Just read our "What Is a Plant Based Diet?" blog post and craving some more plant-based content(food)? Most of our Customer Friends know that our number one priority, from the very beginning, is to make it easier for anyone to start, adapt, maintain - wherever you are in your food journey - their lifestyles through good food. If you did just read our blog post, you'll know that there's already so much to know and consider when starting a plant-based diet. We don't want to overwhelm and add more to your plate (though you'll probably want to add as much as you can of these snacks), so we've prepared this "shopping list" of our favourite vegan snacks available right here at SwitchGrocery!
Pantry Staples
Abokichi
The biggest misconception surrounding plant-based diets is that it’s bland. There is No. Bigger. Lie. Take a moment to think about it… what adds flavour to food? Plants! Also known as spices, seasonings, sauces, all those goodies that bring excitement and liveliness to any dish! You don’t (or shouldn’t) eat unseasoned chicken, beef, or pork, so don’t blame the tofu! Granted, it can be a bit intimidating at first to experiment with the right blend of flavours so in the case, Abokichi’s miso sauces are the perfect and easiest way to add amazing, full-depth flavour to your dish. Umami can be a difficult flavour to replicate without some seafood products, but this right here adds the perfect taste of Japan that you can never get tired of.
Fatso
Check any vegan’s fridge or pantry and guaranteed you’ll find one or two (or more) jars of peanut butter. It’s a staple because it’s such a great source of fats and protein so it’s easily filling and not to mention it tastes great and goes with almost anything. Fatso has all natural ingredients so you can taste all the depth of the actual peanuts, not just sugary brown cream. While peanut butter’s a classic on its own, Fatso is also constantly ahead of the game with their many different flavours to choose from.
JOI
Nut milks. Is there anything more we need to say? Milk alternatives are a staple for any plant-based diet for your coffee, cereal, cookie dunking, baking, smoothies, anything and everything you’ll find yourself short on nut milk. The good thing with JOI is because it’s a nut milk base, it lasts so much longer and it really plays into the adaptability of milk. You can completely customize JOI to how you use it! (Hint: Those recipes that call for soaking cashews for a few hours-overnight? JOI’s got you. Also, it’s really good as a snack on its own).
Munch Life Nut Butter
On the same note, Munch Life Nut Butters are a great option if you want a range of different types of nut butters and explore a bit outside the creamy comfort of peanut butter. Munch has some of the most unique flavours in the industry like Vanilla Almond Latte and the only Macadamia Nut Butter in Canada. This stuff definitely makes it feel like you’re treating yourself each morning to the newest hipster cafe.
Drinks
Blume Superfood Blends
Speaking of milk alternatives, of course, a great pairing is a good drink. While it’s great that a lot of cafe chains have a wider variety of milk alternatives, of course, it’s not sustainable to go everyday. Blume makes it so easy to enjoy a truly gourmet drink any time of the day with flavours that contain superfoods like the Lavender Latte or the Reishi Hot Cocoa.
Philosophie Superfoods
When you’ve followed a plant-based diet long enough, you learn to appreciate easy foods that are just PACKED with a lot of nutrients. Those foods can be gold mines and like a gold mine, it’s not that easy to find. Philosophie’s blends and powders let you turn almost anything into that gold mine. With 2 tablespoons, you get 20g of protein and a great dose of micronutrients. It tastes amazing in coffee, smoothies, oats, or in your baked goods. You’ll never feel like you’re drinking a protein shake, and if you’re interested, we actually did a blog post comparing the most popular vegan protein powders!
Indulging
Core and Rind
Guac vs. queso - a decision many vegans unfortunately didn't have to make for far too long. Until Core & Rind! A cashew-based cheese dip: the epitome of indulgence. Use it as a sauce, dip, or drizzle. This is the real liquid gold.
Evolved Chocolate
Vegan chocolate. We honestly don’t need to say more, BUT we do feel impassioned because of how game-changing this brand is. A brand offering a wide variety of chocolates (a variety comparable to big confectionery brands) is almost unheard of, but Evolved Chocolate has vegan milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter cups (a favourite), filled bars with different nut butters, even white chocolate! The best part is that you never feel down from all the sugar like you do with normal chocolates. Their slogan? "Chocolate: It's Food, Not Candy." It’s genuinely just satisfying. If this is the way we’re evolving, I’m optimistic!
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
No joke, I could eat a bag of these in one sitting (and I have). These grain-free tortilla chips rival restaurant tortilla chips. They taste so fresh and stay so crisp. It doesn’t feel oily and with a vegan nacho cheese flavour too, need I say more?
On-the-Go
Mindful Monk
Good things come in small packages and Mindful Monk's fudge squares are no exception. These pocket-sized squares are easy to travel with but are so filling. It’s creamy and smooth, and so, so decadent. A great snack to pack, especially if you have a long day in between meals. My favourite part is that it tastes like a dessert!
Pili Hunters
One of our best-sellers! You’ve heard of peanuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts. Take the best parts of all those nuts and you’ve got the Pili Nut. It’s native to the Philippines and hand-harvested. It’s creamy, filling, and so so tasty. It’s a must-have in any backpack, lunch bag, or picnic basket.
Snacker Yogi
The name says it all! If you’re a snacker/the type of person who always likes to have something to much on, Snacker Yogi is perfect. Our Customer Friends always compare these puffed lotus seeds to popcorn and it's quite spot on! It's savoury, very light, so you can have these at any time of the day!
YoFiit
This is not your average granola bar. Granola isn't always the most exciting snack, but YoFiit's fermented granola bars with unique superfood ingredients like reishi, cordyceps, and algal oil will change (and boost) your mind!
Final Thoughts
We've been so happy to be growing our collection of plant-based foods and we're only looking to expand it more! Our goal will always be to bring exposure and increase accessibility to creative products and brands that recognize food isn't a one-size-fits-all.
If you haven’t already read our "What Is a Plant Based Diet?" blog post, we really recommend it! It'll give some more context into how unique and valuable these food products are.