25 Simple Keto Diet Snacks for Becoming (or Staying!) Keto Adapted

Endless research has been coming out about the large variety of health benefits associated with the keto diet. Boosting your healthy fat content and lowering your carbs and sugars is the gateway to lowered inflammation, a healthier heart, balanced hormones, a boosted brain, diabetes prevention, and so much more.

It can also be one of the more frustrating diets to follow – let’s face it: the keto diet is restrictive.

I know what it’s like to be committed to a way of eating that you know without a doubt is benefitting your body – and to feel, at the same exact time, hungry or cranky because you’re not getting the food you’re craving.

The key to staying satiated on the keto diet – which keeps you compliant for the long haul – are well-chosen keto snacks: little bites that can ward off hunger, offer that satisfying crunch, and even indulge your sweet tooth in diet-appropriate ways. When your belly and taste buds are happy, you’re going to be able to keep at it and get those great keto results.

That’s why I have created a list of 25 keto diet snacks that can fall in line with your daily macronutrient breakdown: high fat, moderate protein, and low carb.

And the best part? Each and every one of these ketogenic snacks require minimal to no prep. You don’t need a complicated step-by-step recipe. Just grab and go. So all you keto followers, be encouraged: we’re about to elevate your snacking game.

Anatomy of the Best Keto Snacks

So what do keto diet snacks look like? Ideally, they should fit into your chosen ketogenic macronutrient breakdown. Each person/plan will do the keto macros a little differently, but here are common percentages:

• Fat: Somewhere between 60% to 90%
• Protein: Somewhere between 20% to 35%
• Carb: Somewhere around 5%, sometimes slightly higher

That’s why each of our 25 best keto snacks below followed three particular specifications:

• High Fat: When you don’t keep your fat intake high enough, your body is going to resort back to using carbohydrates for your energy consumption, and you will lose your state of ketosis (which is the basis for all the health benefits). You could spend all this effort making the perfect high-fat meals and then ruin it with low-fat snacks. None of ours will do this.
• Low Sugar / Low Net Carb: To stay in ketosis, most experts suggest somewhere between 20 and 50 grams of carbs each day. That adds up quickly: 1 medium apple has about 25 grams of carbohydrates. All ketogenic snacks below will help you keep that low goal daily.
• Not processed: Carbs (and sugars in particular) tend to hide in processed foods, and the large majority of typical “snack food” is highly processed. This is why the majority of foods on this list of keto snacks are going to be from whole food sources.

Can You Snack Too Much?

For the most part, the keto diet is focused primarily on what types of food you eat as well as the percentage of your macronutrients, and not a daily calorie count.

If you are happy with your weight – or even want to bulk up some – you’re not going to have to worry as much about eating too many keto snacks from day to day. You can probably allow your inner hunger alarm to clue you in on when you need some extra snack calories.

But anybody on a weight loss journey will still need to have a caloric deficit. So yes, you can technically snack too much if your goal is to lose weight. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t snack at all – a well-placed snack can help keep your blood sugar balanced and keep your mood elevated throughout the day. But you can’t go overboard.

That being said, the real keto concern here is not snacking too much in general, but snacking too much on the wrong type of snack.

While everything on our list of best keto snacks is acceptable as generally keto-friendly, eating too much of certain options will bring you out of ketosis.

• Having too much sugar/carbs: Some of the keto snacks below include things like berries. These are nutrient-rich and a great way to indulge your sweet tooth since they are low in sugar (especially compared to fruits like bananas or mangos). But at the end of the day, they still have sugar. Overdoing it on this type of snack can be problematic.
• Having too much protein: Some of the keto snacks are also pretty high protein (like the dried meat, for example). While it is imperative to have enough protein for optimal health, protein turns into sugar if we consume too much, which is exactly what we want to avoid on the keto diet. Plus, too much protein may actually suppress your body’s production of ketones.

One of the easiest ways to avoid this issue is to mix up your snack routine. One day you may enjoy some berries, so the next day focus on a high fat choice like avocado, and so on.

25 Easy Keto Snacks

Now we get to the fun part: 25 keto friendly snacks you can incorporate into your day. Each is quick and simple, requiring either no effort or minimal effort on your part. I will even list a few brands that offer keto-friendly products you can buy – this will make your life and diet 10x easier.

1. Nuts, Seeds, or Trail Mix

A handful of nuts couldn’t be simpler (or more filling!).

