I love snacks. All of them. Sweet and savory alike. My husband would tell you I especially love chips and salty things and he would be right. I also have (at this point) quite a few options I make at home, but sometimes I just want to be lazy and go to the store to buy them like everyone else. I also find that new vegans and those of us trying to reduce consumption of animal products frequently wonder what vegan snacks are easy, delicious, and accessible.
Luckily I love finding vegan junk food that is either refined sugar free or extremely low in refined sugars, with fairly clean, organic ingredients, that are sourced ethically. It’s junk food without the corn syrup, food dyes, and questionable chemicals. That used to be a tall order. Today it’s becoming commonplace to find these types of items in your local health food store or COOP and I’m here to show you my favorite go-to junk food snacks of the moment. No time in the kitchen required!
The first item on the list are my favorite chips from Siete Foods. I personally love the Fuego and Nacho flavors because they remind me of classic Doritos without all the questionable ingredients. They’re delicious and crispy, and come in tons of options. This company also makes salsas, seasonings, taco shells, and miscellaneous other products.
Next is The Empowered Cookie. I found these when looking for alternatively-sweetened treats. Most of the cookies use coconut nectar to sweeten them, and the flavors are delicious! I enjoy Double Chocolate Chunk and Chocolate Chip Cherry the best. I’ve made these into ice cream cookie sandwiches and they’re amazing with some vanilla ice cream!
Speaking of ice cream cookie sandwiches… Coconut Bliss recently came out with several flavors that are sweetened with agave and have extremely simple ingredients. They’re very creamy, and do not have a coconut taste like many of their ice creams have in the past. I love classic vanilla, but there are many to choose from. Some are sweetened with sugar so if this matters to you, make sure to check the flavors you’re interested in before purchasing.
These are classic. For anyone who loves Cheetos… just pick these up. Warning: they are very addicting!
On that note… do you love Cheez-its? Try these. They’re not quite as cheesy, but delicious and much more crispy.
For the last couple of junk food suggestions I thought I would include grab and go options. I love these when I’m running errands on my day off. I can pop them in the microwave and be on my way in a few minutes.
Sometimes you just want a good old Cup O’ Noodles that is ready quickly. My best friend introduced me to these and I recently picked some up at my local COOP. Quick, easy, and delicious on cold, rainy days! Also, these have much cleaner ingredients than traditional prepackaged ramen, and there are several vegan options to choose from.
All of the options listed today I am able to find locally at our Eureka / Arcata COOP stores and Eureka Natural Foods grocery stores. However, they are also available to purchase directly. Please see links below for reference and happy snacking!
https://www.empoweredcookie.com
The Real Life Vegan Wife 