Snack Whore

One of the most critical components to my newfound veganism is snacking.  Oh how I love to snack!  Snacking keeps my stomach full and gives me the necessary calories that just veggies and fruits three times a day wouldn’t do.  Plus, snacking is soo much fun!  Who doesn’t love a snack?

As a vegan, I think it’s an absolute necessity to incorporate snacking into your daily routine.  Us vegans, not consuming any meat and dairy, tend to burn right through our meals.  While vegan meals are very filling at the time and for a couple of hours thereafter, I find that the full-o-meter tends to be on “e” way before it’s time for my next big meal.  This, is where snacking comes in.  Figure out what you like.  Sweet?  Salty?  Both?  Then hit your local grocery, health foods store or farmer’s market.

For sweet there are a bunch of vegan treats I love.  I’ve just discovered vegan, soy free (which is great for me and those with soy allergies) brown rice crispy treats courtesy of Trader Joe’s ®.  I also love their kettle corn.  Try dried fruits, like banana chips.  Mmmmm!  Vegan ice cream?  There are a whole range of dairy free ice creams made from soy, rice milk and coconut milk.  Choose the one that suits your tastes; and there’s always sorbet.  Nowadays, there are plenty of vegan versions of the sweet treats we love.  Uncle Eddie’s® is a great brand.  A lot of great snacks can be found at your local farmer’s market too.  Remember fruit roll ups?  Well, they still exist, in a healthy fruit wrap version.  Don’t forget good ol’ fashioned fresh fruit, too!  Grapes, cherries, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries…you get the idea.

In the mood for something salty?  There’s a slew of options on the salty side, as well.  My new fave, plantain chips.  Sooo good!  Pita chips, try to get whole wheat ones, with hummus are fantastic.  Nuts, nuts, nuts!  Nuts are not only delicious and nutritious, but they are super filling.  Grab a couple of handfuls of pistachios or almonds on your way out the door and your stomach will love you for it.  While they’re not the healthiest, potato chips are salty 🙂  Howeva!  Make sure they are organic, low sodium chips if you can and read the ingredients.  All the ingredients should be something that wasn’t made in a lab, like oh I don’t know… potatoes, salt and oil?  These are just a few ideas when it comes to snacking.

One of the best parts of snacking is discovering the snack.  When shopping, vegans can’t be in a rush, so make sure to have time on your hands to explore and read labels.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the interesting things you’ll find.  Remember, you’re a vegan now.  Living off of three meals a day, isn’t as easy as it was when you were tearing up chicken legs in your meat eating days.  So put on your cruelty-free shoes and go snacking!

~p~