Healthy Snacks and Smoothies for Weight Loss
Healthy snacks for weight loss are small, planned portions of everyday foods, such as fruit, vegetable sticks, yoghurt, eggs or a small handful of unsalted nuts, eaten when you are hungry between meals. Smoothies can count too, but milk-based smoothies are high in energy, so what goes into the blender matters.
Everything here is general information, not medical advice, and results vary between individuals. If you plan to change your diet, a dietitian can help you with a food program tailored to your needs.
On this page
- Key Points
- What Makes a Snack Healthy When You Want to Lose Weight?
- Healthy Snack Ideas and Their Kilojoules
- How to Fit Snacks Into Your Day
- Are Smoothies Good for Weight Loss?
- Five Smoothie Recipes With Kilojoules
- Snacks, Smoothies and Physical Activity
- Where Medical Weight Loss Treatment Fits
- Frequently Asked Questions
Key Points
Healthy snacks come from the five food groups: vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean protein foods and dairy or alternatives.
Snacks count toward your daily kilojoules, so plan them inside a daily target rather than on top of it.
For packaged snacks, check the nutrition information panel before you buy.
Discretionary snacks such as chips, lollies and biscuits are usually smaller and less filling for the same kilojoules.
A smoothie made with fruit, vegetables and milk or yoghurt can be part of a healthy diet, but liquid kilojoules add up.
What Makes a Snack Healthy When You Want to Lose Weight?
A healthy snack gives you nutrients and helps you feel full for the kilojoules it carries. It helps to enjoy a wide variety of foods from the five food groups and to limit foods high in saturated fat, added salt and added sugar (Australian Dietary Guidelines).
Foods outside those groups are called discretionary choices. One serve is the amount that holds 600 kJ, such as half a small (25 g) bar of chocolate, 2 to 3 sweet biscuits or 30 g of salty crackers. A serve of a discretionary food can hold about the same kilojoules as a serve from the five food groups, but it is usually much smaller and less filling, and does not provide the fibre and nutrients you need (Eat for Health).
Two things help a snack fill you up:
Fibre. High-fibre foods tend to provide fewer kilojoules per gram, and they are often bulky and filling (Better Health Channel).
Protein. Snacks high in protein can help you feel fuller for longer (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute).
Healthy Snack Ideas and Their Kilojoules
The table shows nine snack ideas with energy and protein worked out for the amount shown.
| Snack and amount | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberries, 1 cup (150 g) | 200 kJ (50 cal) | 1 g |
| Carrot sticks (75 g), hummus (20 g) | 320 kJ (80 cal) | 2 g |
| Apple, 1 medium (150 g) | 360 kJ (90 cal) | 0 g |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained (75 g) | 360 kJ (90 cal) | 5 g |
| Tuna in brine, drained (100 g) | 540 kJ (130 cal) | 26 g |
| Wholemeal crispbreads, 3 (35 g) | 550 kJ (130 cal) | 4 g |
| Natural yoghurt (200 g) | 610 kJ (150 cal) | 10 g |
| Eggs, hard-boiled, 2 large (120 g) | 680 kJ (160 cal) | 15 g |
| Almonds, unsalted (30 g) | 720 kJ (170 cal) | 6 g |
Energy and protein use the Australian Food Composition Database (Food Standards Australia New Zealand), multiplied by the amount shown and rounded. Calories are the kilojoules shown divided by 4.2, rounded to the nearest 10. Amounts follow the national serve sizes where one applies. The figures are arithmetic only, and brands differ, so check the label.
A few patterns stand out. Fruit and plain vegetables carry the fewest kilojoules for their weight, and a dip adds more. Tuna, eggs and yoghurt carry the most protein. Nuts sit highest, so keep nut portions small when you are aiming to lose weight: nuts are high in nutrients but also high in kilojoules. A 30 g serve of nuts is about 30 almonds or one handful.
