18 Balanced Snack Ideas

Finding a quick, healthy and balanced snack isn’t always easy. Planning snacks ahead of time is one way that you can achieve your nutrition goals and curb cravings throughout the day. These 18 balanced snack ideas will keep you full, provide you with energy and prevent afternoon binging. 

Balanced Snack Ideas

Apple Slices with Peanut Butter

Note: If you’re looking for a lower-calorie snack, cut back on the peanut butter by 1 tablespoon for a snack with 190 calories, 4 grams of protein, 8.5 grams of fat, and 29 grams of carbs.

Frozen Grapes & Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese Stick

½ cup red grapes with 1 low-fat mozzarella cheese stick provides:

Carrot Sticks & Hummus

10-12 baby carrot sticks with 2 tablespoons of classic hummus provide:

Pretzels or Crackers & Hummus

Note: calories and macronutrients may vary depending on type of cracker or pretzel

Mixed Nuts

1 oz (¼-⅓ cup) of mixed nuts provides:

Whole Wheat English Muffin with Almond Butter

1 Whole wheat English muffin, toasted with 1 Tbsp almond butter provides:

Note: Nutrients vary depending on the type of English muffin. The calories for this snack were calculated using a Thomas’ Whole Wheat English muffin. 

Edamame

1 cup of prepared edamame (shelled) provides a well balanced snack by itself with:

Note: Frozen edamame can be purchased shelled or in the pods. It’s best enjoyed topped with a little salt for seasoning. I prefer buying it pre-shelled so that I don’t have to do the extra work. It can be purchased in the frozen vegetable aisle at the grocery store.

Almonds & Banana

14 Almonds and 1 medium banana provide:

Homemade Bran Trail Mix

This homemade trail mix provides:

How to Make: Measure out ½ cup bran flakes, 1 tablespoon craisins (dried cranberries), and 12 almonds. Mix together in a snack baggie. 

Sugar Snap Peas & Baby Bell Cheese

1 mini Babybel cheese and 1 cup of sugar snap peas provides:

Cottage Cheese with Avocado & Tomato

This snack provides:

How to Make: Scoop a ½ cup of 2% cottage cheese into a bowl. Dice half of an avocado and slice ½ cup cherry tomatoes in half. Top the cottage cheese with the avocado and tomato. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt.
Note: To cut down on the fat a little: Use non-fat cottage cheese and ¼ of an avocado instead of a half of an avocado. The snack would then provide 149 calories, 9 g protein, 8 g fat, 4.5 g fiber, and 13 g carbohydrate

Red Bell Pepper & Guacamole

Simply cut half of a red bell pepper into slices and serve with ¼ cup guacamole. This provides:

Lite Vanilla Greek Yogurt with Blueberries

Top a 5.3 oz container of Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup blueberries to provide:

Lite Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedge on Reduced Fat Wheat Thins

One spreadable lite cheese wedge with 16 reduced fat Wheat Thins provides:

Balanced Snacks to Plan for Ahead of Time

Frozen Peanut Butter & Oat Balls

Two homemade oat balls provide:

How To Make: Combine the following in a bowl or KitchenAid mixer then mix together: 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup honey, ¼ cup ground flaxseed, & 1 tsp vanilla extract. Roll into 24 balls and freeze. 

Frozen Raspberries with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

This is a decadent, refreshing, and high-fiber treat that you don’t need to feel bad about eating!

How to Make: Rinse 1 cup of fresh raspberries. Lay them out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or wax paper. Melt 1 oz of dark chocolate (70-80% cacao) in the microwave. Dip the raspberries into the chocolate or drizzle the chocolate on top of the raspberries and freeze. 

Chia Pudding with Strawberries

This chia pudding with ½ cup sliced strawberries provides:

How to Make: Combine 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with ½ cup almond milk, 1 teaspoon honey, and a splash of vanilla. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Enjoy plain or topped with your favorite fruit! 
Note: In 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, you’ll get 5 grams of ALA omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are among the healthiest fats and adults should aim to get at least 1.6 grams each day. This snack is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Hard Boiled Eggs & Mixed Berries

2 Large hard boiled eggs & 1 cup of mixed berries provide:

How to Make: To make hard boiled eggs, add the desired number of eggs to a pot. Pour water into the pot to make sure eggs are covered by 2 inches of water. Add 1 T. vinegar, cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Once the pot reaches a boil, turn the heat off and allow to sit for 12-14 minutes. Pour the hot water out of the pot while replacing with cold water and ice to cool eggs quickly. Note: Use older eggs instead of fresh eggs since the older ones are much easier to peel. The vinegar also helps the eggs to be easier to peel.

Pictures taken from Canva.