A lot of people are talking about low carbohydrate, or the ketogenic diet, these days. Eating in a keto-friendly way can have many health benefits. It has been shown to help you lose weight as well as helping to fight diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. How incredible is it that a low-carb diet can do that?

So what exactly makes a diet low carb and keto? It depends on the person, but you want to remove as many carbohydrates from your diet as possible. Not necessarily all, as things like vegetables have many other nutritional benefits alongside the carbs. But foods like bread, pasta, noodles, granola bars, or pastry that have very little other nutrients are generally completely cut out as their net carbs are very high. Then you’ll get carbohydrates from foods like carrots, parsnips, bananas, and other fruits. You also want to eat sugar-free as much as possible. Tons of pre-made foods have added sugar, so always check the label when you’re buying something, even if you think that food normally shouldn’t have many grams of carbs or many added sugars.

However, eating this way can be a dramatic change to your normal diet. Rather than filling up on carbs, you’re looking for healthy fats and proteins to fill this gap in your meal plans. There may be a transitional period where you’re needing keto snacks to help you get into a state of ketosis or just through to your next meal. 

So here are some of my favorite low-carb snack ideas that are quick and easy to make as you try out this fantastic way of eating. These healthy snacks are great for at-home snacks, but many of them work great for bringing them to work as well.

Easy Low Carb Snack Ideas

Low Carb Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber is an amazing low-carb vegetable, so these tea sandwiches make one of the best low-carb healthy snacks.

292 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Cucumber, medium – 42 calories

• 7½ Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped – 250 calories

• 2 Tbsp Dill – 0 calories

• 2 Tbsp Chives – 0 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Note: 7 1/2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese = 1/2 cup

2. Cut herbs finely.

3. Slice cucumber.

4. In a bowl, combine whipped cream cheese, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until herbs are mixed in.

5. Spread mixture evenly on cucumber.

Bean Tostadas

482 calories

Ingredients

• 2 Small tortillas, whole wheat or low carb – 120 calories

• ½ Avocado, small – 116.5 calories

• ¼ cup Refried beans – 55 calories

• ⅙ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar – 76 calories

• ⅙ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella – 56 calories

• 1 Tbsp Sriracha ranch – 45 calories

• ¼ Onion, red – 13.75 calories

• 1 tsp Paprika, dash – 0 calories

• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Put tortillas in toaster oven for 2-3 minutes on each side – or bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes on each side (put on a baking sheet sprayed with an oil spray if using oven).

2. Spread beans on tortillas.

3. Top with rest of ingredients.

4. No sriracha ranch? Use regular ranch + hot sauce, or a vinaigrette dressing works too!

5. Gluten free? Use gluten-free tortillas, e.g. corn.

Pesto Pizzas

351 calories

Ingredients

• 2 Small tortillas, whole wheat or low carb – 120 calories

• 1 oz Cheese, Parmesan, shaved (oz) – 111 calories

• 2 Tbsp Pesto (Tbsp) – 120 calories

• 1 Basil, dash – 0 calories

• 1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees

2. Top tortillas with 1/2 amount of pesto and Parmesan, each

3. Top with spices

4. Heat in oven or toaster oven for 5-6 minutes

5. Notes: No dairy? Use a dairy-free pesto, available at most stores, and bacon instead of Parm. Just a note – this recipe makes 2 tortilla pizzas, even though only one is pictured.

6. Gluten-free? Use gluten-free tortillas, e.g. corn.

Banana & Peanut Butter Roll Ups

489 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Banana – 105 calories

• 3 Tbsp Peanut butter – 282 calories

• 1 Tortilla, soft, whole wheat or low carb – 70 calories

• 2 cups Celery stalks, chopped in half – 32 calories

Instructions

1. Spread 2 Tbsp peanut butter on tortilla.

2. Lay banana on one side of the tortilla, then roll up & cut into slices.

3. Dip the celery in the other Tbsp peanut butter. 

4. Gluten-free? Use a gluten free tortilla.

1 Cup Carrots and Hummus

145 calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

• ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories

Instructions

1. Dip carrots in hummus.

Eggs & “Heart” Bacon

276 calories

Ingredients

• 3 Uncured bacon, slice – 132 calories

• 2 Egg, large – 144 calories

• 1 tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Like a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with an oil spray.

