Dr. Axe > Nutrition > Diets
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By Kissairis Munoz
January 22, 2024
When you’re considering going on a low-carb dietor simply reducing carbohydrates, full meals are a little easier to plan — eating all the meat and veggies is always a good option! But it’s nice to chow down on something a little lighter than a steak or full keto chicken meal when it’s snack time. Unfortunately, the traditional snacks you’d reach for don’t normally fall into the category of low-carb snacks.
Luckily, these healthy snacks are available. Low-carb food snacks require saying goodbye to pretzels and breadsticks, but in return you get to say hello to delicious munchies like cauliflower hummus, low-carb granola, low-carb nuts and stuffed avocado.
The snack recipes below taste great, are easy to prepare and are good for you, too. So whether you’re kicking carbs to the curb for good or just helping your body reset, give these low-carb snacks a try.
Best Low-Carb Snacks
1. Kimchi
If you’re looking for a snack that’s not only low in carbs but also high in probiotics, kimchi is for you. This low-carb snack is fermented, meaning it’s good for your gut, not to mention high in fiber and low in calories.
The star player, of course, is the fermented cabbage, which is combined with sea salt, garlic, ginger, coconut sugar, red pepper flakes, radish and scallions.
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2. Keto Fat Bomb with Cinnamon and Almond Butter
If you’re looking to increase healthy fats, these low-carb fat bombs can help. Made with almond butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and butter, they’re a terrific option if you’re following a ketogenic diet.
3. Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds may not sound like a satisfying snack, but when you spice them up, they’re difficult to put down. This recipe adds sea salt, avocado oil, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and cumin to the seeds to make for a hot addition to your low-carb snacks repertoire.
4. Buffalo Chicken Dip
Sure, buffalo chicken wings are tasty, but what if you could have the buffalo chicken flavor combined with a crunchy vegetable in every bite? Say hello to this easy dip. Use cooked, leftover chicken to make this speedy snack or side dish, and to keep this a low-carb snack, dip veggies like celery, radish or broccoli, instead of chips.
A sports-worthy low-carb snack in just 35? Yes, please.
5. Easy Guacamole
If you’re going to pick one low-carb ingredient to feature in your low-carb snacks, you can’t go wrong with avocado. Enter this healthy, easy guacamole recipe that’s ready in just 10 minutes.
This vegan-friendly snack dip uses nothing but fresh foods: avocado, lime, garlic, sea salt, jalapeno, tomato, red onion and cilantro. That’s it!
6. Keto Bread
A bread alternative with limited required ingredients, you won’t believe how tasty this grain-free bread is. Dip it into a favorite hummus recipe, or top with your preferred nut butter for a filling snack that won’t leave you feeling bloated.
7. Keto Tortilla Chips
Looking for a new way to make healthy chips? Then you have to try these keto tortilla chips.
Made from almond flour and goat cheese, along with a hint of lime, these are keto-friendly and can be dipped in guac, hummus or any other healthy, low-carb dip. The result is a tray full of low-carb snacks that are actually good for you!
8. Olive Tapenade
A staple of the Mediterranean diet — always among the healthiest diets in the world — olive tapenade is the perfect way to get all the benefits of olives and other fresh veggies and herbs. It can be served on top of keto bread, chips or crackers, or it can incorporated into chicken or fish dishes, for example.
Best of all, it takes just 10 minutes to whip up!
9. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread will satisfy your sweet tooth the all-natural way thanks to maple syrup playing the role of sweetener. It’s loaded with pumpkin taste and the ingredients that pair well with it, like cinnamon, and it replaces carb-heavy flour with coconut and almond flours. Serve this pumpkin bread with a pat of grass-fed butter.
10. Easy Hummus
Add a little excitement to the veggies in your life with this super simple hummus recipe. With only a handful of ingredients and just one step to prepare, this low-carb snack is easy to make and can be transported in a small container with no problems at all. Stick this hummus and some celery sticks in your snack pack for when you get hungry halfway through the day!
11. Buffalo Cauliflower
You can make your own low-carb snack version of buffalo wings by avoiding the breading, thanks to this cauliflower recipe. With only six ingredients that are baked instead of fried, you won’t believe how delicious this version is.
