The Best Vegan Snacks: Plant-Based Food to Power Athletes

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Vegan diets are growing in popularity. Between 2014 and 2018 there was a 600 percent increase in Americans who follow a vegan diet. Elite athletes are following the trend, too. Removing meat and other animal products from your diet may go against all of the protein-focused training wisdom you have relied on for years, but following a vegan diet can actually decrease body weight, create leaner muscles, and improve overall stamina.

On top of these potential benefits, there are plenty of other reasons to try a plant-based diet, like improving your digestion and eliminating junk foods and unhealthy fillers that are sabotaging your diet, especially when you're snacking between meals. The best vegan snacks will have clean ingredients, and since they're all plant-based, will have more nutrients per serving than other foods. Let's get to the list.

Why Trust Us?

The health and safety of ACTIVE's readers is of the utmost importance to us. To ensure your well-being when consuming vegan snacks, the ACTIVE.com editorial team prioritizes products that are independently tested by a third party. We've also consulted with a team of nutritionists and dieticians to ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. This helps us create the most accurate, authentic review content for our readers.

The Best Vegan Snacks - Our Top Picks

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• Emmy's Organics Coconut Cookies
• Purely Elizabeth Oatmeal
• Chloe's Strawberry Pops
• Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps
• Neat Egg Mix
• Noka Superfood Smoothie Pouches
• Pizootz Premium Peanuts
• Larabar
• Vegan Rob Brussels Sprout Puffs
• Clif Bar
• Zubi's Organic Queso
• Lil Buck's Paleo Cereal
• McCormick Imitation Bacon Bits
• Iberia Saldito Plantain Chips

The Benefits of a Vegan Diet and Vegan Snacking

There are several potential benefits of vegan-friendly snacking in addition to the ones we talked about above.

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Studies show that plant-based diets like veganism and vegetarianism lower the risk of most heart diseases. That's because plant-based diets are high in fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals that keep your cholesterol low.

It's Better for the Environment

According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the meat industry has a big impact on the environment. The industry is large and it requires a lot of natural resources, particularly local fresh water sources, to maintain. Plant-based diets use resources, too, but plants tend to replace minerals and elements into soil that are beneficial to growing more plants.

It Could Boost Your Recovery

If you're an endurance athlete you know the feeling of depleted energy stores after a training session or a race. The quickest way to restore energy sources is sugar, but many vegan snacks and recipes have high amounts of natural fructose that your body can easily break down as energy. Try these energy-boosting vegan recipes after your next training session.

Vegan Snacks to Buy

Emmy's Organics Coconut Cookies

Emmy's Organics Coconut Cookies are gluten free and made from simple, natural ingredients. Each cookie has 100 calories, 1 gram of protein, 7 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of sugar.

These cookies are a treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of being sweetened with refined sugar they are sweetened with agave which has a much lower glycemic index.

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Purely Elizabeth Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a popular snack in plant-based diets because it is usually gluten free and you can flavor it to your liking with spices or sweeteners of choice. Purely Elizabeth Oatmeal is fortified with chia seeds, flaxseed, and quinoa for an added nutritional boost.

Purely Elizabeth Oatmeal has 160 calories, 5 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbs, 0 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of fiber.

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Chloe's Strawberry Pops

Each pop has 60 calories, 0 grams of protein and fat, 15 grams of carbs, 1 gram fiber, and 14 grams of sugar. Chloe's Pops are made with fruit puree, water, and pure cane sugar. If you're looking for a sugar-free treat, this is not the one for you. But it is a tasty ice-cream alternative that is gluten free and kosher.

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Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps

Veggie Crisps are a potato chip alternative that use rice flour as the base to make them gluten free. These crisps also have beans, peas, or other vegetable powder to give them some extra nutritional value.

One package of Off the Eaten Path Veggie Crisps has 160 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 24 grams of carbs.

