Finding healthy snacks for weight loss is a priority for me because once I’m hungry, it’s over. Today I’m arming you with a ton of easy and delicious weight-loss snacks that will fill you up and fuel you throughout the day. These are the best snacks for weight loss and are just dang tasty too.

best snacks for weight loss including apple rings topped with nut butter, fresh fruit, coconut flakes, hemp hearts and almond slices.

Hunger usually hits me around 10:30 am while grocery shopping or doing a Lowe’s run. After running around the store, I catch a glimpse of the junk food by the register. My stomach immediately starts to ache, then my tastebuds salivate and it’s hard to turn down a cheap, tasty snack at that moment.

Table of Contents
  1. The Best Snacks
  2. Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss
  3. Baked Weight Loss Snacks
  4. No-Bake Weight Loss Snacks
  5. Snacking Dips
  6. FAQs

Then there’s bedtime when I realize I didn’t eat enough for dinner and I don’t want to go to bed hungry. The easy choice is something quick and dish-free, which usually isn’t very healthy.

Can you relate?

This is how we’ve been trained to fuel our body in a busy world — last minute and convenient. Yet it’s not going to get us the body we want. A strong, energetic body takes nutrient-rich snack fuel. I make a snack plan that I can switch up as needed day to day.

The Best Snacks

With the help of a holistic nutritionist back in 2011, I learned the secret to a wholesome snack to keep my health goals on track. A snack should keep you full until your next meal, and to do that it needs two important ingredients:

Healthy Fats: This will help satisfy your hunger cravings and help your body absorb the nutrients in the snack.

Protein: This will fuel your body and help build muscle. I prefer plant-based protein found in nuts and seeds, yet it’s totally up to you.

If a snack meets those two requirements, then I move on to what craving I have. Do I want something salty? Tart? Sweet? That’s when the “flavors” come into play. The below snack list covers a variety of taste preferences, so dive in and find a new favorite!

white text box with black text saying: snaccident, noun: snax-eh-dent, eating an entire bag of (insert fav snack) entirely by mistake.

Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss

Research shows a correlation between nutrient-dense snacking and breaking the cycle of overconsumption. If your body doesn’t dip into “hangry” status, often leading to nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods, then you won’t constantly be filling up on food that isn’t filling long-term.

Below is my list of plant-based snack recipes that are packed with protein, healthy fats and flavor explosions. Some take five minutes or less, and others can be made in advance and enjoyed throughout the week. I hope you enjoy some of these snack recipes and reach your weight loss goals.

Baked Weight Loss Snacks

Now, there is no secret snack that will have you dropping the lbs. And I don’t advocate for anything that touts a “get skinny quick” mentality. A healthy weight is achieved through healthy patterns in all areas of your life.

Making good snacking choices can lead to making good meal choices, which can help you sleep better and have more energy to regularly move your body. See how this works?

When I talk about healthy snacks for work or sleep tea or a post-workout smoothie I’m showing you how I try to use food to fuel my body in a beneficial way. This might take some time to figure out, yet I feel my best when I’m eating food that helps me. Now, let’s see the snacks!

Garlic Baked Chickpeas
5 from 4 votes
Crispy, crunchy, savory. These garlic-baked chickpeas are a serious snacking experience. They are surprisingly light and perfectly seasoned for that garlicky explosion you want. Eat them right away for the crispiest result!
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healthy granola in a glass jar with dried blueberries.
Healthy Granola with Blueberries
5 from 5 votes
This gluten-free granola recipe can be used as a smoothie bowl or yogurt topper, eaten as-is or enjoyed with a plant milk for a decadent cereal. Enjoy straight from the oven or store in an air-tight container to enjoy all week long!
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Ranch Cauliflower Popcorn
5 from 2 votes
Don't sleep on this savory snack option. Ranch Cauliflower Popcorn is crispy, seasoned to perfection, and as easy to eat as a bowl of, well, popcorn! It's seriously delicious and the perfect snack for any time of day.
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Vegan Protein Bars
5 from 22 votes
These delicious, wholesome vegan protein bars will give you the energy to get stuff done while nourishing your body with plant-based protein such as good-for-you nuts and seeds.
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Strawberry Vegan Muffins
5 from 13 votes
My whole family adores these strawberry vegan muffins, but I definitely love them the most. These muffins bring back childhood peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a sophisticated and more nutritious way.
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Tamari Oven Roasted Almonds
4.7 from 7 votes
Tamari, the deeper flavored cousin of soy sauce, goes splendidly with toasted almonds. Eat as is for a quick, filling snack or roughly chop and use as a savory salad topping.
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2 white bowls of roasted chickpeas snack on a colorful tea towel.
Curry Roasted Chickpeas Snack
5 from 3 votes
This snack is super filling yet hard to stop eating it's so yummy! I'm using Indian-inspired spices to make a curry-flavored roasted chickpeas snack that has 10 grams of protein per serving. A great snack by itself or tossed onto a salad for some powerful plant-based protein.
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No-Bake Weight Loss Snacks

