With the rise in intermittent fasting and even the one-meal-a-day diet, it can feel like there’s much less emphasis on snacks and snacking throughout the day.
However, the truth is that having healthy snacks in between meals is an effective approach to managing hunger, meeting nutritional needs, regulating blood sugar levels, and supporting workouts.
It also allows for smaller, spaced-out eating throughout the day rather than consolidating all caloric intake into three “square meals“ a day or a couple of large meals with no snacks.
Depending on your daily caloric needs and how many calories you have per meal, a common snack is usually about 200 calories.
In this article, we will discuss the common nutritional goals of a 200 calorie snack and provide a list of the best 200 calorie snacks to help give you some inspiration for healthy munching in between meals, whether it be to lose weight, fuel workouts, and/or control your appetite.
We will look at:
- What Are the Best Snacks Under 200 Calories?
- List of 16 Great 200 Calorie Snacks
Let’s get started!
What Are the Best Snacks Under 200 Calories?
When you’re trying to lose weight or stick to a diet, it can be frustrating to feel hungry in between meals.
You may worry that adding snacks will put you over your caloric limits for the day or that a small snack will quickly avalanche into uncontrolled eating.
However, according to a review, having regular mini-meals or snacks can boost the nutritional value of your overall diet, promote satiety, curb overeating later, and thus help support weight loss.
Therefore, making the right healthy snack choices has the potential to be a great way to enhance your nutrient intake while keeping you on track with your weight loss goals.However, keep in mind that what you eat for your snack matters.
There are plenty of healthy snacks under 200 calories, and sticking with 200 calorie snacks is generally a good target for most people looking to help control appetite between meals.
However, research suggests people tend to select energy-dense, unhealthy snacks like sweets, sugary beverages, and salty foods.
Snacking in between meals can account for around one-quarter to one-third of your total daily calories.
Therefore, if you’re not choosing nutritious foods under 200 calories to have in your 200 calorie snacks, you can potentially derail your weight loss goals and nutritional needs.
Keep in mind that while it’s not generally possible to have full, well-balanced 200 calories meals, there are plenty of foods under 200 calories per serving that you can pair together for healthy 200 calories snack ideas that meet various macronutrient ratios and dietary goals.
List of 16 Great 200 Calorie Snacks
Here is a list of some of the best snacks under 200 calories to help you stay satiated between meals, boost your nutrient intake, and support healthy weight management:
#1: Hummus and Veggies
There are about 35 calories in one tablespoon of hummus, so you can have 3 tablespoons of hummus and an array of healthy veggies for your 200 calorie snacks.
#2: Baked Apple
Many people turn to 100 calorie snack packs, sugar-free Jell-O, light ice cream, or fat-free cookies when they want a sweet, low-calorie snack, but all of these foods are highly refined and likely won’t leave you satisfied from either an appetite or taste standpoint.
Instead, you can make a baked apple in the oven or a quick apple crisp in the microwave as a healthy 200 calorie dessert snack.
One medium apple sliced or cored and then sprinkled with cinnamon, a 1/2 cup of rolled oats, two tablespoons of chopped walnuts, and a tiny drizzle of honey or Stevia makes for a warm, sweet treat that has more fiber than processed 200 calorie snack packs.
#3: 6 Cups of Air-Popped Popcorn
For a high-volume snack under 200 calories, you can have a whopping 6 cups of air-popped popcorn.
Popcorn is often overlooked as a healthy snack option because it gets lumped in with unhealthy snack food options like chips, but plain, air-popped popcorn is a great low-calorie snack that actually has a surprising amount of fiber and additional nutrients.
Try to stay away from 100-calorie snack packs of popcorn because these microwave packs usually contain trans fats so that they have “fat-free butter flavor,“ other artificial flavors, lots of added salt, or artificial sweeteners if it is a low-calorie kettle corn.
Instead, pop your own popcorn on a stovetop or an air popper.
You can add a little bit of sea salt or other spices to flavor your popcorn, such as paprika, dill, cumin, cinnamon, or a little bit of nutritional yeast (spices and herbs will not add calories with the exception of nutritional yeast, which adds some protein, fiber, and tons of B vitamins, and imparts a Parmesan cheese-like flavor).
#4: Avocado Boats
If you are following the keto diet, you need high-fat snacks under 200 calories.
A good keto snack under 200 calories is an avocado boat.
One whole avocado contains about 320 calories, which means that you can have half an avocado for 160 calories. Then, you can split one whole extra large egg between the two halves.
