My Favorite Low-Carb Snacks
Here are My Favorite Low-Carb Snacks, and many of these snack ideas are Keto or South Beach Diet friendly as well. And don’t you agree that low-carb snacks so are important to keep you satisfied!
PIN the Low-Carb Snacks to try some later!
For over 17 years now I’ve been writing this blog and (mostly) sticking to a pretty carb-conscious way of eating. I started out my healthy eating journey following the original South Beach Diet, and now it’s evolved into my own personal lower-carb way of eating, where I focus on carb-conscious meals but sometimes eat things that are a bit of a splurge on carbs.
But no matter what kind of healthier diet you’re trying to stick with, having some favorite low-carb snacks can really help you stay on track, so I thought I’d share My Favorite Low-Carb Snacks for anyone who needs ideas. And all these low-carb snack ideas are things I eat regularly when I need something to nibble on, and these are all snacks that I really enjoy! I like to nibble on things with some crunch, as you can tell!
What Low-Carb Snacks are featured here?
There are snacks here that have a recipe you’ll need to prepare and some snacks that you simply buy and keep on hand. But all the snack ideas featured here are low-carb favorites for me!
Low-Carb Snack Recipes to Try:
Ham and Dill Pickle Roll-Ups are something I love to make in batches and keep in the fridge to eat for a snack! And these are great for party food too.
Sheila’s Low-Carb Shrimp Dip will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and this is a snack that feels like an absolute treat!
Greek Dip with Tomatoes and Feta is something I love to scoop up with low-carb pita bread, and this is great to serve for a party as well.
After I discovered a single-serving guacamole that I loved, I started making these Cucumber Guacamole Appetizer Bites. Or just cut a cucumber in strips and dip up the guacamole if you want an easier version!
They do take a bit of work compared to most of the other snacks, but these Almond Flour Cheese Crackers are absolutely a wow, and you’ll love them for a snack.
I love sweet mini-peppers which come in red, yellow, or orange. I eat these plain, or you can cut them in half lengthwise and use as a scoop for veggie dip. If you want to get a little fancier, make Southwestern Ranch Dip and scoop it up with the sweet mini-peppers for a low-carb spin on chips and dip!
Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs are always great for a snack, or make them into Deviled Eggs if you have a bit more time. I love, love, love deviled eggs and have a great collection of deviled egg recipes on the blog. But if I had to pick just one, it might have to be Deviled Eggs with Green Olives!
I love Ranch dip, and Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is something you’ll always find in my fridge!
I love celery so much, I have a whole post with Carb-Conscious Snacks with Celery. And celery stuffed with peanut butter is a great low-carb snack when you use my favorite low-sugar peanut butter.
Purchased Low-Carb Snacks to Keep on Hand:
Sugar Snap Peas are great to eat plain, or enjoy them with some kind of veggie dip. When you haven’t had sugar for a while, these taste like candy! And despite the word sugar in the name, they’re not that high in carbs. I buy these at Costco, and they’re something I always have in the fridge. (They’re good cooked as well!)
Cheese is a perfect low-carb snack and buying these pre-packaged cheese sticks is a good way to exercise portion control. I buy an assortment of different cheese stick varieties, and I eat this for a snack almost every day. (Photo from Target.com.)
Nuts are definitely one of my favorite low-carb snack and when I’m really being healthy I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and measure them out into little baggies or buy the packages like this. This is the snack I’m most likely to eat too much of. (Photo from Amazon.com.)
Historical Notes for this Post:
This collection of My Favorite Low-Carb Snacks was first posted in 2007. It was updated with a few more snacks I’ve been eating lately in 2022. Use Appetizers to find more low-carb appetizers or snacks. (Brand name products shown here were purchased by me and I haven’t been compensated to show any products.)
If you have a favorite low-carb snack, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
94 Comments on “My Favorite Low-Carb Snacks”
I love the tomato/feta dip. Since I had over ripe tomatoes whose peel was starting to thicken (I hate it), I rubbed the tomatoes against the grater, so I didn’t have any peel in the recipe. It was very fresh and tasty and I make it frequently. Have you ever tried to bake the whole thing and serve warm? It seems it would be as tasty as the cold dip…
So glad you are enjoying that recipe. I haven’t ever tried baking it, but I agree with you that it sounds like that would be equally delicious!
Bake the small party slices of cheese (about 2″x2″ sliced) on a tray at about 400° for 6-8 minutes.. til they start to bubble. When they cool off it’s crispy cheese chips. Delicious!
That sounds like a fun idea!
