Having your own plant-based snacks on hand when you’re on the run is a great strategy to avoid the temptation of turning to the vending machine or candy aisle for a quick fix. It’s also a lot easier than you think. There are many plant-based snacks you can make that don’t require a ton of time and resources. Using simple ingredients, you can make snacks that are full of major health benefits and satisfy hunger during a midday slump.
Medical studies and clinical trials have shown the variety of health benefits that result from following a plant-based diet, including reducing risk factors for certain cancers, lowering mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases, reducing inflammation, and preventing and managing type 2 diabetes.
Unlike a vegetarian diet, a plant-based diet is made up of foods that do not have animal-derived products (similar to a vegan diet). The diet primarily focuses on fruits and vegetables, while also including nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans.
Following a plant-based diet is becoming more popular; since record growth in 2020, sales of plant-based foods in the United States rose to $7.4 billion last year, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.
If you’re looking to give your snacks more of a plant slant, Thistle compiled a list of plant-based snack recipes from allrecipes.com—perfect for when you’re on the go. Nutritional data for items listed—like micronutrients in fruits, or protein in chickpeas—came from data listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central.
