Sometimes, you need a little something to nibble on between meals even if you are on a diet. The good news is that the keto lifestyle allows for snacking, as long as you remain within macros for a given day. This diet tends to favor high-fat snacks which your body can then burn for energy as opposed to carb-heavy snacks which can translate into fat. Â
Fortunately, a quick trip to the grocery store (or your pantry) can reveal some quick and easy snacks to add to your lunchbox. Here are a few high-fat keto snacks that you should keep on hand for when those cravings hit.Â
One of the best and quickest snacks you can munch on include nuts and nut butters. These nuts can come directly out of a package and into your mouth. The best nuts for a high-fat diet include almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, and walnuts. A handful of these also gives you decent protein that can help tide you over between meals.Â
You can also use these nuts to make your own homemade nut butter, particularly almonds. Of course, you can also purchase a jar of nut butter from the store in order to minimize the time you have to spend in the kitchen.Â
As a bonus, nuts tend to be associated with a lower risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the keto diet. [1]
Coconut butter also falls into this category and can be a quick and easy way to boost fat content. The only downside is that coconut butter often hides added sweeteners and has a high calorie count that could impact weight loss.Â
When skipping a meal or getting in one final snack before your intermittent fasting window ends, you might want to consider eating some meat. Dehydrated meats like jerky of any kind are great, as long as they do not have any sugar or other harmful items lurking in their ingredients list that can kick you out of ketosis. Pepperoni slices are also great snacks.Â
Of course, having a high-fat keto snack on hand can also be as simple as making a batch of bacon at the beginning of the week and snacking on a few pieces. A single slice of bacon has a little over 2 grams of fat, so eating a few pieces will both satisfy your cravings and give you a healthy dose of fat. [2]
If you are trying to steer clear of meat, you might consider seafood snacks instead. Tinned cans of fish like sardines, salmon, mackerel, and tuna are a great alternative to bacon. They are not only rich in fats, but they also have high omega-3 fatty acids which can help prevent various types of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. [3]
Many keto enthusiasts are searching for a snack that is salty and flavorful in addition to being high in fats. Olives can certainly fit the bill with 11 grams of fat in each 100-gram serving. [4] You can buy pitted olives in prepackaged snack-sized packages or keep a jar on hand to steal a few nibbles when hunger strikes.Â
The quintessential ingredient on a keto diet is the avocado. Easy to eat with a twist of lemon juice or a little salt and pepper, you get a powerful punch of healthy fats without adding much protein or carbs to your diet. Mash it up on a piece of keto bread for avocado toast or eat it with a spoon.Â
Not only is it easy to snack on, there are many benefits to incorporating more avocado in your diet including improved heart health, weight control, and even improved cognitive function. [5]
If you have a little bit of time in the kitchen to prepare a snack, you might want to make a week’s worth of fat bombs. These can pack in tons of fat, sometimes up to 20 grams in a single serving without the addition of many net carbs to your daily diet. They store well for quite some time in the freezer, or, if you plan to eat them within a few days, in the freezer. Some of our favorite recipes for fat bombs include:Â
With a little planning prior to your next shopping trip, you can always have a few high-fat snacks on hand to help you make it from meal to meal. Snacking isn’t always the best idea for those on a diet, but if you do it thoughtfully, you can stay on track with keto without surrendering this joy. Add some of these low carb snacks to your shopping list today so that you are never caught without a filling keto snack on hand.
Crosby, L., Davis, B., Joshi, S., Jardine, M., Paul, J., Neola, M., & Barnard, N. D. (2021). Ketogenic Diets and Chronic Disease: Weighing the Benefits Against the Risks. Frontiers in nutrition, 8, 702802. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.702802
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant. FoodData Central. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/749420/nutrients
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Omega-3 Fatty Acids. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large). FoodData Central. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169094/nutrients
Dreher, M. L., Cheng, F. W., & Ford, N. A. (2021). A Comprehensive Review of Hass Avocado Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, and Biological Mechanisms. Nutrients, 13(12), 4376. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124376