For a vegan travelling, it is like constantly trying to go on a scavenger hunt—but at least you are always prepared when you have the right snacks in your backpack. Here are ten vegan snacks one should not forget when setting off on a trip, whether in an urban environment or in nature.
1. Trail Mix
Trail mix is essential to any travel tradition due to its popularity and convenience as a food to replenish one’s strength. It is a snack made from nuts, seeds, and dry fruits. If boiled, trail mix has a perfect proportion of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
The nuts provide nutrients in the body, such as magnesium and vitamin E, and dried fruits give some sweetness and fibre to the body naturally. The top-off for the trail mix added delight is achieved when dark chocolate chips and or coconut are added to the overall recipe. And, without a doubt, this foodstuff does not turn bad quickly.
2. Vegan Jerky
Remember about vegan jerky for plane rides or car trips where you'll be sitting a while! Vegan jerky is made from soy, seitan, jackfruit, or mushrooms, and this meatless jerky has a texture similar to the real deal. But it's packed with protein instead of saturated fat. The savoury flavours like BBQ or teriyaki satisfy salty cravings, too. Pair it with a hydrating snack like fresh coconut water to stay refreshed on long hauls.
3. Rice Cake with Almond Butter
Rice cakes are low in calories and almost tasteless, yet crunchy. When eaten with almond butter, they make for a rather tasty snack packed with plenty of nutrients. Almond butter provides nutrients such as fats and proteins, adding a good texture and flavour to rice cakes.
Then, you can add some chia seeds or sliced bananas to elevate the taste and nutritional value. A serving of these are ideal when taken in the morning as breakfast or in the afternoon as a snack because it can be carried without worrying about it going bad.
4. Fruit Leather
Fruit leather is dried fruit rolled into a shape that allows a person to eat it when busy. Fruits are blended and placed on a tray, then dried and rolled into what is referred to as fruit leather. As the name implies, it remains sweet and contains all the nutrition from the fruits used to prepare it.
5. Chickpea Puffs
Chickpea puffs are a tasteful puffed snack food with nutrient density because of their high protein fibre content. Chickpea flour is used to prepare these puffs instead of the regular chips, thus making them much healthier. They come in various varieties to meet taste preferences, including standard sea salt and pepper, BBQ, and spicy sriracha.
6. Energy Bars
Concerning preference, energy bars are well-admired by travelers since they may be helpful when one feels hungry and then a meal is not easily accessible. Choose the ones produced using natural components like oats, nuts, and dates because they provide the right complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This snack bar is suitable for use during many hours of travel or hiking.
7. Seaweed Snacks
Seaweed snacks are generally thin-cut, crunchy, and taste delicious while rich in vitamins and minerals. The vegetable is filled with iodine, calcium, vitamins A and C; however, the taste of the seaweed is quite exotic. The preparation of these snacks does not include a generous addition of oils, which makes them low in calories while being rich in umami taste, indicating that they are healthy.
8. Popcorn
Popcorn is a perfect snack since it is simple to prepare and can be specially prepared in various ways. To avoid added fats, use nutritional yeast or preferred spices to season air-popped popcorn, which contains few calories but lots of fibre.
9. Dried Edamame
Roasted edamame should be considered as they are always healthy and excellent for traveling because they are dry and offer protein. These green soybeans are also dense in protein and fibre and will help you satisfy your hunger during meals. Since dried edamame does not need refrigeration or high moisture content, it is perfect for bringing on any trip.
10. Dark Chocolate
As the saying goes, a little sin does not harm, so chocolate, especially the dark ones, satisfies your cravings when traveling. Buy the best quality dark chocolate with high cocoa content for the best flavour and most nutritional value.
Packing Tips for Vegan Snacks
Now that you have your list of must-have snacks, here are a few tips on how to pack them for your travels:
- Stay Fresh: Use tightly secured containers and resealable bags to ensure that your snacks do not get spoiled and to avoid mess caused by spills in your bag,
- Mix it Up: The old saying true to the letter goes, 'Variety is the spice of life.’ This is an excellent way to include different snacks in your trail mix or snack pack to get a tasty mixture of foods.
- Champin Sustainability: To consciously reduce your environmental impact while travelling, opt for reusable containers, choose snacks with minimal packaging, and consider supporting local and organic producers.
- Check Local Regulations: When traveling overseas, it is advised to research the policies regarding importing foods into other countries to avert problems when passing through customs.
Final Thoughts
Eating a vegan meal on the road does not have to mean sacrificing tasty and healthy food. If you are willing to dedicate a fraction of your time to preparation, tasty and filling snacks can follow you almost anywhere. For more easy and budget-friendly vegan meal ideas, check out these 9 Excellent Cheap & Lazy Vegan Meals.