The Best Keto-Friendly Snacks

Buying Guide for Keto Snacks

Why buy keto-friendly snacks?

Created to help people with epilepsy control their seizures, the ketogenic diet is a way to eat healthier and lose weight that more and more people are turning to. Better known as the keto diet, it’s a high-fat, high-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that helps people cut their carb and sugar intake. As a result, finding good-tasting snack food while on the keto diet can be a challenging task. Fortunately, thanks to the diet’s ever-growing popularity, keto-friendly foods are more widely available than ever. This includes snack food, even types you’d think would be off-limits on the keto diet, like chocolate and cookies.

What should you look for in keto snacks?

• Flavors: With more choices of keto-friendly snacks come more flavor varieties than ever before. Sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, savory, tart, citrusy, fruity, smoky, cheesy, or even some combination of flavors—all these are options for keto-friendly snacks. You shouldn’t have trouble finding a keto snack that suits your palate or satisfies whatever flavor you’re craving.
• Variety: You don’t have to worry about being limited to eating the same one or two snacks over and over again if you’re on the keto diet. As with flavors, there are many different types of keto snacks. This includes cookies, granola, snack bars, popcorn, chips, chocolate, and more. Variety packs and snack boxes are an option, too, whether they offer varying flavors of the same type of snack or an assortment of different snacks.
• Quantity: Like many snack foods, keto snacks can be bought in large bulk packs or small, even individual, quantities. If you’re trying out a keto snack for the first time, you may want to buy a smaller quantity to ensure you enjoy it. A bulk pack might be the way to go if you’re buying for the whole family or a bigger household. Buying in larger quantities can also help save money in the long run.

How do you know if a snack is keto-friendly?

Foods and snacks made specifically for the keto diet will generally be labeled as such, but otherwise, it can be tricky to figure out if a food or drink is keto-friendly or not. There are obvious choices to avoid, like non-keto cookies, potato chips, etc., but what about other foods and drinks? Foods that are high in fat and protein and low in carbs will generally be a good choice since that’s the signature of the keto diet.

Snacks labeled sugar-free or paleo will usually be a good choice, though it always helps to double-check the label and look at the fat, carb, and protein content. All nuts and nut butter are a good choice for the keto diet for this very reason. Also, keep in mind that any grams of fiber are considered to “balance out” the carb content. For instance, if you pick up a snack with 10 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fiber, the net carbs for that food are 2 grams rather than 10. Check the food’s ingredients too. You’ll probably want to skip it if it mentions sugar, syrup, or honey anywhere in the ingredient list. Look for snacks with natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit instead. Also, avoid starchy filler ingredients, such as corn and rice, if possible.

Our Picks for the Best Keto Snacks

Pros: These keto-friendly snack bars, which are also free of gluten and soy, provide you with the flavor and texture of classic snack bars without the added sugar and carbs. They’re plant-based, so they have less than a single gram of sugar, no added sugars, and 3 grams of net carbs per serving. And they offer 4 to 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving, thanks to the seeds and nuts they contain. They’re sweetened with allulose instead of sugar alcohols to not affect your blood sugar as much and even aid digestion. These snack bars make for a great post-workout treat or a little nibble between meals to tide you over. If you’re having trouble choosing between the seven flavors, there’s a variety pack option.

Cons: Since these bars are full of nuts and seeds, they’re obviously not nut-free and thus aren’t an option for those allergic to peanuts, pine nuts, or any other kinds of nuts. The bars themselves are also on the small and thin side, so they may not be filling enough for some people.

Bottom Line: When you think of low-carb products and low-sugar snacks, snack bars probably don’t spring readily to mind, especially those that contain chocolate. However, these nutty, chocolatey snack bars are both low in sugar and net carbs, making them a great keto-friendly snack to bring on the go.