I too have struggled with high blood pressure and cholesterol for years. I also followed the South Beach Diet with some success in the past. Not sure why I didn’t continue over the years. Now I am striving to medication free for blood pressure and cholesterol I have decided to start South Beach again as a healthier option. Your article just confirmed my decision. I will be pulling the book from my bookcase and starting the plan tomorrow. Thank you so much 😊
Good luck Collette, glad this was helpful for you.
Look for the cherry tomatoes with the brand name “Cherubs”. Those little rascals should be labeled “Warning, may be habit forming”. They aren’t cheap but once you’ve tasted them the others simply don’t rate. And ditto about sugar snaps — good as a snack, in salads, in stir fries and as a side.
Yes I like the Cherubs too!
There is a huge recipe category for breakfasts in the left sidebar.
Just started SB and am looking forward to results on the scale. Hopefully lower. Lots of challenges but i think breakfast most difficult-. Any suvgesti
ons?
In the latest book (SBD Supercharged) it says "Milk 1% or fat free" is allowed up to 2 cups per day.
I have been reading over and over and I cannot figure out if 1% milk is okay on phase 1 for stuff like coffee and adding into soups.
According to google they are made from dried green peas, and since green peas are not allowed I doubt that Wasabi Peas would be either.
Hi Kalyn,
Do you think wasabi peas are a good South Beach snack for Phase 1?
Sooz, thanks for sharing that tip and also the info about Greek Yogurt. I do buy Fage Greek yogurt at Costco where it's very reasonable compared to buying it elsewhere.
I also put sugar free jelly into unsweetened yogurt to add flavor.
The lowest sugar Greek yogurt (and most affordable) is from Costco. The Kirkland brand is lower in sugar than my former favorite.
FYI
I don't know of another brand of yogurt that's quite as low in sugar as the Kroger CarbMaster yogurt, but I would just check labels and use the one with the lowest sugar content you can find.
Kalyn, I love your site! I have yet to try a recipe that isn't delicious!
I have just started Phase 2, and am looking for a good yogurt option – so many of the flavored yogurts are sweetened with sugar. I don't have a Kroger nearby to get the CarbMaster. Is there another brand of yogurt that you know of that would be okay on Phase 2? I do have a Costco nearby, Shaw's, and Hannaford's. Thanks!
Carlisha, I can't say for sure, but all the books allow no sugar added fudgesicles for phase one, which I'm thinking would be similar to low-fat sugar-free ice cream. I noticed that the lastest book (South Beach Diet Supercharged) says limit sweet treats to 75-100 calories per day, so that might help.
This is my second try on South Beach and I learned a lot the first time around. Like not having ice cream was ultimately my down fall!! This time, I've done a lot of research but can't find an answer to this question. Maybe someone can help me!
My local grocery store (Publix) sells low fat no sugar added icecream that is sweetened with Splenda. It does say it has 6 grams of sugar (4 grams of sugar alcohol) per 1/2 cup serving but even after googling the ingredients, the only "sugar" is splenda. Is this ok to eat a 1/2 cup serving at night? If I can eat this, I might make it all the way through this time. =)
I've found several greek-style yogurts that are no sugar, nonfat. Add a little agave and some vanilla and it makes for a nice snack in phase I. I know agave hasn't been decided, but I don't use artificial sweetners, so mainly avoid the sweets all together. Craving is diminishing and so is the weight.
We tried the cannon plain sugar free yogurt and put a tsp of sugar free suckers jelly
It is incred!
Also. Suckers crunchy natural sugar free PB, once stirred great and kept in the refrigerator is phenom
W all this, we are not having issues at all. It's our first time on sBeach
Courtney, I think the plain yogurt with Stevia sounds good. And I haven't been that attentive today. Sorry I have been a little slow to respond; I'm cleaning out my dad's house with my siblings today and for the next couple of days so I'm pretty distracted from the blog.
I love plain yogurt with a stevia packet in it! Sweetens it perfectly! I'm very glad I found your blog, it's wonderful! Thank you!!! And I love how prompt you are at replying to everyone, I've never experienced such tentativeness on a blog, ever! :0)
Sarah, good luck!
Thank you so much for this!! I just started South Beach and I'm in college with a meal plan so my options are extremely limited but these are all super easy to get my hands on in our dining hall. Hopefully I'll be able to get past the first day this time. 🙂
Thanks!!
Glad you like the snacks.
As for Crystal Light, I believe strongly that everyone should make their own decisions about what to eat/not eat. So if you don't want aspartame, don't drink Crystal Light, but let others make their own decision about it as well.
