Hunger has a habit of sneaking up on us unannounced. But if you always have some nutritious snacks on hand, you can satisfy those hunger pangs without busting your daily calorie allowance. Nutritionist Angela Dowden has searched high and low for America’s healthiest snack options – and these are the tasty results.

Whisps are made with pure cheese that’s grated and baked into an incredibly delicious, crispy snack. A 100-calorie pack size of Whisps Parmesan Cheese Crisps has 9g of protein and 20% of the Daily Value of calcium. They’re perfect for all low sugar and gluten-free diets too.

With a whopping 17g of protein per 160-calorie serving, this cottage cheese pot will curb your hunger and will help repair muscles after a strength workout too. Chia adds a little fibre to the dairy snack, which is also a good source of bone-strengthening calcium (providing 10% of the Daily Value).

Zip one of these singles packs of ready-to-pop corn kernels in the microwave and you'll instantly produce five cups of savoury, butter-flavour popcorn with just 100 calories in the whole lot. Popcorn is one of the tastiest whole grains there is, and this portion provides an impressive 14% of your daily recommendation of gut-friendly fibre.

With 5g of protein and 3g of fibre per 1oz (28g) serving, this delicious, chewy jerky is entirely plant-based (it's made from soy) and makes a great hunger-curbing snack. There are several great flavours but the Simply Carolina BBQ is our favourite and also happens to be lowest in salt, with less than an eighth of the Daily Value per serving.

Trail mix is often loaded with sugary granola and sometimes candy, but this healthier wild berry version has sweetness derived from naturally nutrient-rich dried fruit and antioxidant-rich cacao nibs. Packed with cashews and sprouted pumpkin seeds full of essential fats, a 1oz (28g) serving (120 calories) provides 10% of the Daily Value of iron and 15% of the Daily Value of magnesium – both of which help in fighting fatigue and maintaining good energy levels.

Crunchy pumpkin seeds are the main ingredients in these bars, which also contain cocoa powder, honey and quinoa in a yummy 170-calorie combination. One bar supplies 7g of protein and 8% of your daily fibre recommendation, plus 35% of the Daily Value of magnesium and 15% the Daily Value of iron too. 

Love this? Follow our Pinterest page for more food inspiration

Almonds are a superbly nutritious nut and enjoying them boldly spiced, as in this lip-smacking sriracha snack, takes away none of the goodness. A 1oz (28g), 170-calorie serving provides 15% of the Daily Value of magnesium and 45% of the Daily Value of vitamin E – an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage linked with diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Featuring almond butter, sweet potato, bananas and chocolate chips, these bars go in your freezer when you buy them and can then be eaten thawed or microwaved for a squidgy, chocolatey, 200-calorie treat. They also contain 7g of protein and 11% of the daily recommendation of iron, which can help protect against anaemia.

Read on to discover surprisingly healthy foods, from chips to chocolate

With all the crunchy satisfaction of chips, but with more protein and less fat, these roasted broad beans have 100 calories per 1oz (28g) portion, along with 20% of your daily requirement of filling fibre and 7g protein. They come in various flavours, but Sea Salt is hard to beat and only contains 5% of your daily maximum recommendation of sodium per pack.

These feather-light, crispy seaweed snacks have a concentrated kick of flavour and a minuscule 25 calories. Seaweed is a naturally rich source of health-giving minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium and iodine.

Try these turkey jerky sticks for a snack that’s keto-friendly with 10g protein and zero sugar. At only 60 calories they also have far less cholesterol-raising saturated fat than you would expect in a meat snack – just 1g – and 6% of your recommended daily intake of energising iron. Best stick to just one though, as each has 13% of your maximum daily recommendation of sodium.

This “snack on the run” comprises tuna mixed with mayonnaise and crunchy pieces of celery, carrot and water chestnut, together with 6 crackers and a handy spoon. Weighing in at 230 calories it could also make a light lunch if eaten with a piece of fruit. 

21 healthy eating myths that aren't true

Made with wheat flour, pea protein and a pile of seeds, four of these crunchy crackers – which are just as good on their own as with toppings – supply 150 calories along with 7g of filling protein, 2g of fibre and 10% of the Daily Value of iron.

