6 Luteal Phase Snacks That Are Under 250 Calories And Actually Satisfy The Cavernous, Linebacker Hunger We All Feel Right Before Our Period
Most of the time, that is.
If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission. Gifted items will be called out (gifted), and affiliate links will include an asterisk (*). We have to eat, after all.
by The Candidly Team
First, the bad news. Our pre-period hunger does not go away during perimenopause. And quite frankly, the haywire hormones that affect hunger don’t really chill out during menopause either.
Oh joy.
That said, the only way to meet the serotonin dip and hunger rise that hits us each month is to know what snacks will make our body feel satisfied. And for a snack to actually do that, they need either protein or fiber or, preferably, both. But they also have to be delicious, to feel indulgent, comforting. If we’re not taking big, predatory bites or savoring some deep, rich flavor, what’s the point? We’ll just be reaching for the salt and pepper Kettle chips in an hour anyway.
For us, about 87% of staying on track with any health or fat loss goal we have is to be prepared when we really, reeeeally want a snack. And for that reason, we’ve come up with six that truly satisfy the beast that is our hormonal hunger. They take almost no time, can be pre-prepared to grab out of the fridge at a moment’s notice, and they’re delicious enough that we actually crave them.
Oh, and every single one is under 250 calories. We saved the best for last.
1. This PBJ-inspired Dessert Treat
This very, very easy treat is packed with gut healthy probiotics and a gorgeous dose of protein. It also hits a lot of spots at once: sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy. We could (and do) eat it for breakfast, but we also deeply enjoy it as a late afternoon snack or an after-dinner TV treat.
What you need:
1 tub (5.3 oz) of Fage 0% yogurt*
1 tablespoon peanut butter. We firmly believe this brand to be the best*.
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Mānuka honey* (depending on your level of required sweetness)
Dash of vanilla paste*
1/2 cup frozen organic raspberries* and/ or cherries
How you make it:
Plop the yogurt in a bowl and swirl in the honey and vanilla. Manuka honey has a bunch of beautiful health rewards we wrote about HERE, but any honey will do. We prefer to add the berries before the peanut butter which we actually heat up for just a few seconds so we can swirl it evenly over the whole thing like a sundae topping.
Tip: For extra bulkiness and bigger bites, we add frozen, pitted cherries instead of (or in addition to) raspberries.
Nutrition:
240 cals
21g protein
5g fiber
2. This Absolutely Unhinged Snack Plate
Having cooked shrimp “on hand” in the home is both luxurious and wildly helpful. Our Whole Foods often has the jumbo cooked shrimp on major sale and when they do, we pounce.
What you need:
1/4 cup cottage cheese (Sidebar: we’ve been panicking about Good Culture not being in stock anywhere so we switched to Kalona low-fat and it’s……better. Use THIS to find it in store.)
4-6 jumbo shrimp
Cocktail sauce: we whip up our own with some eyeballed ingredients in the photo but you can certainly buy premade. We love using no sugar ketchup* because sugar is so rampant, and this ketchup tastes identical
1 tablespoon honey
And if you’re curious about that nitro brew coffee in the photo, which accompanies all our early-day snacks these days, it has 2 calories, and we make it in 14 seconds using THIS machine.
How you make it:
Well … it’s all right there. We make a batch of cocktail sauce and keep it in a jar.
Add the cottage cheese on the cracker and honey (sometimes cinnamon) is so crunchy and creamy and satisfying. It makes zero sense sitting next to a shrimp cocktail but somehow it satisfies all the different flavor profiles we need satisfied come 3:48 pm.
Nutrition
190 cals
20g protein
2g fiber
3. This High-Protein Sandwich Substitute
Eggs, as far as we’re concerned, have maybe the highest satiation-to-calorie ratio of anything we eat. They’re also just little pouches of protein, so they genuinely keep us full instead of just kicking off a snacking cycle at 3pm. Any form of egg sandwich we make at home tends to have surprisingly few calories and feels much more like a meal than a snack, which is the holy grail where luteal hunger is concerned. This sandwich starts with two full pitas and two eggs worth of egg salad, so you get to take down four sandwich halves with loads of protein and fiber and wildly low calories. The dream!
What you need:
2 of these low-carb mini pitas* - Each one has only 50 cals, 5g protein, and 2g fiber.
