Snack Ideas for the College Vegan on a Budget

"No meat, no cheese, no dairy?! No way!" That's what most of my college friends say when they learn I'm a vegan. They don't know how I survive! They think my food options are limited, but that simply isn't true.

When people learn I'm a vegan, they immediately think that snacking would become bland, boring, and tasteless; even non-existant. That couldn't be further from the truth! I have a wonderful variety of foods to eat, even on my skimpy college budget. There are countless, delicious, and very appetizing vegan meals out there. There are also a lot of great snacks I can choose from when I go to the supermarket to do my weekly shopping.

Here are some of my top three favorite vegan snack foods as a college student, so tasty you'd never miss the animal products (I haven't) and chances are you'd probably forget you made any lifestyle change at all!

Keep in mind, as a vegan we differ from vegetarians in that we do NOT consume ANY product derived from animals. That means no dairy, no cheese, nothing from an animal whatsoever. Don't forget to read your labels!

Celery and peanut butter is a delicious and healthy snack. Obviously you wouldn't want to gorge on the peanut butter because too much isn't healthy. However, if you take some on a knife and spread it along the length of the celery stalk in the "groove" you'll have a tasty and filling snack at your fingertips. Celery is also known to help you burn calories, as the fibers actually take more energy to digest!

Blue Corn Tortilla Chips are my favorite brand of chips. You might have seen them while walking through the chips aisle, if you've seen any chips that are a dark blue, almost black in color, those are the ones! They come lightly salted and are a great in-between-meals idea to hold you over. Dip them in a salsa of your choice, or a no additives bean dip for a really yummy snack.

Kashi brand granola bars are also a fantastic, healthy vegan snack habit! There are five or six different brands although I prefer the Honey Almond Flax. The Kashi Honey Almond Flax bars are packed with seven grams of protein, four grams of fiber, and 300mg of Omega-3. Very healthy, inexpensive, and extremely delicious! They contain no artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, OR cholesterol! This is by far my favorite vegan snack.

Besides my top three personal favorites, the college vegan on a budget can find an abundance of "normal" foods that are actually very healthy, and that don't contain any animal products or byproducts. It's as simple as knowing what you like, reading labels, and being creative. Also, don't be afraid to buy the cheaper generic brands of the foods you like. They almost always contain the same ingredients, and hardly differ in taste, but cost a lot less than mainstream brands!