3. Cut each piece of bacon in half. Arrange two halves into a heart shape.

4. Bake for ~15-18 minutes, check to make sure bacon doesn’t burn.

5. While bacon cooks, spray a pan with an oil spray. Whisk eggs in a bowl, pour onto pan. Turn heat to medium. Mix eggs frequently until cooked as desired. Top with seasonings.

6. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon.

Ham & Cheese Roll Ups

457 calories

Ingredients

• 4 oz Deli slices, ham – 140 calories

• 2 oz Cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/ regular – 220 calories

• 1 Tbsp Mustard, regular (brown, deli, etc.) – 15 calories

• 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

• ½ Tbsp Creamy dressing (e.g. ranch), regular (more than 50 calories per 2 tbsp) – 37 calories

Instructions

1. Layer cheese on top of ham.

2. Add mustard and roll into rolls as shown in the picture.

3. Serve carrots and dressing on the side.

4. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese or avocado.

Quick Pepper Sandwich with Cheese

222 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Bell pepper, red – 37 calories

• 2 oz Deli slices, turkey – 60 calories

• 1 oz Cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/ regular – 110 calories

• 1 Tbsp Mustard, regular (brown, deli, etc.) – 15 calories

Instructions

1. Slice pepper into four pieces.

2. Layer with turkey and cheese.

3. Top with mustard.

4. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or avocado.

1 Apple 1/8 Cup Nuts

177 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Apple, small – 77 calories

• ⅛ cup Nuts – 100 calories

1 Egg and Nectarine

135 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Egg, large – 72 calories

• 1 Nectarine, medium – 63 calories

Instructions

1. Hard boil egg.

1 Serving Jerky

120 calories

Ingredients

• 2 oz Turkey jerky – 120 calories

2 Hard Boiled Eggs

144 calories

Ingredients

• 2 Egg, large – 144 calories

Instructions

1. Hard boil eggs

Kale Chips

Kale is also one of the low-carb vegetables you can eat on a keto diet, so these kale chips are great for healthy snacks – they satisfy your craving for chips, while also being healthy, with no added sugar, and just a few grams of carbs. 

85 calories

Ingredients

• 4 cups Leafy greens, kale, raw – 60 calories

• 1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 25 calories

• 1 Garlic salt, dash – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray kale with an oil spray in a bowl and add sat and cheese, mix around.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Chia Seeds with Coconut Milk and Almond Butter

470 calories

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds – 60 calories

• 1 Tbsp Shelled hemp hearts – 60 calories

• 3 oz Coconut milk, reduced fat (oz) – 105 calories

• 1 Tbsp Almond butter – 101 calories (make sure to check the label to confirm it has no added sugar)

• 1 tsp Stevia – 0 calories

• ⅛ cup Pecans (cups) – 94 calories

• 1 cup Strawberries, fresh – 50 calories

Instructions

1. Combine coconut milk, hemp hearts, and chia seeds in a container (e.g. mason jar) and soak in fridge overnight.

2. In the morning, add almond butter, stevia, pecans, and strawberries (halved or quartered).

Chaffle Pancake

244 calories

Ingredients

• ½ Tbsp Almond flour/Almond meal – 20 calories

• ⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar – 152 calories

• 1 Egg, large – 72 calories

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Add mixture (will make 2 pancakes) to a non-stick pan (spray the pan with an oil spray first) and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side.

Round Wax Cheese

70 calories

1 each

Apple, medium

95 calories

1 each

1 Cup Veggies and Guac

131 calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup Carrots, baby – 22.5 calories

• ½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 8 calories

• 1 Guacamole, single-serving packet – 100 calories

Instructions

1. Dip veggies into guac

2. No guac packets? Use 1/4 cup guac.

2-Ingredient Chocolate Nut Bark with 2 Tbsp Nuts

304 calories

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp Chocolate chips – 210 calories (use dark chocolate chips to reduce sugar)

• 2 Tbsp Nuts (Tbsp units) – 94 calories

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate chips on the stove top or in the microwave. If you don’t have time to melt, just eat the dark chocolate chips on the side!

2. Lay nuts on a piece of tin foil. Pour melted chocolate over nuts.

3. Refrigerate until hardened (at least 20 minutes, it’s quick!).

4. No nuts? Use seeds. Roasted & salted nuts or seeds is fine.

Veggies and Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is great for healthy snacks, so pair it with some low-carb vegetables, and enjoy!

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