One of the reasons the Atkins Diet is so effective and so pleasurable to do is that you can have a midmorning and a midafternoon snack. That way, you’ll head off fatigue, jitters, inability to concentrate, ravenous cravings for inappropriate foods or overeating at your next meal. But not just any snack will do: They should be made up of fat, protein, and fiber for best appetite control. Vegetables (and later berries and other fruit) are fine , but always eat them with some fat and/or protein to minimize the impact on your blood sugar. These snacks can be assembled in minutes and are perfectly portable. Keep the ingredients on hand at home or in your office so a satisfying and low-carb snack is always available when hunger strikes.
Low Carb Snacks for Induction
In addition to an Atkins Advantage low-carb shake or bar, which you can have in any of the four phases, here are 10 guilt-free Induction-appropriate snacks, each with no more than 3 grams of Net Carbs.
- An ounce of string cheese
- Celery stuffed with cream cheese
- Cucumber “boats” filled with tuna salad
- 5 green or black olives, perhaps stuffed with cheese
- Half a Haas avocado
- Beef or turkey jerky (cured without sugar)
- A deviled egg
- A lettuce leaf wrapped around grated Cheddar cheese
- Sliced ham rolled around a few raw or cooked green beans
- Two slices of tomato topped with chopped fresh basil and grated mozzarella and run under the broiler for a minute
List of Low Carb Snacks for Ongoing Weight Loss
You’ll continue your midmorning and midafternoon snack habit in OWL, but in addition to the snacks suitable for Induction, most people can now branch out a bit more, including Atkins Endulge bars. None of these 11 sweet and savory snacks contains more than 5 grams of Net Carbs:
- A half cup of unsweetened whole milk yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons no-added-sugar grated coconut and 1 packet sweetener.
- Celery sticks stuffed with peanut or another nut or seed butter.
- Cucumber “boats” filled with ricotta and sprinkled with seasoned salt.
- 2 chunks of melon wrapped in slices of ham or smoked salmon.
- “Kebab” of 2 strawberries, 2 squares Swiss cheese, and 2 cubes jicama.
- Nutty Cheese Dip: Blend 2 tablespoons cream cheese, 1 tablespoon grated sharp cheddar, a few drops of hot pepper sauce, a pinch of paprika, and 1 tablespoon chopped pecans. Serve with red pepper strips.
- Blue Cheese Dip: Blend 2 tablespoons blue cheese into 3 tablespoons unsweetened plain whole milk yogurt. Serve with zucchini spears or another vegetable.
- A scoop of cottage cheese topped with 2 tablespoons no-sugar-added salsa.
- Mix 4 ounces tomato juice and 1 tablespoon sour cream in a bowl, and you’ve got yourself a refreshing cold creamed soup. Top with chunks of avocado if desired.
- Mash ¼ cup blueberries with 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese and top with flaxseed meal.
- You can also enjoy a ¼ cup blueberries while munching on a piece of string cheese.
Other Low Carb Snack Ideas for Phase 3 & 4
In addition to all the snacks listed above, most people in the last two phases can enjoy the following:
- Fruit other than berries, cherries and melon, as long as they’re eaten with some cheese, cream, plain whole milk yogurt, nuts or protein. Try ½ cup red or purple grapes with a couple slices of sliced turkey. Or an apple with almonds.
- Hummus with vegetables or low-carb crisp breads
- Baba ghanoush (eggplant dip) with vegetables
- Homemade popcorn with butter, olive oil or grated cheese
- Carrot sticks with aioli
- Soy chips
