Nutritious Vegan Snack Ideas
You grab a Twinkie to quiet that growl in your stomach, but the more you stare at the golden-colored sponge cake, the more you question your snack choice. Do you truly want to add all of that sugar to your body? How guilty will you feel afterward, and how will it affect the scale? Finally, you decide to put the Twinkie back.
Good thinking.
Research shows that many individuals snack out of frustration, stress, boredom, or habit—instead of due to hunger—and this can easily cause weight gain. This is especially the case if you consume snacks that are large or energy-dense.
Fortunately, snacking can indeed be a positive experience that actually improves your health when you eat only when hungry and make the right snack choices. Vegan snacks especially stand out for being nutritious, filling, and, of course, tasty. Whether you are currently vegan, are considering becoming vegan, or have never entertained the idea, here’s a rundown on the top nutritious vegan snack ideas to incorporate into your daily diet.
Vegan Cherry Truffles
Can’t bear the thought of giving up your favorite cherry cordials? Fortunately, thanks to the availability of vegan cherry truffles, you don’t have to deny your tongue the ooey-gooey goodness of cherries wrapped up in chocolate. All you need to create your own vegan chocolate truffles is some cherries, chocolate chips that are dairy-free, coconut syrup, and coconut oil.
The cherries can be either fresh or frozen, but try to stick with organic ones to avoid pesticides. The right cherries will taste great when combined with your favorite melted chocolate and coconut products—especially the coconut syrup, which tastes like caramel and is an excellent healthier alternative to traditional maple syrup. The coconut oil only adds to the mix by offering healthy fatty acids that can reduce your heart disease risk long term.
Strawberries and Cream Protein Shake
Another vegan snack idea you’ll likely never get tired of is a vegan fruit-based protein shake. Simply mix your fruit of choice, like strawberries, with the vegan milk of your choosing. This plant-based milk may range from cashew milk to rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk.
Then, add protein powder to the mix. Vegan coconut yogurt can also be incorporated to create the creamy consistency you’ve come to love in smoothies. High-quality vegan yogurt offers the benefit of being organic, soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free for a truly healthy yet yummy addition to any smoothie.
Maracuya
Yet another nutritious vegan snack idea is maracuya, a type of passion fruit. This yellow fruit, which is native to South America, offers a number of health benefits. For instance, it contains high amounts of soluble fiber, which aids in digestion. It also features high amounts of vitamin C and potassium, along with some iron. The fruit’s antioxidants can improve your eye health as well. And its magnesium can help to reduce anxiety and therefore make you feel calmer as you go about your daily business—an added bonus.
Vegan Banana Bread
If you can’t bypass bread, we don’t blame you—just make sure that the bread you choose will help you health-wise, not harm you. Vegan banana bread made with bananas and gluten-free flour falls under the category of bread that can actually enhance your health in a variety of ways. At the same time, it is the perfect comfort food to munch on for breakfast or when you need a filling pick-me-up after lunch and before you clock out for the day.
The banana in the bread is an excellent source of copper, biotin, potassium, and dietary fiber. It will also give your body the potassium, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6 it needs to thrive. The bread itself additionally contains hefty amounts of iron, protein, calcium, and vitamins, making for a snack that both you and your body will love.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Make Snack Times Count Today By Going the Vegan Route
If you’re serious about slimming down and becoming energized, you can’t go wrong with going vegan—at least at snack time if you’re exploring veganism or starting out on your vegan journey. Fortunately, a wide variety of vegan snack options are available today to try out.
Consider the above-listed nutritious vegan snack ideas as you work on adopting a healthier diet and lifestyle. The right snacks will do your body good while also helping you to enjoy and appreciate great-tasting food on a whole new level in the weeks and months ahead.