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Neat Egg Mix

Neat Egg Mix is an egg substitute that makes the equivalent of 18 eggs. One tablespoon of Neat Egg mixed with 2 tablespoons of water is a substitute for eggs in recipes. Neat Eggs are made of chia seeds and garbanzo beans so they are gluten free, soy free, and non-GMO.

Each serving has 25 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber.

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Noka Superfood Smoothie Pouches

Noka Superfood smoothie pouches have different combinations of fruit, seeds, and rice protein depending on which flavor you choose. Each pouch has 110-120 calories, 1.5-2 grams of fat, 12-14 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Some flavors even have 70 percent Daily Values for vitamin C.

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Pizootz Premium Peanuts

Pizootz Premium Nuts are flavored with spices made from vegetable powders and other nutrient-dense ingredients like apple cider vinegar. Each serving has 140 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, and 90 milligrams of sodium.

There are almost six servings per package, so you should be able to get multiple snacks out of one.

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Larabar

Larabar's slogan is "food made from food." Each bar is made of different fruit, nuts, and spices. Some flavors are sweetened with sugar, but more commonly the only sweetener used in Larabar is dates. Each bar has 190-220 calories, 3-6 grams of protein, 8-12 grams of fat, 23-28 grams of carbs, and 15-20 grams of sugar.

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Vegan Rob Brussels Sprout Puffs

Vegan Rob brussels sprout puffs are made from sorghum grain and rice bran mixed with brussels sprout powder and spices. They are a simple snack with good nutritional benefits. One bag of gluten-free puffs has 170 calories, 3 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 19 grams of carbs.

The bags are 1.25 ounces, so these nutrients are packed into a small amount which should help you curb hunger throughout the day.

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Clif Bar

Clif Bar is one of the most recognizable brands on our list. That's because these popular bars are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients that give you a lot of bang for your buck. One bar has 250 calories, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein, although nutrient composition varies slightly between flavors.

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Zubi's Organic Queso

Zubi's Organic queso is a very unique cheese-alternative dip. Many of these types of dips or spreads are nut or soy based, but Zubi's is made of nine ingredients, all of which are vegetables or spices. This is another nutrient-dense snack with 80 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 2 grams of carbs per serving.

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Lil Buck's Paleo Cereal

Traditional cereal is typically made with some combination of wheat and sugar. But Lil Buck's paleo cereal is made with buckwheat which helps stabilize your blood sugar levels and is high in fiber. It is also sweetened with cacao so it is low in sugar. A serving of this cereal is 1/4 cup, each of which has 150 calories, 6 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fiber.

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McCormick Imitation Bacon Bits

McCormick imitation bacon bits can be eaten as a snack but also work well as toppings for salad or other dishes like a baked potato. These imitation bacon bits are made from soy flour and yeast extract. A serving of McCormick imitation bacon bits is 1 tablespoon and has 30 calories, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of carbs.

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Iberia Saldito Plantain Chips

Plantain chips have been a well-known potato chip alternative for a long time now. The advantages are that plantain chips are cholesterol free while still having the crunchy texture many people enjoy with potato chips. Iberia Saldito chips are seasoned with sea salt and each serving has 1 gram of protein, 10 grams of fat, and 17 grams of carbs.

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Other Vegan Snacks We Like

• Savory Wild Portabella Jerky
• Nature's Bakery Fig Bar
• Biena Chickpea Baked Snack Puffs
• RIND Dried Fruit Chips
• Thomas' Plain Bagels
• Triscuits
• Whole Foods Organic Peanut Butter
• Louisiana Vegan Jerky
• Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips
• Pipcorn Heirloom Mini Popcorn
• Lil Bucks Paleo Cereal

Best Healthy Snacks | Best Keto Snacks | Best Gluten-Free Snacks | Best Healthy Snacks to Buy | Best Running Snacks | Best Low-Calorie Snacks | Best High-Protein Snacks | Best Low-Carb Snacks | Best Vegan Snacks | Best Calorie Counter Apps