Thanks so much for the snack suggestions….it is night and that is when I tend to go to the "ito" food…i will try the celery/pb snack you suggested.
btw, I believe Crystal Light as aspartame so I won't be using it.
etAnother snack idea is to use really good ricotta cheese and stir in some mocha/ java syrup…of course sugar free and stir it all up, Oh, it is sooo good. Tastes like a taramisu desert!
Yes, the yogurt I show here does have artificial sweetener. If I wanted to avoid artificual sweetener in yogurt, I'd use Madhava blueberry or raspberry flavored agave nectar. I think that would taste great mixed into yogurt, and it's a natural product. It's not sugar free, but it does have a much lower glycemic index than white sugar.
Hi! I just came across your blog and love the tips..Question do the yogurts you eat have artificial sweeteners in them? I'd love to find low calorie foods that don't contain these chemicals (I get instant headaches and bloating along with nausea) but can't seem to find anything…If you can suggest something that you came across that would be great! Thanks!
You're welcome, happy snacking!
Thanks for the snack ideas. I am out and about tomorrow and was concerned about getting hungry
Oh my gosh! I always forget about celery and peanut butter! Seriously one of the yummiest snacks and it totally takes care of my sugar fix. Thanks for the recommendation on chunky. I prefer creamy, except for with CELERY!!!
Thanks for the yogurt tip for breakfast; I do have a lot of people ask me about breakfasts that don't include eggs.
Thanks for all the great snack reminders! I also want to add to the yogurt discussion – I absolutely CANNOT do eggs very often and when I do I make deviled eggs. My favorite breakfast now is some plain, nonfat yogurt with a packet of sweetner, a few sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of crystal light powder (wild strawberry is my fav!). It will taste just like fruited yogurt and the crunch from the almonds is quite satisfying!
hey.. thanks for the information, it helps me a lot 🙂
I can't see any reason you couldn't eat that.
hey thanks guys alot for all the ideas. I just found something myself. I just started SBD myself and am finding it very challenging since I am a sugar-addict. I am craving brownies so bad. Is it okay to eat my one serving of sugar-free peanut butter with a half teaspoon of cocoa and a sprinkle of splenda?
Thanks for all your tips. I was so happy to come across your blog. I will use if for inspiration and guidance when I start back on the beach tomorrow.
Lori
Anonymous, thanks for sharing the ideas for peanut butter, they sound interesting to me.
Hey, I want to add to the yogurt discussion – If you take nonfat plain yogurt and add a teaspoon or so of peanut butter and mix it in it can taste really sweet. Maybe everybody will think this is weird but I like it. Also, plain, non-fat yogurt with a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa, a little vanilla and a little splenda or stevia (don't overdo on this as will go bitter) can be great too.
Suzanne, glad to hear the blog has been helpful. If you type "kid friendly" into the search bar, you'll find the recipes I've mentioned that I think are kid-friendly, plus a few that people have commented on as being kid-friendly.
Hi Kalyn! Your blog is amazing. I have been making your recipes for months now and have yet to find one that isn't delicious. I am starting on Phase 1 again to lose the last 15 pounds after a 45 pound loss a few years ago. My 17 year-old son wants to lose weight as well, but wants me to make more kid-friendly recipes. Any suggestions?
Sox Fan, great idea!
I put sugar free jelly in my plain fat free yogurt…tastes just like the fruit on the bottom types without the guilt!!
Anonymous, Crystal Light in water is just fine. I have to admit, drinking water is a challenge for me too. I know some people who mix those crystal light packets into plain yogurt too.
Can you use crystal light flavor packs in water? I HATE plain water!
Julia, there is a category for breakfasts on the blog and each recipe tells what phase it's good for.
You can use any type of artificial sweetener. I highly recommend you read the book so you know what foods are allowed and which ones aren't and the reasoning behind it.
im starting South Beach Diet today! and excited to start! What is something good to have for breakfast? are we allowed to have eggs? egg whites? with coffee can we use splenda? besides water what can of drinks can we drink? anything with no sugars? thank you
The book doesn't give serving sizes for cheese, but when I'm doing phase one for a snack I usually eat the 1 oz. string cheese. I think you could eat a bit more than that if you really want to, but cheese is pretty calorie dense so I wouldn't overdo it.
I am at phase 1. how much of the cheese can I eat? I am eating a 30% less fat but I dont know how much can I eat.
Anonymous, you might want to do it for a week without weighing yourself. I promise if you stick with the plan it will work. You've only done it 2 days if you started Sunday, so just keep with it!
