My Favourite Vegan Snacks

Finding healthy vegan snacks that are also delicious can be a little bit of a challenge. Throw into the mix a nut allergy and an aversion to the incredibly high prices that speciality vegan food often has and the challenge gets even greater! So today, I am sharing my favourite relatively cheaper, delicious and healthy vegan snacks that are getting me through the day.

Savoury
Since transitioning to a vegan diet I have found my cravings for savoury snacks have absolutely shot up! I have always been a big lover of chocolate, sweets and sugar but since moving my diet towards a more plant-based system I am definitely a bigger fan of savoury goodies. 

Earlier this month I featured the lovely Snack Garden veggie crisps from Hungary. These are definitely at the top of my vegan snacks list as I really cannot get enough of them. The veggie snacks are some of the most interesting things I have seen available on the market recently. The vegetables are actual veggies that you can recognise - such as rounds of carrots or whole green beans - vacuum fried and seasoned to perfection. Yum!

Another savoury 'crisp' I am a little obsessed with is Burts new Lentil Waves. Made from lentils rather than potatoes, the crisps have a lighter texture and are easier on the stomach. Each pack is 99 calories and 1.3 grams of saturated fat. I love the lightly salted flavour best but the Thai sweet chilli is also a yummy vegan option.

If you prefer to opt for more natural snacks then you really cannot go wrong with hummus and veggie sticks. I make my own hummus by chucking 1/2 a tin of chickpeas into a blender with a little water, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1/2 lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and seasoning. It's really delicious and works great in a packed lunch with carrots, cucumber and red pepper. 


For a 'greener' choice I would recommend kale chips. If bought from the store these can be unbelievably expensive, but brands like Inspiral do offer a variety of flavours. I also tried broccoli chips from Whole Foods the other day which were surprisingly tasty! To make your own just shred your kale into bitesize chunks and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for up to 15 minutes and enjoy.

Sweet
Okay, I couldn't completely ditch chocolate and sweet treats, but I have made my choices much healthier. My favourite vegan chocolate recipe is simply coconut oil, maple syrup and raw cacao powder blended together and then frozen. You can make these into shapes or simply set as a bar. I love adding frozen blueberries on top for even more goodness.

If you would prefer to buy your sweet treats then there are plenty of brands out there to choose from. Dark chocolate form Green & Black's is vegan (above 70% - but always double check) and I love the flavours available from Daisy and Dom, Ombar and Conscious. The Ombar Acai mini chocolate bar is absolutely delicious and their Coco Mylk option is a great alternative to milk chocolate if you want that really creamy finish.  

Fresh fruit is an obvious snack option but I would always recommend looking for seasonal produce. Alex and I have always eaten clementines throughout the year but they are always better during the winter months. When the weather heats up I love snacking on pineapple, mango and fresh berries. The nutrients and vitamins in these vibrant fruits are a healthy afternoon pick-me-up that will beat any coffee habit. Alternatively, Snack Garden also offer freeze dried fruit crisps that are absolutely delicious. 

Keeping with the fruit theme, banana ice cream is an absolute revelation. The fact I can make vegan ice cream in basically no time at all that is sugar free and completely customisable is amazing. I have banana ice cream after supper sometimes or even for breakfast if I have time. My favourite blend is with raw cacao powder and topped with frozen berries, chia seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

If cakes are more your thing then I would recommend trying out Deliciously Ella's sweet potato brownies. We make ours into a round cake then cut it up with frozen raspberries on top. We keep the cake in the fridge then serve it with vanilla whipped coconut cream. DREAMY! I also love buying vegan, sugar free and gluten free cupcakes from our local organic store in Finsbury Park. Their selection is really amazing and the range of produce in the store is absolutely mind blowing! 

I hope you found this round-up helpful! Let me know what your favourite vegan snacks are in the comments below.

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