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Four o'clock arrives and the biscuit packet starts calling. These fifteen Indian snacks all come in under 150 calories — and the ones near the top carry enough protein to actually stop the hunger, rather than postpone it by twenty minutes.
Sorted by protein, because that is what decides whether a snack holds you until dinner.
| Snack (usual portion) | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Sprouts chaat (1 katori) | ~120 | 9 g |
| Moong dal chilla (1) | ~130 | 7 g |
| Roasted chana (30 g) | ~120 | 6 g |
| Boiled egg (1) | ~75 | 6 g |
| Curd (1 katori, 150 g) | ~90 | 5 g |
| Peanuts, roasted (20 g) | ~115 | 5 g |
| Dhokla (2 pieces) | ~110 | 4 g |
| Sweet corn (1 katori) | ~130 | 4 g |
| Idli (1) with chutney | ~90 | 3 g |
| Bhel with puffed rice (small bowl) | ~120 | 3 g |
| Buttermilk / chaas (1 glass) | ~40 | 2 g |
| Roasted makhana (20 g) | ~70 | 2 g |
| Banana (1 medium) | ~100 | 1 g |
| Guava (1 medium) | ~65 | 1 g |
| Cucumber & carrot sticks (1 bowl) | ~30 | 1 g |
Our calculations from ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, using standard home portions and minimal oil. Estimates — a shop bhel or a fried dhokla will be higher.
Steam 50 g of sprouted moong for five minutes, toss with onion, tomato, lemon and chaat masala. The highest protein here, and the fibre means it genuinely lasts.
Steam, don't eat raw. Raw sprouts carry a real food-safety risk in Indian humidity, and five minutes of steam removes most of it.
The one to keep in a desk drawer. No cooking, no fridge, doesn't go soggy, and 30 g is a genuinely satisfying handful.
The lightest thing on the list. Thin curd with water, salt, jeera and curry leaves. Good when the hunger is really thirst, which at 4 pm it often is.
Get your daily calorie and protein target, then a snack is a decision instead of a guess.
Get my free plan →If you are ravenous every single afternoon, the problem is usually lunch, not the absence of a snack. A cereal-heavy lunch — three rotis and a thin sabzi, or a big plate of rice with little dal — digests quickly and leaves you empty by four.
Add a katori of dal, rajma or curd to lunch and the 4 pm crash often disappears on its own. Tiffin boxes built that way are the easiest place to start.
Which is the best Indian snack for weight loss?
Roasted chana and sprouts chaat. Both are under 130 kcal, both carry real protein, and both are cheap and easy to keep around. Curd and buttermilk are the lightest if you want something smaller.
Is makhana good for weight loss?
It's genuinely light — about 70 kcal for 20 g roasted. But it is low in protein, so it works best alongside a glass of milk or buttermilk rather than alone.
Can I eat peanuts every evening?
Yes, in a measured 20 g portion — about 115 kcal. Peanuts are calorie-dense, so eating them from the packet rather than a small bowl is how a 115 kcal snack quietly becomes 400.
Add it in the tracker, or ask the coach what it means for the rest of your day.
Track today Ask the coachPortion figures are our own calculations from the raw-ingredient values above and will vary with how a snack is made. This article is educational information, not medical or nutrition advice — see a doctor and a registered dietitian before changing your diet.
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