Eating healthy, diet snacks during the day boosts your energy and helps maintain blood sugar levels. Having a snack between meals takes the edge off hunger and curbs the desire to over-eat. Proper snacking requires portion control; diet snacks should be small and contain approximately 100 to 200 calories to avoid becoming a full meal. A variety of fruits, vegetables and snack foods can be considered ideal, low-calorie diet snacks.
Vegetables
Healthy, low-calorie vegetables are a nutritious choice for a diet food snack. Eating raw vegetables during the day or as an evening snack helps fill you up and satisfies the urge for something crunchy. One stalk of celery contains five calories; add a teaspoon of peanut butter to give it a little extra flavor. Four ounces of sliced or baby carrots has 22 calories and one eight-ounce cucumber has 15 calories. Cauliflower, red and green peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and radishes are healthy, diet-friendly vegetables.
Sweet Treats
Maintaining a healthy diet doesn't mean that sweets are off-limits. There are a number of low-calorie sweet treats available that help satisfy a sweet tooth. Low-fat, sugar-free gelatin and pudding cups come in a variety of flavors and are under 100 calories. Eight vanilla wafer cookies have approximately 140 calories; a slice of whole-grain cinnamon-raisin bread contains 80 calories. Frozen whole-fruit sorbet and plain, low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit are nutritious and healthy, sweet snacks.
Fruits
Fruits are low-calorie diet snacks filled with healthy vitamins and nutrients. They travel well and often help satisfy the urge for something sweet. One medium-sized apple contains 80 calories, one cup of grapes has 58 calories and a medium-sized orange has 62 calories. A fruit salad made of one cup of cantaloupe, one cup of watermelon and one cup of strawberries contains approximately 160 calories. Bananas, peaches, plums and pears are all excellent, diet-friendly fruits perfect for snacking.
Salty Snacks
Enjoying a favorite salty snack doesn't have to signal the end of a diet. Whole-grain or wheat snack crackers, rice cakes and pretzels satisfy the urge for salty flavor and crunch, without adding unwanted fat and calories. Add a slice or two of low-fat cheese or lean deli turkey to crackers for a little extra flavor. Light microwave or air-popped popcorn makes a healthy, salty snack that travels well. Tortillas and salsa are a good substitute for the normal, high-calorie chips and dip.
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