Since I started eating vegan, a majority of my previous go-to snack are now off limits because they contain meat or dairy.  Previously, I would opt for protein rich snacks such as protein bars, cheese sticks and Greek yogurt.  I was honestly a little lost as to what to eat for snacks when I first went vegan.  I knew I could always have nuts, fruit, veggies and hummus but most days I wanted a snack with a little more substance.  I also work at a small office with no kitchen so easy, ready-to-eat snacks were also a must.  Thankfully, during the past couple of months, I’ve found some great vegan snacks that I look forward to eating.  While some of these aren’t the most healthy and probably should be eaten in moderation, I think it’s important to occasionally eat “fun foods” and not be too strict.  For example, vegan ice cream is loaded with fat and sugar and you probably shouldn’t be eating a pint a day if you want to get all your micronutrients; however, it is a great replacement for dairy ice cream when the ice cream craving hits.

A few of these snacks I ate before I went vegan and loved them just as much as I do now! Even if you’re not vegan, go ahead and give these snacks a try.  You may be pleasantly surprised 🙂

1. Roasted Chickpeas – this is my number one snack because they’re my FAVORITE.  I ate these before I went vegan and now I eat them even more! You can make your own or buy them from the store.  You can buy them from Amazon here.  I’ve tried making them myself but they are a little tedious (i.e. making sure they’re completely dry before baking and taking off all the skins) so I prefer to buy them.
2. Roasted Edamame – these are similar to roasted chickpeas; however, I like chickpeas a little more.  I first discovered these at Sprouts when I was looking for a higher protein snack.  These half twice as much protein as chickpeas and are a great salty snack.  Again, I buy these at Sprouts but I’m sure you could make them yourself.
3. Siggis Plant-Based Yogurt – one of the biggest things I was bummed about giving up was Greek yogurt.  I loved Greek yogurt and had tried many dairy free yogurts in the past that were disgusting to say the least.  I had little hope of finding a vegan yogurt I liked until I came across Siggis, again at Sprouts wondering the aisles.  These actually taste like dairy yogurt; they have that thick, creamy texture that is lacking in most other dairy-free yogurts and each container has 10 grams of protein.  The cons of this yogurt are the high price point and the 7g of saturated fat (from the coconuts & macadamia nuts).  These are definitely more of a treat for me but I love that they’re an option.
   
4. GoMacro Bars – After I found out my favorite vegan protein bar, Square Organics, went out of business in May, I knew 2020 was just not my year.  Luckily, I bought a few boxes before they went out of business but I knew they wouldn’t last forever.  So, I started the overwhelming task of looking for my new favorite vegan protein bar.  If you’ve never been in the protein bar aisle of a supplement store, let me just tell you that there’s A LOT of them.  I bought a few and while they were all okay, they weren’t great.  They all had the same chalky, dry protein bar taste that I was not a fan of.  While at Costco I noticed these GoMacro bars and decided to try them out.  I had heard about them before but never tried them. WOW, these bars were amazing.  I had one and was instantly hooked.  I had finally found my new favorite protein bar!  Not only are they delicious, but they’re also owned by a mother/daughter company and genuinely want to make a difference in the world.  You can get $15 off your first order by using code “SHAREFIRST15” at GoMacro.com.  
   
5. So Delicious Strawberry Mousse – this mousse dessert is the perfect sweet treat to end the night.  With only 300 calories per pint, this dessert is light and airy yet satisfying.  A pint is $5-6 so a little pricey but I love these on warm summer nights.
6. White Cheddar Hippeas – be warned: you WILL eat the entire bag in one sitting.  If you like cheese puffs, you’ll love these!  These chickpea puffs are a great snack to have on hand when you’re craving some cheese puffs.  They have a good amount of protein per serving and I feel better about eating these than regular potato chips. I find them at Sprouts or on Amazon.