When it comes to trail mix, the store-bought kind can contain added sugar and bad fats, so go homemade.

Just blend your favorite nuts and seeds with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Avoid dried fruits or candy. If you need something sweet, add a small handful of cocoa nibs or coconut flakes into your mix.

2. Avocado with Mustard

Mustard is one of the best condiments to add to keto snacks because it’s low in sugar and packed with flavor. Just chunk or slice the avocado and dip it in a side of high-quality mustard.

3. Hard Boiled Eggs

With high fat, high protein, and high mineral content – you can’t lose with hard boiled eggs. Hard boiled eggs are good in the fridge for up to one week. I like to take a carton of eggs and boil them on the weekends for easy snacking on busy work days.

4. Olives

Olives are a great way to satisfy your salt craving without giving into chips or crackers. You can enjoy 4 olives and only have 1 gram of carbohydrate (but you’re also getting 1.5 grams of that awesome monounsaturated fat, as well as healthy antioxidants and iron).

5. Veggies and Keto-Friendly Dip

Some of my favorite ketogenic snacks are sliced veggies – especially cucumbers, celery, and bell peppers. I will dip them raw or roast them and then dip in Primal Kitchen brand dressing for full flavor, high nutrients, and low sugar.

6. Keto Coffee

Who said keto snacks had to be something you bite into? Adding butter or coconut oil to your coffee can help you feel full, but it also helps the caffeine give you a steadier energy boost instead of a high and crash. Added bonus: keto coffee also tastes delicious and indulgent.

7. Cup of Bone Broth

Not only is bone broth one of the best keto snacks, but it is also a massive gut healer and immune system booster.

When I make a big batch of homemade bone broth, I’ll save it in ice cube trays in the freezer. I’ll just pop out a cube or two to heat on the stove whenever I want a soothing sip of health.

8. Berries with Coconut Milk

Just because the keto diet is low carb/low sugar does not mean you should avoid fruits entirely. Berries are super low glycemic options that pack a punch of antioxidants and other nutrients. Pouring chilled full-fat coconut milk over your bowl of fresh berries makes this keto snack creamy and luxurious, while adding some extra healthy fat.

9. Celery Sticks or ½ Green Apple with Almond Butter

Sometimes only crunchy things will satisfy the snack urge. By pairing these two green plants with almond butter, you are getting some healthy fat, but you’re also really stopping your hunger from bothering you. Eating a full apple would not fall under the category of best keto snacks due to the high carb content. Stick to only eating one half for your snack and share the other half or save it for another day.

10. Fat Bombs

Fat bombs are dearly beloved keto snacks in the keto community. They are like energy balls, but made from full fat ingredients instead of oats. A common combo is melted coconut oil, cacao powder, and softened almond butter – but the options are literally endless. Just combine and freeze.

11. Jalapeno Poppers

If you want your snacks to be full of flavor and feel like a luxury, I have three words for you: keto jalapeno poppers. You get bacon, cream cheese, and jalapenos all in one heavenly bite. Check out our very own keto jalapeño poppers recipe here.

12. Epic Brand Snack Bars

Most protein and snack bars are marketed as a health alternative, but are really just as sugary as a candy bar. The Epic brand meat-based protein bars offer the same type of convenience with high protein, high fat, and low carb. This tops the list of keto snacks that require absolutely no energy.

13. Go Raw! Flax Crackers

Sometimes nothing can beat a good cracker, but they are almost always stuffed with carbs. These Go Raw! Crackers are filled with seeds instead. Plus, they come in fun flavors like zesty pizza and spicy fiesta to keep it interesting for your taste buds.

14. Seaweed or Kale Chips

Almost all chips are a no-go when it comes to keto friendly snacks, but two options can save the day: seaweed or kale chips. Both of these highly nutritious greens make the perfect crisp you can buy for convenience (just check the package to make sure there aren’t any additives) or easily make at home yourself.

15. Pieces of Dark Chocolate

For most people, the ability to enjoy something luxuriously dessert-like is the key to maintaining a diet over the long-term. Keto snacks certainly don’t have to deprive you of the simple pleasures in life.

The goal is to aim for a chocolate in the 85% to 99% range, so you’re getting more of the fibrous, mineral-dense cocoa instead of the sugar.

I love Green and Black dark chocolate bars for this. They are delicious chocolate bars with good ingredients.

Pro tip: You can also find stevia-sweetened chocolate, which can allow your chocolate to still taste sweet, but not pull you out of ketosis.

