20 Low Calorie Indian Snacks with Recipes

Low Calorie Indian Snacks with Recipes: Snacking is not only a matter of hunger in India but it is almost the norm. Whether it is morning snacks or midnight snacks, each of the regions has its own favourites that unites people around taste and talk. It is that not so big something in between meals which keeps us moving; it may be when we are going somewhere, working, or even when we are just completing some family chores. These are the top 20 low calorie Indian snacks that are light, full of flavour and can be prepared quickly.

Can I Snack While Trying to Lose Weight?

When you’re on a diet, waiting for the next meal can feel like a challenge. Snacking often becomes a habit—sometimes without us even realizing it—and this can interfere with weight loss goals, especially when it involves high-calorie, low-nutrient foods packed with sugar, fat, and processed ingredients.

But cutting out snacks entirely isn’t always the answer. Snacking itself isn’t the problem—what you snack on is. In fact, healthy snacks can play a helpful role in maintaining energy levels throughout the day, particularly if you’re physically active or have a demanding schedule.

The key is to make smart choices. If you’re trying to lose weight, opt for nutritious, portion-controlled snacks instead of junk food. A well-planned snack can support your goals rather than derail them.

20 Low-Calorie Indian Snacks with Recipes

Here are 20 simple Indian snacks that are big on taste, light on calories, and easy to cook

1. Moong Dal Chaat

Refreshing and with a crisp tang like that roadside chaat but minus the greasy con.

Recipe: Soak 1/2 cups of yellow moong dal, 2-3 hours, boil until soft. Empty out and allow to cool. Add, chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, and coriander. Add lemon juice, a pinch salt and chaat masala. Serve chilled. Optional: to add colour and crunch grate carrot or pomegranate.

2. Peanut Butter Banana Toast

Ridiculously easy, surprisingly filling, and a little sweet treat when you need a quick bite.

Recipe: Toast a slice of whole wheat or multigrain bread until golden. Spread 1 tsp of natural peanut butter (the kind with no added sugar). Slice half banana and layer it on top. Sprinkle a touch of cinnamon or chia seeds for extra flair.

3. Fruits Chia Pudding

It appears as dessert, although technically, this is a high-fibre low-calorie snack. Win-win.

Recipe: Stir 2 tbsp chia seeds into 1/2 cup almond or oat milk. Blend and leave in a fridge overnight or 4 hours at least. The seeds become swollen and are converted into a pudding. Top with your favourite fruits — berries, chopped mango, or even a spoonful of nut butter.

4. Sautéed Paneer with Veggie Salad

It is protein rich, crispy and delicious all-in-under-10-minutes.

Recipe: 50g paneer, cut into cubes and saute in 1 tsp. of olive oil with salt, pepper and dried herbs. As it is browning a little, chop cucumber, tomato, onion and a knob lettuce or spinach. Combine everything together, add a hint of fresh lime and serve it at once.

5. Oats Upma

Oats finally escape the boring porridge life and land in a savoury bowl.

Recipe: Dry roast 1/2 cup rolled oat into a toasty smell state. In another pan add 1 tsp oil heat mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped onions, carrots, peas and ginger. Saute, add the oats and 3/4 cup of hot water, salt, and cover and cook 5-7 minutes stirring once in a while.

6. Sweet or Savoury Ragi Porridge

Simple old Ragi, when you need comfort in a bowl.

Sweet: In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp ragi flour and 1/4 cup water into a paste. Cook (on low flame) using 3/4 cup additional water and stirring constantly. Pour in one tsp of jaggery, some cardamom and boil it until it thickens.

Savoury: The same, except no jaggery. After cooking, allow it to cool then mix buttermilk and salt in it. Add tempered cumin, in case you want it with bite.

7. Hummus with Indian Twist

Middle Eastern roots, but desi-approved.

Recipe: Add 1 cup of cooked and boiled chickpeas (1 tbsp or tahini in case you prefer having it), 1 clove of garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of olive oil, and add some water to adjust the consistency. To turn it Indian-ise add cumin powder or a pinch of chilli flakes.

8. Sprouted Moong Salad

This one’s healthy, crunchy, and somehow never boring if you get the mix-ins right.

Recipe: Steam or lightly cook 1/2 cup sprouted moong. After being cooled, add chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander and crushed carrot. Add lemon juice, a pinch of black salt and cumin powder. To put it on a lighter note, a dash of mint chutney can be added too.