I just started SB on Sunday. Today is my 3rd day. I figured by the third day I would start to feel something since in phase one you can lose 8-13 pounds!!! I dont feel like Im losing at all!! When is weight loss noticable?
Hi Erika,
I'm not laughing at all. I go back on phase one myself several times a year. (And I do cheat a bit in between times, so I understand how easy it is to stray too!) Good luck!
You're going to laugh, but Craig and I are starting SB again and I came over here to get more tips!
Leah, I'm laughing because now I have braces on my teeth, which has definitely helped with my nut addiction! I do agree that South Beach is pretty easy compared to a lot of diets!
Luv ur comment: (Please don't report me to the South Beach Diet police, but this is the snack I'm most likely to eat too much of.) – Years ago, when I was doing Scarsdale, my kids used to say "Mommy, the man on the back of the book is watching you!" After trying the diet, my husband said "I understand why his wife killed him!." Anyway, SBD is a lot easier!
Leah, if you can find it, I like Adams brand natural peanut butter, only 1 gram of sugar. The fat in peanut butter is not a problem, since it's "good fat" but you want the least amount of sugar you can find.
Thanks Kalyn for your help! I have been waiting for a new router in the mail which arrived today, so I was unable to check your blog again until now! Day 5 and I've lost 4 pounds already! I went out to buy Natural PB last night (Skippy), but I'm not sure it is SBD approved, when I compared to the regular Skippy in the pantry it all looked the same except for the oils. Is there a list of approved packaged foods published online somewhere? I guess I could google it and see what comes up! lol Thanks again for your help! Leah A.
Jacki, I'm looking in South Beach Diet Supercharged (the latest book) and under Phase One Foods to Enjoy Snap Pea and Snow Peas are both listed as being okay.
As for the yogurt, it's sweetened with Splenda, and truthfully I think it's okay with the very low carb count. There's no actual fruit in the yogurt.
Good luck on the diet.
I've done south beach successfully (losing 60 lbs in 3 months) a few years back and now I'm revisiting it with my boyfriend.
Just a heads up…
Sugar snap PEAS were banned the last time i read the book because of the starch in the peas that are in those crunchy pods.
Also, low sugar doesn't cut it for phase 1, so even if you find the yogurts listed above… if your really serious about weight loss and following the plan… you should not be eating these yogurts in phase 1. They are great for phase 2, so save them for then.
Remember fruit is not allowed, and even no sugar added yogurts still have the sugars from the fruits in there.
Leah, your e-mail was farther down in the list, so sorry if it looks like I ignored your question! I've only seen this addressed with regards to things like salad dressing where the rule is less than 3 grams of carbs per serving. It depends on how much of the food you're eating (you can have higher carb counts in something where you only use a small amount), but I think that's a good rule of thumb.
Anonymous, I'm looking in South Beach Diet Supercharged (newest book) which is a bit more liberal than some of the earliest books and under phase 2 – Dairy it says 2-3 cups per day including yogurt. Peanut butter is limited to 2 T per day (and personally I would not eat other nuts on the day you have peanut butter.
Glad you are enjoying the blog. Good luck with the diet.
I just recently started the SBD and have been following it religiously, but cutting out milk was EXTREMELY difficult as I drank 2-3 glasses of 2% daily.
Today is my first day of Phase 2 during which I know I can have skim/1% milk. Do you know how much? 1-1 1/2 cups? Does this include yogurt as well?
One more quick question: I found a great organic peanut butter with no added sugar – SBD friendly. How much can I have a day? (Peanut butter is another weakness…)
Thank you for your wonderful website!!
Starting SB today! Googled snack ideas and your blog came right up as 2nd on the list. Thank you so much for this post! One question… if I am label checking things I currently have in my pantry and fridge, is there a rule of thumb on how many carbs to consider as ok to eat in Phase 1 vs Phase 2? Thanks! Leah A.
Kris, glad I can make you happy. Remember to get “natural” peanut butter with no sugar added.
OMG! I just started South Beaching and I forgot that up until now, my old childhood absolute FAVOURITE which was celery with peanut butter, had been “off limits” because of the fattiness of the peanut butter.
THANK YOU THANK YOU! I can’t wait to go out and get a jar. 🙂
Rosemary, the latest book (The South Beach Diet Supercharged) lists Half and Half, fat free for phase one under “foods to enjoy.” Serving size says 2 T.
I’m probably the one who’s being bad with full fat half and half in my coffee, but I don’t drink a lot of coffee so I’m still not that worried about it. (I should clarify that I’m actually oh phase three most of the time!)