16. Beef Jerky

This is a nice one because it doesn’t have to be refrigerated – it can easily go in a purse or backpack. Not just any beef jerky will do when it comes to keto diet snacks. You need to choose a brand that only uses grass-fed meat and no added sugar.

17. Dill Pickles

There’s something so satisfying about biting into a good pickle. It’s like a nostalgic crunch of childhood. Cucumbers are often touted as a good produce option for the keto diet, so pickles follow suit. Dill pickles are high in fiber, antioxidants, and gut-healing probiotics. They’re also low in calories and sugar, so have fun.

18. Avocado Turkey Roll-Up

You often find turkey and avocado paired in sandwich offerings, so we’re taking that idea and making it fit our keto friendly snacks. This one couldn’t be easier. Take slices of turkey and wrap them around slices of avocado. (Hint: this can make a great quick lunch too, especially with a little cream cheese for added fat and protein.)

19. Raw Grass-fed Cheese Slices

Cheese is one of those things we often associate with indulging, so it can be a great snack to satisfy both your taste buds and your mind – all without throwing you out of ketosis. Grass-fed (which is the key word here) cheese is higher in fat than it is protein and it has zero sugar grams, perfect for keto snacks.

20. Milk Kefir

Milk kefir is a creamy, delicious, and filling drink on the go that also improves your gut health (thanks to fermentation). Just make sure to watch for too much added sugar. Get the unsweetened kind and add a couple drops of stevia and/or keto protein powder on your own.

21. Greek Yogurt/Cottage Cheese with Berries

In order to qualify as real keto snacks, your yogurt should be full-fat and unsweetened, and your cottage cheese should be the full-fat version as well (no “light” allowed).

Add a few berries for flavor and even a drop of stevia. This can make a good after-dinner snack if you want something that feels dessert-like.

22. Guacamole

There’s a reason avocados keep popping up on our list of ketogenic snacks – they are super fatty and nutritious. Instead of chips, dip a few veggie sticks in the guac (or a couple Go Raw! Flax crackers).

23. Sardines

If we were all being honest, sardines may not naturally top most people’s list of “oh my goodness, I can’t wait to eat this snack right now” food items. But don’t knock these fish until you’ve tried them. There’s 11 grams of fat and over 300% of your vitamin B12 needs (hello boosted energy!).

24. Easy Keto Caprese

This is keto snacks gone fancy. Toss some halved cherry tomatoes in with a few chunks of full-fat, grass-fed white cheese. Drizzle olive oil (and a few ribbons of fresh basil if you’re feeling ambitious) on top, and you have a simple snack that feels like a real treat.

25. Leftovers

Taking a few bites of the dinner you didn’t quite finish last night can be tasty and filling – plus, it helps prevent wasted grocery store purchases. To transform it into ketogenic snacks, don’t scoop a full meal portion. Just heat up a few bites.

Enjoy Your Keto Snacks

Of course, you can take any of these keto friendly snacks ideas and build upon them. Get creative. Dip your celery in cream cheese instead of almond butter or use ham instead of turkey for your avocado roll up. Try blueberries on your yogurt one day and raspberries the next. This variation helps you in two ways:

• Your snacks will never feel boring, which means your keto diet will never feel boring
• You will get a better variety of different foods each day, which is valuable for overall health (including gut health!) in a more restrictive diet like keto

Hopefully what this ketogenic snacks list shows you is following the keto diet closely doesn’t have to leave you miserable and hungry. Many snacks are entirely compliant and delicious – as well as filling.

So make or buy a few of these keto diet snacks this weekend and see how they make your week so much easier (and more enjoyable).

What are your favorite keto snacks? Do you have a fat bomb recipe you love to make? Share all your keto snack secrets in a comment below.

 

Sources:

1. Slajerova, Martina (2015). Complete Keto Diet Food List: What To Eat and Avoid. KetoDiet Blog. Retrieved from: https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/01/03/Keto-Diet-Food-List-What-to-Eat-and-Avoid
2. Taylor, Marygrace. (2017). What The Heck Are Fat Bombs? And Why They’re Actually Good For You. Prevention. Retrieved from:  https://www.prevention.com/eatclean/what-are-fat-bombs
3. Tasteaholics. 30 Low Carb Snacks (Keto Snacks). Retrieved from: https://www.tasteaholics.com/keto-diet/30-low-carb-snacks-keto-snacks-to-enjoy/