These soft, chewy energy balls contain dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, figs, dates) along with pistachios and seeds for the perfect afternoon energy boost or to refuel after a cardio session. The suggested serving of two "pops" (energy balls) contains 120 calories, 2g of fibre and 3g of protein, and is also a source of potassium, needed for keeping blood pressure healthy. 

This surprisingly delicious snack will win over broccoli-deniers. Made with just freeze-dried broccoli florets, rice bran oil and salt, a 40g bag is a huge volume – but you can munch to your heart’s content as the whole lot only contains 210 calories, along with a whopping 9g of fibre, 10% of your daily potassium and 8% the Daily Value of iron. There’s no added sugar and only a trace of sodium too.

Peanut butter fans will go crazy for these healthy snacks that have higher amounts of protein and fibre than usual puff-based snacks. With only three ingredients – peanut butter, yellow corn and peanut flour – a 1oz (28g) serving (130 calories) is also low in sodium and added sugars.

Think of these like a grownup version of fruit roll ups – they’re made with tropical jackfruit, which has been dried so it's still chewy and sticky. The added zing is a touch of anti-inflammatory spice – there are three different flavours containing chili, ginger and turmeric. The yummy chews also contain no added sugar and an 80-calorie, 1.1 oz. (30g) serving has 5g of fibre.

You could perk up your energy levels with a banana, or for a change enjoy these light and crispy Trader Joe's freeze dried banana slices, with no added sugar. A half-bag serving (130 calories) is equivalent to a large banana and has 600mg of blood pressure-regulating potassium and 2g of fibre.

Inspired? Now check out these easy food swaps to help you eat healthier

These portion-controlled pots of guac weigh in at 120 calories and have 10% of the Daily Value of iron, 9% of potassium and 8% of fibre. Just add veggie sticks for a super healthy mid-afternoon snack. 

Sunflower seeds pack in loads of protein, fibre, vitamin E and essential fat, so they’re a good basis for any snack. These mini bites are a crunchy combination of the seeds stuck together with flour and oil, and come in sweet and savoury flavours. We love the low sugar salt and pepper variety, with 150 calories per serving.

You know what you’re getting in this protein-rich bar that states the ingredients right there on the front. There are also blueberries and natural flavours in the tasty blueberry version, which we’d advise you to go for as it’s the lowest sodium variety. A bar contains 210 calories, 12g of protein and 4g fibre to keep hunger at bay; if you prefer a more slimline version, there are also half-size mini bars.

Fancy something different? These crunchy roasted lentils come in various delectable flavours and have 5g each of protein and fibre in a 150-calorie (quarter cup) serving. We love the cinnamon sugar variety, which actually only has 3g of sugar – less than a teaspoon – per serving, but still adequately satisfies a sweet craving.

Chia and flaxseed feature in these mini nut brittle-style bites, making them a good source of filling protein and fibre (5g and 3g respectively per five-piece serving). There’s also 80mg of bone-building calcium per serving. Almond is the least sugary variety, but still go easy, as there’s around a teaspoon of added sugar per portion.

Made with simple whole foods, no additives and no added sugar, these bars have a special star ingredient: lupini beans, a member of the legume family related to peanuts. The almond-butter cinnamon-raisin variety has 200 calories, 9g of protein and an impressive 8g of fibre (29% of the Daily Value).

Love this? We reveal the lowest-calorie option at every well-known fast-food chain

Cheese puffs taste great, but they usually pack a lot of refined carbs and sodium and don’t fill you up. Switch to these protein puffs with Cheddar seasoning instead. Made with pea proteins and brown rice flour, a 1oz (28g) serving with 130 calories delivers 7g protein, keeping blood sugar levels steadier. It also provides iron and fibre.

 

A snack size of this soft-baked cookie (which is still large) has 210 calories, 8g of wheat, pea and rice protein and 5g of fibre from chicory root. Even though it tastes pretty decadent, it won’t spike your blood glucose as much as a standard cookie and will help fill you up for longer. Turn it into an indulgent breakfast by serving crumbled over natural yogurt and strawberries – but not every day as there are two teaspoons of added sugar or 18% of your maximum recommended intake per cookie. 

Love this? We reveal the lowest-calorie option at every well-known fast-food chain