If you want options that don’t require heating/baking, then I’ve got those, too! These recipes are just as easy to make in bulk to enjoy throughout the week. In fact, I usually pick three snacks and prep enough to rotate through to keep up the variety yet stretch my dollars and time further.

Strawberry Lemon Chia Pudding
5 from 5 votes
Snack in luxury with this strawberry lemon chia pudding. It's incredibly delicious and nutritious with 4 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and only 5 grams of sugar. Double or triple the recipe to prep once, yet have snacks for the week!
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Crunchy Carrot Salad
4.2 from 162 votes
This is my plant-powered take on a classic recipe. It is lighter, brighter, and not weighed down by mayo. Serve as-is for a wonderful side dish or double and enjoy as the main event.
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no-bake energy balls recipe with chocolate chips and oats.
No-Bake Energy Balls
5 from 1 vote
These no-bake energy balls are the perfect snack before a workout, to get over the afternoon slump (without coffee!) or to take on-the-go for any snack emergency.
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How to Make Chia Pudding
5 from 4 votes
Chocolate chia pudding makes the perfect snack, quick breakfast or unique brunch addition. Use it to top pancakes, inside a parfait or mixed with granola. You may need more than one spoon as it is entirely delicious and shareable!
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overnight oats recipe
Overnight Oats Recipe
5 from 8 votes
Start your day off right with this simply amazing overnight oats recipe thats's vegan-friendly and gluten-free. It's super easy to customize with the additions and boosters that will help you win your day, and easy to transport! Step aside oatmeal, there's a new way to eat oats that's here to stay.
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vegan snack recipe
Chocolate Covered Banana Bites
4.9 from 7 votes
Grab a friend and whip up these delicious bite-sized snacks. Chocolate covered banana bites are super easy to make, and oh so fun!
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3 glass jars full of vegan yogurt parfaits.
Vegan Yogurt
4.3 from 6 votes
If you're looking for a delicious recipe that is plant based, look no further. This fun, easy vegan yogurt recipe is great on its own, or turned into a parfait with the fruit compote and granola.
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lemon fat bombs
Lemon Fat Bombs
4.9 from 26 votes
These lemon fat bombs, or melt-aways, make a great quick afternoon snack. I should warn you, you really have to like lemons to enjoy these tart treats.
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Creamy Lime Popsicles
5 from 4 votes
This healthy popsicle recipe is creamy and refreshing on a hot summer day. Slightly sweet with loads of tangy fresh lime juice and plenty of creaminess from the avocado and coconut milk, it’s hard to believe these are a part of our Plant-Based Cleanse, but they totally are!
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Rich Coffee Smoothie
5 from 22 votes
Sip on this cool and creamy coffee smoothie for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. It's got the caffeine you want delivered in an oh-so-smooth beverage that has the bonus of fruits, veggies, protein, fiber and more.
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Apple Donuts
5 from 1 vote
These apple donuts have become a go-to snack thanks to how quick and easy they are to make. Get creative and have fun topping the apple rings with your favorite toppings.
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Snacking Dips

Sometimes just having a good dip on hand will help me eat more fruits and veggies. And these dips are heavy hitters: not only are they tasty, but they are also working overtime delivering healthy fats, protein and more so you can feel full eating a plate of cut vegetables.

Make a big batch of any of these then store them in individual portions so you can grab them whenever you want. Feel like over-achieving but don’t have the time? Take just 15 minutes and pick some of your favorite produce, wash and chop and pack those into single servings as well so you’ve got winning combos to grab whenever the snacking mood strikes.

