10 Quick Vegan Snacks To Make After A Long Day At School
Here are some 10 quick vegan snacks to make after you’ve had a long day at school! Personally, snacking is the hardest when it comes to being vegan because there aren’t a lot of options. And after a long day at school, the last thing I want to do is start cooking. Hopefully, this list makes it easier next time to come up with something quick and tasty!
1. Almond Butter & Banana With Cinnamon Smoothie
Personally, out of all these quick vegan snacks, this is my go to. Even as breakfast sometimes in the morning when I’m heading out late. It satisfies both a sweet and savory craving, and now with fall on our doorstep I like to incorporate cinnamon for a little seasonal trick.
Add 1 cup of any type of non-dairy milk into a blender, usually my preference is oat milk because it adds a creamier texture. Then split 1 banana into three parts, drop that into the blender as well with 1 tablespoon of almond butter. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a handful of ice. Once that is all blended together, it’ll be a nude-ish color. If you want more spice to it, you can also add a little more cinnamon sprinkled on the top once you pour it into your cup.
2. Fruit Salad
An obvious choice, but just as delicious, fruit salads can never go wrong. It’s also a very quick option, and with an endless variety of fruits you can choose whether you want a more tropical feel to your fruit salad, or stick to your antioxidants and have a complete berry salad. This is the way I make mine however, and it never lets me down.
I like to intentionally add specific fruit because of their benefits so my fruit salads pack a mean health-kick to them. I chop up one kiwi into bite sizes because not only is it high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, but it’s an amazing source of fiber. I like to one complete mango, about the size of my hand, if it’s any bigger I’ll only use half of it. Mango’s are low-calorie and high fiber as well. They contain Vitamin A which is a key vitamin in promoting eyesight. I slice up some strawberries for their antioxidants and as a source of manganese. Antioxidants are essential in preventing cell damage. Then I like to sprinkle some chia seeds on top for some added protein and because they’re high in omega 3 fatty acids.
3. Trail Mix
Trail mix is a good way to get a bunch of nutrients in an easy way. The thing with making these quick vegan snacks is that you have to be mindful of what’re digesting. You want these options to have as many nutrients as possible because your body does need them. I don’t have a trail mix recipe that I make, I usually just grab whatever looks interesting to me.
However, I make sure my trail mixes have almonds in them just because they’re jam-packed with healthy fats and vitamins, and the same goes for cashews as well. I tend to lean towards ones that have dried fruit inside them too just for an added touch of different textures and tastes.
4. Vegan Parfait
Now that I can no longer have parfait, I just make it myself at home! This is just as light as the other quick vegan snacks. It’s a great option when you’re craving something sweet, and can easily be made in the mornings if you’re running late to school or work.
Make sure you grab your favorite plant based yogurt, mine is the Almond Breeze one where the yogurt is made out of almond milk. I grab just the plain vanilla one. At the bottom of your cup, place a table spoon of granola. The granola I use has almonds in it, try to get one with nuts in you just because it gives it an extra health kick. On top of that add one table spoon of jam, I like to use raspberry jam. And to finish off that layer, add one tablespoon of your plant-based yogurt. Repeat this one more time and it should fill your cup to the top. I like to add some fresh raspberries on the top for an extra touch.
5. Chickpea Salad
Out of all the quick vegan snacks, this one can be used a side to a dish, or even for a quick lunch. It’s very easy to make and only requires about four ingredients.
Start off with a can of chickpeas, just drain the water out of them and rinse them off. Place them in a bowl, along with a handful of cherry tomatoes. Add a handful (or like three if you’re me) of sliced black olives. Then slice some red radishes and add them into the bowl as well. To top it all off, drizzle the salad with some Italian dressing. Always check the back when purchasing your Italian dressing and read the ingredient list because some can contain non-vegan products. Add a pinch of salt, and toss it all together.
6. Plant-based Ice Cream
I like to treat myself with this snack way too often, but oh well you only live once! This is a quick snack when you’re craving something sweet or even chocolatey if you get the chocolate version.
You can dress this option up by placing two scoops in a cup and dressing it up with fruits and nuts, making your own little vegan sundae. Or you can just put two scoops in a wafer or waffle cone, and eat it like that! My go to plant based ice cream is the So Delicious brand in the flavor Chocolate because it satisfies my sweet craving and my chocolate craving at the same time.
7. Rice Cakes with Almond Butter & Banana
This snack option is perfect when you literally have no energy to make anything. You don’t want to do anything that involves more than three steps, even that seems too much for you right now. But don’t worry this option is for the tried person in all of us, and it’s also delicious.
Grab two rice cakes, I usually have the Quaker rice cakes in lightly salted, and spread almond butter on the top of them till the top is fully covered. Grab one banana and cut it into thin pieces. Grab those pieces and place them on top of your rice cakes so the banana slices are completely covering the top of that almond butter you just placed. And thats how easy it is!
8. Pretzels and Lemon Hummus
Compared to the rest of this list of quick vegan snacks, this example is oddly specific but it’s for a particular reason. Lemon hummus is absolutely underrated.
I love hummus with everything in me, currently have like five boxes of it in my fridge, different flavors for different purposes but I always resort back to this one. Lemon hummus is quite different from the rest of the other flavors because of the fresh taste it has to it. The lemon flavor gives it a very light, zesty taste but yet still makes you feel like it’s summer-time. This goes perfectly paired with pretzels which aren’t heavy either.
9. Fig Bar
Open up any of my school bags, and you’ll find a fig bar or a wrapper for a fig bar I devoured in there. Which is ironic because as a child I couldn’t stand them but now I have some new profound love for them.
Fig bars are a perfect quick snack to grab that are packed with fiber and aid in digestion. The fiber in the bar ends up leaving you feeling full after you finish it, and with a variety of flavors you can always switch it up from something sweet to a little more savory. My personal preference is the Nature’s Bakery fig bars, in the flavor Raspberry or Peach Apricot.
10. Skinny Popcorn
Skinny Pop has honestly been a life-changer for vegans and an easy option when it comes to quick vegan snacks, Movie nights can actually still be movie nights and theres no shame after you devour the entire bag either, because it’s pretty healthy. But be careful, because some flavors consist of white cheddar and other non-vegan options, so I always just stick to the original . It tastes exactly like popcorn without all that greasy butter on it, and feels a lot lighter on your body as well. You can wear those tight pants on your movie date, and still devour the whole bag without any fear of bloating.
Let me know your favorite quick vegan snacks or if you ended up trying out any one of my personal favorites in the comments down below!
Featured image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/559431584964086771/
Undergraduate student currently pursuing a degree in English/Creative Writing with a minor in journalism! Living life one day at a time as the universe allows it!