Meals on a whole-food plant-based diet, in my experience, are really rather simple. Snacks seem to be the most common source of confusion. I've seen more folks go off the rails with snacks than with breakfast, lunch, and dinner combined while shifting to a plant-based diet. Cravings for sweet or processed foods become intense.
To help you overcome your cravings, I've compiled a collection of tasty and healthy vegan snacks that you can make in minutes. Some are sweet, some are savoury, some are salty, some are entire recipes, and some are so quick to make that they may be made in seconds. Keep this list on hand to ward off afternoon munchies —
Jump to:
- 1. Dates with Nut Butter
- 2. Steamed Greens
- 3. Ice cream with just one ingredient
- 4. Chickpeas Roasted
- 5. Oatmeal Banana Cookies
- 6. Vegan Parmesan Flax Crackers with Italian Herbs
- 7. Tahini-Drizzled Apple Slices
- 8. Popcorn that has been popped in the air
- 9. Cashews with a Sweet and Spicy Flavor
- 10. Steamed Edamame
1. Dates with Nut Butter
This is maybe my favourite snack of all time, and it's the perfect cure for any sweet appetite. Simply cut a couple of dates in half, remove the pits (if needed), and fill with a spoonful of almond, peanut, or cashew butter.
2. Steamed Greens
Greens are filled with micronutrients, and one of the laws of a whole food diet is that "if you under-eat on micronutrients (i.e. antioxidants, vitamins), you'll end up over-eating on macronutrients (cookies)." In an almost miraculous manner, a bowl of steamed greens may satisfy your desires for processed foods. Simply add 2 handfuls of kale, spinach, orchard to a steaming basket and bring to a boil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes, covered. Toss with sesame seeds and balsamic or fruit vinegar.
3. Ice cream with just one ingredient
This dessert has just one ingredient. To create, freeze a few bananas overnight, then chop them into little bits and process them until you have a creamy frozen treat.
4. Chickpeas Roasted
This is a traditional nutritious snack that's really simple to prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F and rinse/dry a can of chickpeas well. Combine cumin, chilli powder, sea salt, and (optionally) a tablespoon of maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Place the chickpeas on a baking pan and bake until they are crisp and crispy.
5. Oatmeal Banana Cookies
These sugar-free, flour-free cookies are so tasty that you'd never guess they're healthy. Plus, they're almost infallible — no matter how hard you try, you can't screw up this baked delicacy. They're my go-to afternoon snack, and they take less than 20 minutes to prepare, bake, and eat.
6. Vegan Parmesan Flax Crackers with Italian Herbs
These crackers are out of this world! Flaxseed (high in healthy lipids that will keep you full all day) and an excellent spice mix that mimics parmesan cheese are the main ingredients. You have to give them a shot.
7. Tahini-Drizzled Apple Slices
What exactly is tahini? It's similar to peanut butter, except instead of peanuts, it's prepared using sesame seeds. It has a unique flavour and a creamy texture that pairs well with apples. Slice an apple into wedges and top with tahini.
8. Popcorn that has been popped in the air
Popcorn is a wonderful and healthful snack... as long as it isn't filled with butter, salt, and other additives found in store-bought packets. Simply purchase organic popcorn kernels and pop them with air using a specially designed popcorn popper or by placing the kernels in a brown paper bag with some sea salt, folding over the top, and microwaving until popped. If you want to go all out, a teaspoon of coconut oil goes a long way.
9. Cashews with a Sweet and Spicy Flavor
These are my favourite things. They're oven-roasted cashews with wonderful Asian/Indian spices and a tinge of sweetness from maple syrup, similar to the chickpeas above. Spices, soy sauce/tamari, and maple syrup are combined to coat raw cashews. Preheat the oven to 300°F and bake until crisp.
10. Steamed Edamame
Fresh soybeans are a lot of fun to eat and provide a full protein supply. To cook, place the beans in a steamer basket in a saucepan of boiling water and steam for approximately 10 minutes, or until well cooked. If you don't have a steamer basket, you may boil the edamame. Serve in a dish with a pinch of sea salt after it is done. To consume, put the pod in your mouth, bite down, and squeeze out the beans, tossing the pod away.
