Here are some quick plant-based snack recipes for you to try. Vegan Four Berry Pie Bars (Crowded Kitchen) can be made with any kind of berries (this recipe uses strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries. But just use whatever is in season. Cloudberry tastes like apple, saskotoon berry is a cousin of apples and bumbleberry a cross of berries/rhubarb (just bin rhubarb leaves, as they contain a toxin that could harm garden creatures in the compost bin).
Caramel Apple is one of Canada’s most popular flavour combinations. Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars (Crowded Kitchen) are gluten-free and ideal for a treat on chilly days. Serve with vegan vanilla ice-cream and coffee.
Vegan Cornbread (Crowded Kitchen) is a gluten-free recipe made with just 10 ingredients. Easy to make and free from refined sugar, this is perfect for soup and chilli, and also good to use in vegan stuffing.
Peanut Butter Jelly Brownie Bars (Addicted to Dates) is a recipe by a classically trained Irish baker. Layers of raw vegan brownie are served with creamy peanut butter and jelly, encased in a chocolate shell. No-bake and gluten-free. Keep chocolate away from pets.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars (Addicted to Dates) are made with just 6 ingredients. Choose organic peanut butter to be free from palm oil. You can also make these gluten-free.
Install a Healthy Vending Machine
Vinny (UK) is a unique business that offers plant-based vending machines for offices, schools, gyms and anyone that presently uses vending machines to serve snacks and drinks to others. These stylish vending machines are fully monitored, replenished and maintained by the company, with remote services to monitor stock levels, temperatures an sales. The system benefits from a fully contactless QR code payment experience, for a touchless and COVID-proof purchase journey.
The machines are super-smart and hygienic, built with groundbreaking features in a post-COVID world. Each brand is carefully selected for its goodness and deliciousness, and the vegan-friendly food excludes 0% of the population. Snackers will be pleasantly surprised to find goodies, not found on standard supermarket shelves.
The standard machines feature cash-free and contactless payments, with real-time stock management and 24/7 control via the VendLive™ platform. There is a large, welcoming HD touchscreen with easy-to-use filters for selection, alongside helpful nutrition information. And the fun attractive design is ideal to get noticed. If needed, you can use local advertisements on the machine, to help pay for the upkeep.
The optional add-ons include microbial screens to offer 24/7 anti-bacterial protection, UVC light to destroy bacteria and an automated flap that opens automatically with no unnecessary touching, or getting your hands caught in annoying vending flaps.
If not compostable packaging, recycle the wrappers with business waste, or place in supermarket bag recycling bins.
There isn’t enough wonderful things to say about both the Vinny machines. Giving our members access to tasty, accessible, plant-based options has been a game-changer for us. The machines are easy to use, the content is always interesting and delicious. Huckletree Coworking
These vegan raspberry crumble bars (Rainbow Plant Life) are a great way to use up a seasonal glut of summer fruits. Oats are full of fibre and good for your heart, as they soak up ‘bad cholesterol’, so these are ideal if you don’t like porridge! Choose a plant-based butter with no palm oil (like Naturli) and the crumble can also be used to top other desserts.
Raspberries are often sold in farm shops, just be sure to only wash them just before using, or else they will go all mushy! You can of course grow your own, or buy from supermarkets if there is nowhere else. It’s still better to do this than to buy ready-made raspberry crumbles, which often have factory-farmed ingredients in plastic packaging. If you buy fresh, you can also just snack on the leftover raspberries, to use them up!
This post is all about snacks! Snacking is a popular pastime in the western world. However, you may be surprised (or not) to learn that many countries don’t snack. The most obvious ones are France and Italy, where three square meals a day are the norm. It’s rare for anyone to buy candy bars or bags of crisps (potato chips). A pastry at the weekend yes, but snacking no. Raspberry Caramel Millionaires Shortbread (Addicted to Dates) is very easy to make, with layers of shortbread, raspberry jelly, salted caramel and chocolate.
There are varying opinions on whether we should snack or not. Some say three meals a day is better, others prefer us to ‘graze’ throughout the day. It’s up to you, your blood sugar levels and your lifestyle. A top athlete is likely wanting to graze to keep energy levels up, whereas someone more sedentary may wish to just take their time with a couple of long meals, and a hearty breakfast.
So if you’re a snacker (or know someone who is), you’ll find lots of ideas in this post. Most snacks tend to not be vegan (just look at the choices in any vending machine) so you’ll have to make your own or order online. Another idea is to subscribe to a ‘vegan snack box’, which sends you random full-and-sample-size snacks each month, to try out the latest brands. More on them below.
