The 9 Best Low Carb Snacks

Anyone who misses tortilla chips should start with the Quest Nacho Cheese Protein Chips. They're baked from milk and whey protein instead of corn, so a bag comes to about 4 net carbs with as much protein as three eggs, according to Quest. The crunch and the cheesy dust feel close to the real thing. The catch is a longer ingredient list that leans on added fiber and oil, and the chips contain both milk and soy.

For a snack with nothing to count, the Mission Meats Beef Sticks show zero carbs and zero sugar on the maker's nutrition panel. Each stick is grass-fed beef with salt and spices, sealed in its own wrapper so it can ride in a bag or glove box for weeks. The Original flavor is mild rather than hot. The cure comes from celery powder, which still adds natural nitrites despite the no-nitrates-added label.

The Mrs. Cubbison's Parmesan Crisps are baked parmesan and very little else: milk, cultures, salt and enzymes. The nutrition panel shows zero carbs and a bit of protein in each small handful, and the resealable bag is cheap enough to keep one in the pantry at all times. They also work in place of croutons on a salad or soup. Expect broken pieces, since the thin rounds often end up as crumbs at the bottom.

Plant eaters get real staying power from The Only Bean Roasted Edamame. Each small pack holds dry-roasted soybeans with avocado oil and sea salt, and the maker lists about 2 net carbs per pack with the protein of two eggs. The beans crunch like corn nuts without the starch, and they're vegan, gluten free and kosher. Soy is the obvious limit: anyone with a soy allergy has to pass on these.

The Wonderful Pistachios No Shells box fixes the usual trouble with nuts, which is eating half a jar, by splitting them into nine single bags. The carton's panel works out to about 4 net carbs in each salted bag, and the chili bags come in close. The honey roasted bags carry added sugar, so swap those out or share them. Like all pistachios, these are a tree nut allergen.

Lunchboxes and small appetites suit the Chomps Original Beef Chomplings, half-size sticks of grass-fed and grass-finished beef. Each one has zero sugar and half the protein of a full-size stick, and the maker says they're free of the top nine food allergens and approved for Whole30. A pair makes a full snack for most adults, and the box keeps a supply in a desk drawer. Per stick, though, they cost a lot for a little meat.

When you want something salty to nibble without many calories, gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed sheets are about as light as a snack gets. Each pack runs around 30 calories, and the maker puts it under 2 net carbs. The variety box mixes sea salt, wasabi, teriyaki and more, though the teriyaki and barbecue flavors carry a little sugar. The sheets are tissue thin and shatter, and they offer almost no protein.

A bar makes sense when a snack has to stand in for a missed meal, and the Quest Ultimate Variety Pack covers that with a hefty dose of protein in every bar. Quest sweetens with erythritol, sucralose and stevia instead of maltitol, and its count of about 5 net carbs subtracts both fiber and erythritol. Some flavors include peanuts or almonds. The bars are dense and chewy, and many people notice a sweetener aftertaste.

Cookie cravings are the hardest to dodge, and HighKey Mini Cookies offer a crunchy fix made with almond flour, butter and a blend of erythritol, stevia and monk fruit. The panel works out to about 2 net carbs per serving once fiber and erythritol come out. Watch the serving size, because each small bag holds about two. Large amounts of sugar alcohol can upset some stomachs, and the almond flour rules out tree nut allergies.