Bake the avocado boats and enjoy one of the two halves for a 200 calorie keto diet snack and save the other half for later or share it with a partner.
Alternatively, you can have ½ of the fresh avocado with a half a cup of salsa as another low-carb keto snack under 200 calories.
#5: Almonds
Each almond has about 7 calories, so you can have 28 almonds for a low-carb 200 calorie snack, or have 14 almonds for 100 calories and use your other 100 calories for low-fat cheese or a piece of fruit (if you are eating carbs).
#6: Cottage Cheese and Fruit
When looking for healthy foods under 200 cal, you can’t go wrong with cottage cheese.
It is packed with protein, which means that a 200 calorie snack composed primarily of cottage cheese is going to keep you satiated for quite a long time relative to simple carbs like pretzels, crackers, cereal bars, or even something healthier like plain fruit.
A serving of low-fat cottage cheese, which is 4 ounces, has only 80 calories and 14 grams of protein.
Therefore, you can have a full cup and get a whopping 28 grams of protein for only 160 calories for a protein-packed snack under 200 calories.
With your remaining 40 calories, you can add a wedge of melon chopped up or a handful of blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
If you choose no-salt-added cottage cheese, you can have a sweet 200 calorie high-protein snack that will leave you feeling good about your food choices as well as energized and fueled until your next meal.
#7: Greek Yogurt Parfait
Another high-protein snack under 200 calories is Greek yogurt.
Plain Greek yogurt provides 23 grams of protein and only 133 calories in one cup (8 ounces or 227 grams).
You can turn the Greek yogurt into a more satisfying parfait by adding a sprinkle of flaxseeds or Chia seeds, cinnamon, and low-sugar fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for a dash of natural sweetness while still keeping your mini 200 calorie meal.
#8: Lean Protein Shake
If you are on the go, you can make a protein shake for a quick little meal under 200 calories.
A serving or a scoop of natural, unsweetened protein powders generally contains 80 to 140 calories. You can add unsweetened almond milk to keep the snack under 200 calories.
If you are using a particularly lean protein powder, you can probably also add a handful of berries and spinach for extra nutrients and flavor.
#9: Greek Yogurt Pops
In the summertime, or if you prefer cold 200 calorie snacks that are healthier than ice cream or highly processed low-fat ice cream treats, you can make your own Greek yogurt pops.
You can do so by blending Greek yogurt with some fruit and a little bit of unsweetened almond milk and then pouring the mixture into popsicle molds and freezing it until set.
You can even use unsweetened cocoa powder with nonfat plain Greek yogurt and add some Stevia or a little bit of natural sweetener for decadent 200 calorie dessert snacks.
#10: Deviled Eggs
One extra large egg has 80 calories and about 6 g of protein.
The number of calories in a serving of mustard varies depending on the specific type of mustard you are eating and the brand that you choose, but usually, 1 teaspoon (6 g) contains about 3.66 calories.
You can have two whole hard-boiled deviled eggs (4 halves) whipped up with mustard and paprika for a high-protein snack well under 200 calories with almost zero carbs.
#11: String Cheese With a Few Nuts or a Piece of Fruit
Most string cheeses are relatively low in fat and protein-packed, with about 60 calories per string cheese.
Therefore, you can pair your cheese with a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts for a filling 200 snack idea.
#12: Turkey Jerky and Cheese
If you are on a low-carb diet, eating a low-sodium turkey jerky or some low-sodium sliced turkey with a mozzarella string cheese is a great low-carb snack under 200 calories.
If you don’t mind the carbs, you can swap out the cheese for one cup of grapes.
#13: Cauliflower Rice Sushi
If you are looking for more of a 200 calorie meal than a to-go snack, you can make cauliflower rice sushi using riced cauliflower, nori, cucumber, shredded carrot, and a little bit of lean protein such as tofu, fish, eel, or even egg.
#14: Tuna Salad
A no-carb 200 calorie snack or 200 calorie meal idea is tuna salad made with mustard and celery.
#15: Healthy Protein Bars
There are some healthy protein bars that are under 200 calories. Just make sure to read the label and avoid protein bars with artificial sweeteners, especially sugar alcohols.
#16: Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas (¾ cup) are a great snack under 200 calories. Season them with salt and pepper or dried spices.
Ultimately, the best 200 calorie snacks are satiating and nutritionally dense so that you can control your appetite in between meals without sabotaging your weight loss goals or derailing your calorie targets by having a high-calorie snack or mindless munching in between meals.
Looking to cut your calories even more with some healthy 100 calorie snack ideas? Check out our list here.
