.
For the cupboard and the lunch box
- Hot sticks. Salami or pepperoni. They’re a bit processed for my liking, but they’re super easy to keep on hand and last for weeks.
- Almonds. Thirty grams of these isn’t very many carbs, and they’re a good little snack.
- Pork crackle. Pork rind, pork crackle, whatever you call it, it’s my go-to potato chip. You can also crush it up and use it as breadcrumbs. I’ve always got a load in the cupboard.
A lot of these are excellent for a lunch box if you’re working on the road, so you’re not stopping to buy a burrito or a meat pie. For the bigger picture of what goes on the plate, watch what can you eat on a low carb diet?
The sweeter stuff
- Blueberries and whipped cream. Probably one of the best options fruit-wise, and it doubles as an after-dinner pudding.
- Keto brownies. I keep them in the freezer, zap a couple in the microwave for 30 seconds and add whipped cream. Happy days. The recipe is in low carb sugar-free brownies.
- Dark chocolate. If you’re a real bad chocaholic, Lindt 85% cocoa is probably the best chocolate option. Any higher than 85% and it just tastes like pants. Chocolate’s not generally a massively good idea, but two squares will solve the craving.
- Sugar-free jelly. Jelly or Jell-O, depending on where you come from. I use a zero sugar “lite” version, with a little whipped cream.
- Chocolate mug cake. An egg, cocoa powder, coconut flour, Lakanto or monk fruit sweetener and vanilla essence, mixed in a mug and microwaved for 60 seconds. If you get late night cravings, it can be a lifesaver. Full method in chocolate mug cake.
Watch out for “low carb” labels
The elephant in the room is the pre-made low carb snacks. I picked up a chocolate-covered cherry bar, a bit like a Cherry Ripe, touted as low or lower carb. Have a look at the label and it’s 13% carbohydrate. Better than the real thing, but not the best. Stuff with low carb plastered all over it isn’t necessarily low carb, so read the label. If you want to get better at spotting where the sugar hides, have a read of sugar, sugar everywhere.
Grab the free Carb Guide, the traffic light chart I stick on my fridge to see which foods are red, amber or green.
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Not medical advice. I'm not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist, just a bloke telling the story of what worked for me. Check with your doctor before changing your diet or medication.
