My journey to a vegan diet started six years ago when my daughter was born. It was clear within the first few weeks that she wasn’t tolerating dairy, so I said good-bye to my beloved cheese and yogurt. It didn’t take long for me to notice positive changes in my own life, too. After a few months, and with my husband on board, we decided to remove all animal products from our diet. There was a learning curve as we learned which substitutes we liked and which ones to avoid. Food blogs gave us a lot of ideas for vegan meals. And, thankfully, there are many snacks that we love that are already vegan and enjoyed by just about everyone.
1. Oreos
Most flavors of Oreos are accidentally vegan. The cream inside contains no dairy, just partially hydrogenated soybean oil and it’s friend high fructose corn syrup. Being vegan doesn’t always mean that it’s healthy. Just make sure to enjoy them with a glass of plant-based milk like almond or oat.
2. Tortilla Chips and Dip
Tortilla chips are a staple in our house, and while we will make a vegan queso from cashews on occasion, we often keep it simple with salsa or guacamole. This also doubles as gluten and nut free, making it allergy friendly for everyone.
3. Fruit
Fruit is truly the most versatile snack option. Eat it fresh, blend it into a smoothie, add it to a non-dairy yogurt, or mix it into fruit salad. The options are endless. Apples and peanut butter are an often requested snack by my kids. It’s refreshing, crunchy, and the peanut butter adds fat and protein to help keep them full.
4. PB&J
Peanut butter and jelly is not just for kids, though my oldest will eat them for every meal. Experiment with different nut butters (sunflower butter will change your life) and flavors of jelly to find your favorite. You can make this snack even easier by keeping a box of Un-crustables in your freezer. I throw some in my bag anytime we head to the park.
5. Potato Chips and Crackers
Many ‘original’ flavor chips and crackers are vegan friendly. Brands like Pringles, Lays, Ruffles, Fritos, Chex Mix, and even Ritz crackers (despite the cheese pictured on the box) are free of animal products. Other commonly vegan flavors include barbecue, salt and vinegar, and Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili. When in doubt, double check the label.
6. Soft Pretzels
SuperPretzel Soft Pretzels are great to keep in the freezer for when the craving hits. They’re quick and easy to prepare, making it the perfect snack option any day of the week. Try using mustard instead of cheese dip to keep it vegan.
7. Popsicles and Snow Cones
Perfect on hot summer afternoons, flavored ice is almost always vegan. Freeze Pops, Italian ice, and snow cones are all dairy free and commonly sold at stores or from your neighborhood ice cream truck. There are many establishments that carry vegan ice cream as well. You don’t have to miss out on your favorite foods.
8. Charcuterie
If you love a good charcuterie board, it’s easy to make it vegan. Think fancy olives, bread, hummus, pickles, nuts, dried fruit, fresh veggies… Pick your favorites and enjoy!
9. Hummus
This was mentioned in the last snack, but it’s so versatile it deserves its own mention. Hummus is wonderfully versatile. Use it as a dip with vegetables, pita chips, or pretzels. Spread it on a wrap for hummus roll ups. Try different flavors, savory and sweet. Many stores sell chocolate flavored dessert hummus. It may sound gross, but trust me – it tastes like brownie batter.
10. Candy
No snack list is complete without candy. While vegan chocolate is a little harder to find, though not impossible, some of the most well-known candy is accidentally vegan. Keep enjoying your Twizzlers, Smarties, AirHeads, and Sour Patch kids as none of these contain any animal products!
While everything on this list has no dairy, eggs, or other animal products in its ingredient list, some are made in facilities where cross contamination could be an issue. Many vegan snacks also contain tree nuts, peanuts and gluten. Please be aware of food allergies when sharing with others.