Rosemary, I don’t use fat free half and half or any other fat free products because they usually have added sugar. (I actually use real half and half in coffee, although I’m not sure it’s 100% SB approved. I figure a few tablespoons a day won’t hurt me.) If you’re wondering about the product you have I’d look at the sugar grams on the label.
I’m at school but when I get home I’ll try to remember to look in the latest SB book. Feel free to leave another comment if I forget to reply back about that.
I just started SB and there's just one thing that's totally confusing…in the book it says Phase I – Avoid – Fat Free Half and Half…then as I read further down it says Fat Free Half and Half is allowed. I am totally confused. I use 2 TBS of FF Half and Half in my morning coffee..is FF Half & Half OK for Phase One???
I'd really appreciate it if you had the answer. Thanks very much!
Rose
Yes, I do think the small sweet peppers taste a bit different and slightly sweeter than the large bell pepper, but I think red bell pepper strips would also be a great South Beach snack.
Do you like the small sweet peppers because they taste different than the larger variety?
Kai, no idea where to get seeds like that, maybe try looking online?
I saw mini sweep peppers today in my store for the first time they were expensive. I bought some just to see how they taste. I wonder if i can grow them..where would i get the seeds?
I printed this today to tape on my refrigerator. Thanks! 🙂
Kalyn’s,
I love your blog. I started the SBC again today. Last time I did it I lost about 25 lbs. However, I let them slide back on. I have loved reading over your blog. Thanks for the great snack tips. I am looking to losing about 15 to 20 lbs. by beach time. Thanks for your inspiring story!
Renee
It’s hard to find… but Blue Bunny yogurt with Splenda – just 60 calories is really good. I love the blackberry cream or pomegranate cherry.
Nice post – thanks.
All great info Kalyn: thanks!
I adore protein snacks like nuts and peanut butter… and need to try the tomatoes with rosemary salt.
Hope you are off to a good start in 2008!
Ok, you are brilliant. Frozen edamame that you put into a bag in the morning and it thaws by itself! I love edamame so much, but I somehow have this weird aversion to boiling it myself, so I always just get it as takeout from my favorite sushi restuarant. But you can’t get any easier than your way of eating it. Thanks!!!
Anonymous, good catch. I’m realizing I use the names interchangeably, but you’re right that they are different. Will edit that rightnow.
All great snacks, but I don’t belive those aren’t snow peas, they’re sugar snap peas, right? Snow peas are flat and not sweet at all.
Leah, I’m looking in the original South Beach Diet book for “foods to avoid” for phase one and this is what it says:
Dairy:
Avoid the following dairy in phase one:
yogurt, cup-style and frozen
ice cream
milk, whole or 2%
milk, soy
I’m not sure what they mean by “cup-style” yogurt, but I think it means the type with add-ins. Fruit on the bottom yogurt wouldn’t be allowed for phase one, since you can’t have fruit. I thinkt he kind of low carb, sugar free, low fat yogurt that I’m showing here is fine for any phase. (This is only my opinion, but I can’t think of any reason why it wouldn’t be ok.)
I just started South Beach. I read in the book to avoid all dairy, including yogurt. I only buy the StoneyField brand – either low-fat or fat-free, which are not made with any sugar (only natural sugars). In addition, I typically buy the fruit on the bottom yogurts. Is it ok to eat this on South Beach, Phase One? What about Phase Two?
Great blog! Love it.
awesome!!! i have been doing south beach phase one and it’s been sloooow. thanks for the new snack ideas. new ideas keep things interesting, especially with phase one.
I loved almost all the snacks you have posted. They are so healthy, love edmame and celery…Thanxs for sharing
-Sushma
You are right, Kalyn, about the snow peas — if you’ve been off sweets for a while such things are incredible. I never thought of eating them for a snack, but it’s a good idea to quench that need for sugar.
I don’t know much about Greek yogurt, but I’d say any yogurt that’s low fat and low in carbs should be ok.
Kalyn, love the site!
I have a yogurt-related inquiry. Is Greek yogurt (like Tage Total) ok for Phase One snackers? They have 2% and 1% varieties…
Lewis, love this yogurt.
Tanna, you’re set!
Mandira, I eat nuts almost every day.
Karina, of course it’s the fabulous Rand who makes the headers.
I’m SO with you on tomatoes – one of my favorite snacks [drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and basil].
I love your beautiful headers – changing all the time. Each one is more eye-catching than the last.
xoxo
Kalyn – your snacks look healthy and delicious. Yougurt and nuts are my favorites too 🙂
Except for the yogurt, I have all of these in my house! The best.