How to make sun-dried tomato pesto
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
5 from 1 vote
Enjoy the best sun-dried tomato pesto recipe out there— I add it to pizza, salads, soups, toast and veggie bowls.
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5-Ingredient Date Caramel
4.9 from 7 votes
Hope you're sitting down because this healthy date caramel is going to blow your mind! Made with all-natural, plant-based ingredients and ZERO added sugar (no corn syrup!), this sauce is rawkin'. Use as a spread, dip, topping, sauce, filling, or just eat it by the spoonful.
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Layered Greek dip in glass dish
Layered Greek Dip
5 from 1 vote
This layered Greek dip is a Mediterranean-inspired dish loaded with sauces and marinated fresh vegetables to create an irresistible appetizer. This recipe is easy to double if you are feeding a large group.
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homemade hummus
Homemade Hummus
5 from 14 votes
With this recipe on hand, you'll never need store-bought hummus again! Along with iron-rich chickpeas, we've included loads of fresh, vibrant herbs to add extra vitamins, minerals to this herb hummus.
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vegan basil pesto in a glass jar surrounded by basil and walnuts.
Vegan Basil Pesto
5 from 3 votes
This vegan basil pesto is simple to make and packed with plant-based ingredients. The garlic blends perfectly with the basil for an authentic Italian flavor.
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cashew cream
Simple Cashew Cream
4.9 from 32 votes
Cashew cream is a deliciously creamy way to take your meals to a new level! This recipe highlights how easy it is to make cashew cream multiple ways. Each variation uses 1/2 cup cashews, but depending on your blender or food processor, it may be easier to make one large batch then flavor individually!
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nut butter recipes
Homemade Nut Butter
5 from 3 votes
Nothing compares to the ultra creamy texture and flavor of homemade nut butter. Try these as an alternative to peanut butter to make sandwiches, sauces, dressings, cookies, and more. Or use as a luxurious, decadent dip for apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, pretzels, carrots, celery, or anything dip-able.
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Chipotle Ranch Dressing
5 from 1 vote
I love creating dips and dressings that are quick and can be used on a variety of dishes. This vegan chipotle ranch dressing is exactly that recipe! Originally created as the dipping sauce in my avocado fries, this condiment is fast becoming a staple in my fridge.
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FAQs

What is the best snack for weight loss?

To know whether your snack is going to benefit your body, ask yourself these questions: Does it have good healthy fat? How much protein does it contain? If there are carbs, how many are fiber? Is there added sugar or only natural sugar? These are all important components of a healthy snack.

What should I eat at night to lose weight?

Nighttime snacks should be lower in sugar and higher in protein so that your blood sugar doesn’t drop or spike too much while sleeping. It should also be something light as heavy, greasy foods can keep you awake.

Is snacking healthy for me?

It can be! I like to use snacks to fuel my body, but they also have to taste good. Reach for snacks with a good mix of protein, healthy fats, and whole-food carbs to give your body the right nutrients. Most commercial snack food is missing one of these elements and can lead to spikes or drops in blood sugar, the inability to focus, or sleepiness. Healthy snacks for weight loss are filling and should give you sustainable energy, better focus, and keep your blood sugar stable.

Is it bad to snack all day?

It really depends on what your snacks are, to decide if it’s going to fuel your metabolism. Oftentimes, snacks are foods that have a longer shelf life, fewer nutrients and less water content. Even healthy snacks are cutting corners on your overall health. Meals are when we use the freshest vegetables, fruits, grains and nutrient-rich foods. Just like most things, balance is key. Snacks are here for the “gap zone,” yet aren’t a substitute for a nutritious fresh meal.

The key to weight loss success is having the right kind of snacks on hand that’ll satisfy your cravings, encourage weight loss, and pretty much put the HANGRY beast to bed.

Oftentimes, we think we are hungry when we are not. Thirsty and hungry are two signals the body tends to mix up. So if I’m feeling hungry, I reach for a glass of water before I even toy with the idea of a snack. If I’m still hungry 20 minutes later, then it’s time to fuel up.

Which one of these snacks sounds like a winner to you? Drop a comment below and let me know what you want to snack on this week!

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Comments

  1. Those Apple “donuts” are really good and fun to make! My coworkers would ooh and ahh when I have them! Lol

  2. I’m loving all the information you are giving out, the smoothies and the Almond recipes look so good, I can’t wait to get started
    , Thank You
    Sandra Trueman

  3. 5 stars
    I was blessed enough to discover this website and can’t thank you enough Jen for providing this much help/resources! Really shows your genuine desire to aid others. I recently started eating only from home for weight loss purposes – as eating out has been a nasty habit of mine – and I’ve been especially enjoying the recipes on the site.

    1. Thanks so much for your kind words Alicia!! Way to rawk more plants and whole foods by eating at home!

  4. I’m not that much of an internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road