9. Murmura Chaat

Puffed rice with personality.

Recipe: Add 1 cup of puffed rice and add finely cut onions, tomatoes, green chilli, coriander, roasted peanuts and a pinch of salt and chilli powder. Add lemon juice and the chaat masala. As soon as possible or the crunch will lose itself.

10. Steamed Dhokla

This one feels like a treat, but it’s secretly quite light.

Recipe: In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup besan, salt, turmeric, 1 tsp lemon juice, and enough water to make a smooth batter. Just before steaming, stir in 1 tsp ENO. Pour and bake into a greased tray for 15-20 minutes on a steam. Temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies when it is cooled. Serve with coriander.

11. Boiled Corn with Lemon & Masala

Snacky, juicy, and ridiculously easy.

Recipe: Cook 1 cup sweet corn kernels in boiling water until it becomes softer. Then drain and stir in black salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice. Put some chopped coriander, or even a little jot of green-chutney, should you be wild.

12. Healthy Bhel

Nothing but the stuff you love, except the unhealthy bits.

Recipe: Add 1 cup puffed rice, 2 tbsps. of boiled sprouts or moong, chopped onions, tomatoes and green chillies to diced-up a big bowl. Place coriander, lemon juice, a little tamarind chutney and chaat masala. Toss quickly and serve, no sev needed.

13. Besan Chilla

A lazy cook’s answer to the question: “Where’s the protein?”

Recipe: In a bowl combine 1/2 cup besan, water, salt, turmeric, chopped onions, coriander and green chillies. Pour into a non-stick pan and grill them both sides till golden. You are allowed to add spinach or carrot in form of grated to increase the fibre.

14. Curd Bowl (Sweet or Savoury)

Refrigerated and personalised, your snack, your rules.

Recipe: To have a sweet variant, put chopped fruits (apple, papaya, pomegranate) in low-fat curd. To make a savoury one combine curd with small pieces of cucumber, some black salt, and a sprinkle of roasted jeera and sprinkle with coriander. As such, it is refreshing and easy.

15. Coconut Barfi (Low Cal Version)

A proper sweet fix, no condensed milk involved.

Recipe: In a non-stick pan, heat 1 cup desiccated coconut with ½ cup low-fat milk. Put 1-2 tsp of jaggery powder or stevia. Keep on stirring at low heat until the mix thickens and comes out of the pan. Place on a plate, flatten and cut in tiny squares after cooling. Store in the fridge.

16. Stuffed Roasted Capsicum

Snacking which appears like a task but is not.

Recipe: Slice raw baby capsicum or bell pepper to half, remove the seed. Stuff with a mix of hung curd, chopped onions, salt, pepper, and herbs. Roast in an oven or air-fryer at 180°C for 8–10 mins until softened and slightly charred.

17. Oats & Banana Energy Bites

Dessert meets granola bar, minus the processed junk.

Recipe: Mash 1 ripe banana, to which you add 1/2 cup rolled oats and a pinch of cinnamon and some crushed nuts or seeds, should you so desire it. Blend and shape into ball form. Set in the refrigerator 30 minutes to firm up. No baking, no drama.

18. Roasted Chana Snack Mix

Crispy, salty, eatable by dipping out of the jar.

Recipe: Mix 1/2 cup roasted chana with the finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and green chilli. Mix lemon, black salt and chilli powder. Optional: add cucumber or carrots sliced.

19. Veggie Sticks with Hung Curd Dip

This is your adulting-is-going-well snack.

Recipe: cut cucumber, carrots and bell peppers in sticks. To prepare the dip, place 1 cup curd in a muslin cloth and hang it 1 hour, then add to that garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs in small quantity (to have a kick, a dash of mustard may be used). Dip will last in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

20. Fruit Chaat

Not just fruit, fruit with sass.

Recipe: It is a mixture of seasonal fruits such as apples, papaya, banana, guava, or orange chopped. Mix it with small amount of black salt, chaat masala and lemon juice. If you would like it dressed up, add pomegranate seeds or mint.

Conclusion

Whether you are “working late”, binge-watching something, or simply fighting that 5 pm hunger, these snacks are the snacks. They are crunchy, delicious and leave the contentment of a snack but without the remorse that exists with fried or packaged foods. It gives you everything good: no drama, all natural nutrients, and fresh ingredients. Hence who is to say you should not have a few (or all 20), your cravings will thank you.

FAQs on Low Calorie Indian Snacks