Whether you’re watching the game, binging a series or studying/working, snacks cravings can hit you harder than your mom’s sandals. Any fruit or veggie is an amazing and healthy low calorie snacks, but sometimes all you want is a salty or sweet satisfaction.

Here are some of the not-so-guilty pleasures I have in my pantry for when these cravings hit but still want to keep my calories in check:

THE LOW-CAL LINEUP

They’re all affordable and locally available in supermarkets near you.

1. Stanton Biggley Popcorn

popcorn Serving Size: 20g
Calories: 70 cal (changes slightly based on flavour)

This popcorn is air-popped so you’re saving yourself from calories that would come from oils. It also has some fiber to keep you feeling full and assist with your digestion.
It comes in flavours of butter, salt & vinegar, white feta and cheese & chives. Either one you choose, it’s a great snack to have in front of the telly.
You can find these in pretty much in store: Checkers, PnP, SPAR. They often go for ‘Buy 2’ specials at PnP and Checkers.

2. Flings

flings Serving Size: 12g
Calories: 58 cal

That’s right. The chips you give to babies are actually pretty low in calories and hit the salty flavours you’re after. It’s baked so there are no calories from oils and because of the seasoning, Flings is a lower calorie alternative to other puffed chips.
A 12g serving might seem like a little but if you actually weigh it out, it’s more than enough to scratch the itch.
You can grab these from any store.

3. Simply Delish Sugar Free Jelly

jelly Serving Size: 100ml (a full box makes 500ml)
Calories: 2.5 cal

You didn’t read that wrong. One serving for this jelly is 2.5 calories. However, you can eat the full 500ml for only 12.5 calories. It’s cool and refreshing and you honestly can’t tell that it’s sugar free. It also sets extremely fast (after an hour) so your snack is ready when you are.
A bonus is that if you eat the whole thing, you’re also consuming 500ml of water which keeps you hydrated and fills you up lekker.
I’ve seen this stocked at Checkers, DisChem and PnP, but you’d have a higher chance of finding them at DisChem.

4. Simply Delish Instant Pudding

pudding Serving Size: 1/4 of the total mixture
Calories: 25 cals for the Chocolate flavour & 20 cals for the Strawberry/Vanilla

20 to 25 calories for a pudding is unbelievable. The chocolate is the best flavour in my opinion and it sets within minutes in the fridge(if you follow the package instructions correctly).
It sets into a mousse-like texture and hits the spot when you crave an indulgent dessert. A bonus is that you can save on extra calories by using almond milk or low fat/fat free milk instead of full cream milk.
Your best bet to find these is at DisChem.

5. Trigz

trigz Serving Size: 28g Calories: 105 to 111 cal (depends on the flavour)

A single serving bag of Doritos has around 217 calories. Trigz is shaped just like a Dorito but saves you from eating those extra 100 calories. There’s a variety flavours, each with differing calorie counts:

There was a time where you could only find these but DisChem, but now you can find them at most grocery retailers, particularly Checkers and PnP.

6. Smarties (the small box)

smarties Serving Size: 17g Calories: 80 cal

A party pack essential that I turn to when I get the cravings for a crunchy, chocolately treat.
The main issue we have with normal chocolate is that, you promise yourself to only eat few blocks, but the whole slab ends up magically disappearing. That’s around 500 calories down by the of an episode of your series. However, if you finish off a small box of Smarties, you mentally check that the snack is done and there’s nothing more to get your sticky fingers on.
These guys are available everywhere.

7. EZEE Noodles

noodles Serving Size: 65g (one packet)
Calories: 70 cal

Everybody loves noods and I eat these a bit more than I probably should. It’s an easy and quick snack that’s ready in minutes, but this brand in particular saves you on hundreds of calories. Most other brands of noodles come in at roughly a whopping 300 calories.
It’s salty, savoury, warm and filling, but I would still recommend exercising moderation with eating these due to their high sodium content.
These should be a last resort for when you want a quick bite. I also recommend adding in some protein and veggies to make it more wholesome and nutritious.
I’ve looked for these in every retail store, but I’ve only ever managed to find them stocked at SPARs and local convenient stores/tuck shops.


These are snacks I keep handy in my pantry for when the munchies hit but watching my calories. There’s always more low calorie options to be discovered, so I am thinking of making this a multi-part series.

Lekker snacking!