More ideas from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute's healthy snack list:
vegetables such as snow peas, capsicum, cucumber or tomatoes with a little tzatziki, salsa or hummus
a small tin of salt-reduced baked beans, chickpeas or lentils
a slice of wholegrain bread or a few crispbreads with reduced-fat ricotta or cottage cheese, sliced tomato, or a quarter of a smashed avocado
1 to 2 cups of air-popped popcorn, or 5 to 10 olives
a small glass of reduced-fat milk, or a small milk-based coffee
Sweet Snack Ideas
If you want something sweet, fruit is the simplest choice. Fresh, frozen or canned fruit all count, and fruit-based desserts such as stewed or poached fruit are healthy and nutritious. Fruit with a little natural yoghurt also works as a sweet snack. Choose canned fruit packed in juice, not syrup. Other sweet options on the same healthy snack list as above include sugar-free gum and mints, sugar-free lollies and jellies, and pumpkin seed snack bars.
How to Fit Snacks Into Your Day
Snacks count toward your daily kilojoules. To set a daily target, read what a calorie deficit is and how to work out yours and how many calories a day you need to lose weight. If you track protein as well, see how to work out your macros for weight loss.
These habits help:
Plan meals and snacks ahead. Planning helps you track what you eat and makes shopping easier.
Check the label on packaged snacks. Look at the nutrition information panel: a healthy snack has less than 600 kJ per serving (healthdirect). That guide is for packaged foods. Some whole-food serves in the snack table, such as yoghurt, eggs and almonds, sit a little above it, so keep those portions in check.
Move part of a meal to later. Keep the fruit from lunch for afternoon tea, or a fruit-based dessert from dinner for a supper snack, so you stay within your recommended serves of fruit (Eat for Health).
Snack when you are hungry. Do your best to avoid eating when you are not hungry, and eat until you have had enough, not until you are full. Eating when you are not hungry is one of the common causes covered in why you may not be losing weight.
Do not skip meals to save kilojoules. Skipping meals can leave you tired and short on nutrients, and you are more likely to overeat when you do eat (Better Health Channel).
Fresh fruit for dessert is a simple swap, and a mid-morning muffin can be swapped for a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts and seeds. For more small changes like these, see how to lose weight without exercise.
Are Smoothies Good for Weight Loss?
They can be, depending on what goes in and how much you drink. A smoothie made from fruit or vegetables with milk or yoghurt includes foods from the five food groups, and pureeing fruit or vegetables into a smoothie is one simple way to serve them (Better Health Channel).
Smoothies can also add a lot of energy. Milk-based smoothies are among the high-energy snacks suggested for people who are trying to gain weight (healthdirect). If you are trying to lose weight, stay within your recommended serves of fruit, which is 2 serves a day for adults.
Fruit juice is a different drink. Juice is best drunk only occasionally, because it has less fibre and other nutrients than whole fruit, and whole fruit is more filling (Eat for Health).
To keep a smoothie in proportion:
count it as a snack or part of a meal, not as a drink on the side
build it on whole fruit or vegetables, not juice
use reduced-fat milk, natural yoghurt or water as the base
leave out honey, syrups, ice cream and sugar-sweetened drinks
Small additions change the total. In the same food database, 20 g of honey adds about 230 kJ. Two scoops (75 g) of regular ice cream count as a full discretionary serve.
Five Smoothie Recipes With Kilojoules
Each recipe makes one glass. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
| Smoothie | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry and chia | 630 kJ (150 cal) | 8 g |
| Green kiwi and pineapple | 630 kJ (150 cal) | 7 g |
| Mango and ginger | 730 kJ (170 cal) | 9 g |
| Blueberry and peanut | 950 kJ (230 cal) | 11 g |
| Banana and oat | 1,000 kJ (240 cal) | 12 g |
The figures use the same food database and method as the snack table, and are arithmetic only. The blueberry and banana smoothies carry the most energy, so they fit better as part of a breakfast than as an extra between meals. All five carry more energy than a piece of fruit, so plan a glass in place of a snack or as part of a meal, not on top of them. Outcomes vary between individuals.
1. Strawberry and Chia
150 g strawberries, fresh or frozen (1 cup, one serve of fruit)
100 mL reduced-fat milk
100 mL water
20 g natural yoghurt
10 g chia seeds
This recipe is adapted from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute's snack smoothie.