Another tip is to watch portion sizes. French women are aghast at the size of ‘snack muffins’ in the USA, saying they are around 10 times the size of what they would call a ‘snack muffin’. Likewise, it’s good to stay away from 2-for-1 supermarket offers, or giant bags of crisps because they are cheap. This why making your own snacks if often a better option.
It’s better for health and pocket. Dr Katja Rowell who specialises in eating habits says that if children snack all day, they become ‘fussy eaters’ as they don’t develop proper appetites. And Professor Karen LeBillon from University of British Columbia (who has lived in both France and Canada) says that in France, children never visit the fridge to ‘root around for a snack’. It’s just not the culture.
Simple Vegan Snack Recipes
Caramel Apple Pie Bars (Crowded Kitchen) are naturally gluten-free. These are a lovely treat for chillier days, serve with vegan vanilla ice-cream and a pot of freshly-brewed coffee.
Energy Bars with Beetroot & Blackcurrant (The Veg Space) are the perfect boost when you are feeling tired. Sweet and chewy, these contain banana, nuts, seeds and oats.
Raisin Almond Date Squares (Full of Plants) blend nuts, oats and dried fruits with nut butter and brown rice syrup.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates (Addicted to Dates) is by an Irish baker so much a fan, she even named her blog after the fruit! These are made with juicy medjool dates dipped in dairy-free chocolate and stuffed with creamy peanut butter.
Dates are one of nature’s sweetest foods, and if you buy the good medjool dates, you’ll never be lost for some naturally sweetened goodies. Good for your tummy and rich with calcium, dates are a vegan with a sweet tooth’s best friend. Considered the oldest cultivated fruit in the world (over 50 million years!), they are native to the Middle East, often eaten by royalty. Try these Chocolate Dates with Peanut Butter (Rainbow Plant Life). Keep dates away from children and pets due to being dry and sticky with stones – also keep chocolate away from pets. Choose peanut butters free from palm oil.
Dates are so old, they are mentioned in the Bible, and are so popular that 3% of the world’s farmland is given over to trees to grow them (mostly in Egypt). Being a fruit from the Middle East, they are also mentioned frequently in the holy Quran. Bedoin tribes eat a lot of dates, and have a very good health record. Dates also keep well, so make a wonderful emergency food, in times of drought.
Books to Make Vegan Snacks
These books focus on snacks and nibbles, which many ‘grazers’ prefer to full scale meals. Or snacks in between meals. They are all made with wholesome ingredients too.
Vegan Snacks offer healthy to decadent meals, from on-the-go breakfasts to after-dinner indulgences. Recipes to keep temptations at bay include:
- Mango, Kiwi/Lime & Berry Smoothies
- Tofu Poké Bowl
- Jackfruit Tacos
- Apple Pie Milkshake
- Pitta Pizza
- Buffalo Cauli Wings
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Matcha Tea & Lime Pie
Vegan Snacks & Munchies offers 60 recipes to quit convenience snacks full of salt, sugar and dairy and instead choose a healthier way to graze. Find nuts and other nibbles, pocket-size energy balls and other foods for when you’re on the move. Whip up a dip for friends or for larger gatherings, find a crunchy creole cauliflower recipe, perfect for party platters. Recipes include:
- Spicy Burgers & Wedges
- Cocoa-Almond Freezer Fudge Pops
- Carob Coconut Snacks
How to Make a Vegan Platter Board
Vegan Boards offers ideas with 50 stunning plant-based boards with instructions and a colour photo of each one. Using roasted veggies, quesadillas or bruschetta, you’ll find guidance on how to use equipment and utensils to make serving food on boards, both beautiful and safe. Recipes include:
- Mediterranean Grazing Board
- Sweet & Spicy Melon Sparkler Board
- Ombre Farmers’ Market Board
- Front Yard Picnic Board
- Overnight Guest Welcome Board
- Midsummer Backyard BBQ Board
- Backyard Campfire Board
- Family Movie Night Board
- Date Night Vegan Cheese Board
- Mini Berry Pie Board
- Frozen Banana Pops Board
Vegan Antipasto Platter (Full of Plants) can be amended to whatever you have on hand. This one features pesto vegan cream cheese and smoked tempeh, along with onions, grilled marinated peppers, zucchini (courgettes) and eggplants (aubergine).
Vegan Vending Machines
So if you work in an office (or run one), and don’t want a vending machine that churns out Kit Kats and cheese & onion crisps: Vegan Vend is a new range of vending machines that sell local plant-based snacks.
Pretzels are a popular snack, with a Jewish heritage. These salty snacks are quite fiddly to make, although you can find them in shops everywhere. Try these Oven-Soft Pretzel Bites (The Simple Veganista) that are paired with Dijon mustard or a vegan queso dip.