2 boiled eggs - you can boil them yourself or buy THESE* - the best-tasting pre-boiled eggs out there
1 Tbsp Good Culture 2% lowfat cottage cheese or 1 tsp of light mayo
1 tsp of “good” mustard - Grey Poupon* is perfectly fine., but this one* is probably the best.
Season with salt and pepper and fresh tarragon or a dash of Tajin
Optional: Crisp lettuce and/or any raw sandwich veggies you like
How you make it:
Mash the egg, cottage cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper into your preferred egg salad texture. Season to your liking with fresh herbs (tarragon or dill are our faves) or just add a sprinkle of Tajin.
Cut the two pitas in half and fill each one with a heaping spoon of egg salad.
Add any lettuce, onions, or veg that feels right to you.
Enjoy eating not one but two full pita sandwiches, which, again, really feels like eating four because you eat them by the half.
Nutrition:
240 cals
22g protein
4g fiber
4.. This Smoothie With A Secret Hack To Make You Feel Fuller Later On
Smoothies are a very PMS-friendly food. They’re sweet and refreshing and have all the accoutrements of a real “treat,” especially when sipped out of one of THESE* massive jars and THESE* lovely straws. Our Editor-in-Chief came up with this smoothie recipe which is full of gut-supporting fiber and heart healthy berries but is also extra creamy thanks to one, highly unexpected ingredient that has the added benefit of making you stay fuller for longer.
What you need:
1 tub (5.3 oz) of Fage 0% yogurt*
2 tsp chia
2 tsp flax seeds
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries
1 cup of FROZEN CAULIFLOWER (sounds mad but it works!)
1 cup of water (or milk for added protein)
How you make it:
Measure everything into your mixer and blend baby blend.
Optional: Add vanilla or cinnamon for extra flavor or half a banana to make it creamier and more delish for only about 50 more calories.
Nutrition:
240 cals
21g protein
9g fiber
5. This Bean And Cheese Sweet Potato Burrito
Look it’s not pretty, and we were of course, inspired by the viral cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes of Courtney Cook, which we wrote all about HERE. But her inventive use of sweet potatoes also got us thinking “what if we swapped one in for a tortilla to wrap up a bunch of beans and cheese and make a delightfully salty, oozy burrito from which we could take massive, animalistic bites and fill our ever-empty, pre-period bellies?” Well, we did just that, and we’re now properly addicted to this treat. We use small potatoes for the snack version, but you can easily use a bigger one to make this a divine, fiber-rich meal, because fiber is the only way we really feel full, my friends.
What you need:
Roasted small sweet potato
1/4 cup black beans - (or use ground turkey for about 60 calories and 11g protein)
THIS sharp Dubliner cheese stick because it fits so perfectly in the potato
Dash of cumin, chili powder, paprika (or taco seasoning)
Optional: Drizzle of Mike’s hot honey or scoop of cottage cheese for cool creaminess and more protein
How you make it:
We buy very small sweet potatoes so every bite is packed with bean and cheese.
Lightly brush the outside of the potato with olive oil then season it with cumin, chili powder, and paprika before baking for about 40 minutes at 400 F.
Mix 1/4 cup o black beans with this same seasoning trio (you can sub in taco seasoning if you prefer).
When the potato is still warm, slice it in half, lay the cheese in the center, and tuck in the beans inside before folding shut.
Either toss it back in the oven or microwave for 30 seconds just so the beans and cheese sort of meld together, making it easier to consume burrito style.
Nutrition:
227 cals
10g protein
7g fiber
6. This Chocolate Fix
What you need:
2 tsp cacao powder*
2/3 cup milk of your choice - (We used 2% lowfat milk.)
2 tbsp chia seeds*
1 tsp maple syrup
Splash of vanilla
Optional: Add any berries you like (we used 1/4 cup raspberries for an added 20 calories and 2g fiber)
How you make it:
Pour your chia seeds, cacoo powder, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into a mason jar with a lid and shake like you’ve never shaken before.
Toss it in the fridge overnight. The smell alone will make you salivate, but by the next day, you’ll have a grabbable chocolate treat that is full of protein and fiber and creamy, cocoa-y, deliciousness that delivers immediate joy.
Nutrition:
250 cals
12g protein
7g fiber
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used in place of professional advice, medical treatment, or professional care in any way. This article is not intended to be and should not be a substitute for professional care, advice or treatment. Please consult with your physician or healthcare provider before changing any health regimen. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease of any kind. Read our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