2. Green Kiwi and Pineapple
30 g baby spinach
75 g frozen pineapple
75 g green kiwifruit, peeled
100 g natural yoghurt
100 mL water
3. Mango and Ginger
100 g frozen mango
100 g natural yoghurt
100 mL reduced-fat milk
5 g fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4. Blueberry and Peanut
250 mL reduced-fat soy drink with added calcium
100 g frozen blueberries
10 g peanut butter, no added sugar or salt
This version contains no dairy. Choose a soy drink with at least 100 mg of added calcium per 100 mL if it replaces milk.
5. Banana and Oat
250 mL reduced-fat milk (one serve of dairy)
75 g banana (half a medium banana)
15 g rolled oats
a pinch of cinnamon
Snacks, Smoothies and Physical Activity
Snacks and smoothies are one part of the picture. When your intake falls below what your body uses, the body draws on stored energy, mostly fat. For weight, the best long-term approach is to change the way you eat and increase your physical activity, so a healthy diet and regular movement work together.
Australia's physical activity guidelines for adults recommend moderate to vigorous activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. To set a walking goal, see how many steps a day can support weight loss, and for the full picture, read how to lose weight: a realistic guide.
Where Medical Weight Loss Treatment Fits
Some people who need to lose weight find they need a more intensive approach, such as a very low energy diet or weight loss medication, and some people living with obesity may need bariatric surgery.
Weight loss medication is used together with a healthy diet and physical activity, not instead of them. It has side effects and can be harmful for some people. A doctor or nurse practitioner decides on any medical treatment after an individual assessment, and outcomes vary between individuals. To learn more, read how medical weight loss programs work.
Better snacks and smoothies trim the energy you take in, and where that is not enough on its own, Burst Health provides medical weight loss plans online, reviewed by an Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner: check whether you are eligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best snack to lose weight?
No single snack causes weight loss. The best choices come from the five food groups and fill you up for the kilojoules they carry, such as fruit, vegetable sticks with a little hummus, natural yoghurt, eggs, tuna or a small handful of unsalted nuts. How snacks fit into your total daily intake also matters.
What snack is filling but low in kilojoules?
Vegetables and whole fruit help you feel fuller for fewer kilojoules, because high-fibre foods are often bulky and provide fewer kilojoules per gram. Strawberries, an apple, or carrot sticks with a little hummus sit at the low end of the snack table above. Adding some protein, such as yoghurt or an egg, can help you feel fuller for longer.
What snacks can I eat every day?
Fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and unsalted nuts all suit a daily routine. Keep fruit and vegetables within your recommended serves, and keep nuts to a small handful on most days, because they are high in kilojoules. Count these snacks within your daily intake, and vary your choices across the five food groups so you get a wide range of nutrients.
Is it OK to snack at night?
Yes, if the snack is part of your planned intake for the day. One idea is to keep a fruit-based dessert from dinner for a supper snack, so the evening snack is not an extra. A small serve of fruit, yoghurt or vegetables is a better choice than discretionary foods such as chips, biscuits or chocolate.
What snacks help you lose belly fat?
No snack targets belly fat. It is not possible to choose where your body loses fat, so belly fat can reduce only as part of overall weight loss. Snacks from the five food groups, inside a daily energy target and alongside regular physical activity, can support that. For more, see our guide on how to lose belly fat.
Are there zero-calorie snacks?
No. Vegetables come closest: one serve, such as a cup of salad vegetables, holds about 100 to 350 kJ. Plain water has no kilojoules, so it is the simplest zero-kilojoule drink. For something sweet with very little energy, sugar-free gum and mints are among the sweet snack ideas above.
Medical weight loss plans, online
In three steps.
- 1Answer a quick questionnaireOnline, no appointment, no in-person visit.
- 2A practitioner reviews itAn Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner decides whether treatment is suitable for you.
- 3Start your planIf treatment is suitable, you start your plan with the practitioner supporting you throughout.
References
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Discretionary food and drink choices.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3.
healthdirect. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Dietary fibre.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Fruit and vegetables.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Nuts and seeds.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss: common myths.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss and fad diets.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Water: a vital nutrient.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.