12. Chili Cheese Dip
Chili cheese dip may not sound good for you, and when you buy it from the store, it likely isn’t. However, this homemade version uses only healthy ingredients and makes for the perfect game-day snack.
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This one combines homemade buffalo chili with goat cheese for a delicious, low-carb dip.
13.Fruit Kebabs
Trouble getting the kids to eat their fruit? I love this fruity low-carb snack. A combo of your favorite low-carb fruits along with cubed raw cheddar will have the littlest family members begging for more.
14. Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters
When you need a low-carb snack to nibble on-the-go, pack these clusters. Sweetened with dark chocolate, vanilla extract, coconut and cacao, they’re a delightfully yummy option.
15. Paleo Brownies
These are some of the most chocolately brownies you’ll eat, and they may even be the lowest carb brownies you’ll eat, too! Perfectly suited as a snack, these brownies are pretty much a health food, utilizing coconut oil, eggs, maple sugar, sea salt, arrowroot starch, cacao powder, vanilla and dark chocolate chips.
16.Kale Chips
Kale has more health benefitsthan almost any veggie, but it’s not just for salads anymore. The vitamin-packed leafy green turns into crunchy, salty chipswith this zesty Paleo recipe.
If you’re watching your sodium levels, you can simply skip the sea salt. They’ll still be tasty.
17.Lemon Cheesecake Bars
OK, so these lemon cheesecake bars might be a little more dessert than snack, but if you’ve ever suffered from a mid-afternoon slump, you know sometimes that’s just what’s in order. This cheesecake is one you can eat guilt-free.
18. Avocado Deviled Eggs
Ready in less than 30 minutes, these deviled eggs replace the traditional mayo with avocado for a superfood take on a classic recipe. Not only that, but these low-carb snacks are also vegetarian-friendly, dairy-free and perfect for anyone following the keto diet.
19.
If you’re looking for a low-carb snack that’s loaded with lots of healthy ingredients but also ready in no time, this dip is for you. Believe it or not, it takes just five minutes to whip this up despite including a host of health-promoting ingredients, including artichoke hearts, goat cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, cloves, parsley, chives, basil and more.
20. Chicken Liver Pate
Chicken liver pate is one of the healthiest high-protein snacks around, and while it takes a while to make, you can use it all week once it’s ready. Best of all, it’s low in carbs and high in nutrients thanks to the chicken liver, garlic, shallots, rosemary, thyme and butter.
21. Pecan Coconut Balls
Enjoy sweet coconut flakes, crunchy pecans and metabolism-boosting hemp seedswith these no-bake balls. Have the little ones help with this kid-friendly low-carb recipe.
22. Zucchini Pizza Boats
Add a side of veggies to that ‘za craving with this pizza zucchini. By forgoing a doughy crust for zucchini slices instead, you can pile on sauce and cheese to your heart’s content in a perfectly portioned way. This is one of my favorite low-carb keto snack ideas, great for after-school snacking!
23. Zucchini Chips
Forget buying salt and vinegar chips at the store, and make these instead. They require only five ingredients to — how simple is that? — and are low in both calories and carbs.
Use a mandolin if you can to get the zucchini slices super skinny. That’ll help them crisp up just like your favorite potato chips.
24.Salty Lime Roasted Nuts
When you need to spice up your snacks but keep them low-carb, try these lime-roasted nuts. Maple syrup adds a dash of sweetness, and you won’t be able to resist the fresh lime juice. Make a big batch, and keep on hand at work and in the kitchen.
25. Stuffed Mushrooms
While this might be a bit of an appetizer more than a portable snack, it’s great to have on hand when you need to feed a crowd, even if it’s the after-school kind! Shrooms are stuffed with turkey bacon, garlic, cauliflower and grated cheese for a super creamy texture and taste that’ll knock your socks off.
26. Chia Seed Pudding
Chia pudding makes a tasty snack, breakfast or lunch! This recipe has 12 total grams of carbs, 30 grams of fat and six grams of protein, making it an excellent lower carb vegan option.
27. Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
These turkey bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are a low-carb keto snack that can also dual as a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Switch it up a little by make some with bacon and others without to add some variety to your low-carb snacks.