 

Pros: This shake is packed with vitamins, nutrients, prebiotics, and plant-based protein to fuel you with everything you need to seize your day. It has 32 to 35 grams of high-quality, clean plant protein but zero net carbs. While it’s full of the goods your body needs, it does not include artificial ingredients, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners. These shakes are free from dairy, soy, gluten/wheat, egg, peanuts, and tree nuts, making them safe for those with the top eight allergies. These shakes are easy to take with you anywhere, making healthy refueling easy. The shakes also come in other flavors and packs to fit your preferences.

Cons: These shakes are very thick, so you may have to shake them before every sip.

Bottom Line: These shakes are convenient for anyone on the go or who wants to refuel after a workout. They are packed with vitamins, plant-based protein, and other feel-good ingredients.

 

Pros: Jerky is a popular protein snack food, and these particular dried turkey meat sticks were explicitly designed to be keto-friendly. Their carb and sugar count is extremely low, at only 1 gram each per serving. They’re preservative-free and slow-smoked to bring natural flavor without unhealthy sauces, sugary flavorings, and glazes that some jerkies and meat sticks have. This also means they’re gluten-free, so you can still follow the keto diet even if you have celiac, are gluten-intolerant, or have a wheat allergy. If the turkey isn’t your favorite dried meat or you want an alternate flavor, there are three other flavors and meats from which to choose. And while this may not be the least expensive jerky on the market, it’s a relatively inexpensive purchase compared to many other snacks designed specifically for the keto diet. The resealable bag makes them easy to pack and bring to school or work for snacking.

Cons: Though low in carbs and sugar, these jerky-like snacks have a high-sodium content, so they may be too salty for some. Also, the number of sticks per package is inconsistent.

Bottom Line: Most meats are a great option for the keto diet since they’re high in protein and fat and low in sugar and carbs. But the additives and flavorings often increase both, making them not keto-friendly. These snack sticks, however, are designed to fit the keto diet, so you can still get your dried-meat snacking fix.

 

Pros: Cookies are another snack you may have expected to give up when you started the keto diet, but this bag of miniature chocolate chip cookies will put that concern to rest. They’re made from almond flour and coconut oil rather than wheat flour and cane sugar, which means they lack most of the carbohydrates and sugar that traditional baked cookies contain. This also means they’re grain-free and gluten-free, with only 1 net carb and 1 gram of sugar per serving. This ensures that they’re not only keto-friendly but diabetic-friendly as well. They don’t contain any added preservatives or fillers and are made with natural sweeteners. You’ll receive three bags of cookies with your purchase, with around 2.5 servings per container. Single packs are also available if you prefer. Each bag is resealable for more convenient on-the-go snacking. And if chocolate chip cookies aren’t your favorite, they’re available in nine other flavors, from snickerdoodle to lemon to shortbread and more. There’s also a large nine-bag variety pack if you want to buy in bulk or try out more than one flavor at once.

Cons: As is common with many gluten-free products, these cookies have a bit of a gritty and crumbly texture. You may also find that some of them crumble in the bag, especially if you carry them around in a bag instead of eating them straight from the pantry.

Bottom Line: Whether you’re on the keto diet or are simply trying to watch your carb and sugar intake, you’re still going to get a craving for something sweet from time to time. Indulge your sweet tooth now and then with these mini chocolate chip cookies.

 

Pros: Choose from three delicious flavors in this variety pack to satisfy your savory craving. In addition to the flavorful crunch, the chips also have 18 to 20 grams of protein and 3 to 4 grams net carbs per serving, making them a snack that will fit within a Keto plan. They are made with dairy proteins, meaning they include nine amino acids. The tortilla chips are baked instead of fried, and they are also gluten-free.

Cons: These are thinner than what you would expect in a tortilla chip and are a bit expensive.

Bottom Line: Buying these Keto-friendly chips in a variety pack is a cost-effective way to enjoy a few flavors of a favorite savory snack. With a fair amount of protein and low net carbs, it’s a balanced snack that doesn’t have to derail your dietary plans.

Final Thoughts

It never hurts to have a few tasty keto-friendly snacks on hand, especially when you’ve just started. Keto snacks can help fill a craving and sustain you between meals without cheating on your new diet or ruining your progress.