5 Easy Vegan Snacks

Ninety seven percent of the time I run around all day like a chickpea with my head cut off.

I guzzle down a smoothie for breakfast between meetings and Alchemy insanity and before I know it, it's 1pm and my stomach is a growly beast. Sometimes I don't have time for balanced meals. Sometimes my plate isn't half vegetables. Sometimes it's okay to be really, really busy and scarf down really, really good snacks.

I would be lying if I said I put my behind in a chair and ate three balanced meals a day. Big time. First of all, I rarely sit when I eat. Being the avid (read, psycho) multi-tasker that I am (or have to be), I usually eat while I'm doing ten other things. Responding to Instagram comments. Adjusting a recipe. Making the schedule.

We're all busy bees, and that means that sometimes meals are more like a bunch of yumtastic snacks. And that is very, very okay. Thank the heavens above that there are tons of wholesome snack options out there these days!

Lettuce have a look-see at some of my current obsessions.

goodnessknows Snack Squares

There are several reasons why I adore these squares. First of all, they're pretty perf for on-the-go snacking, I love that they're...squares. You can eat one if you're just craving a bite of something sweet or you can eat four if you're hangry. All for only 150 calories!  Made with the goodness of whole nuts, fruits, toasted oats and dark chocolate (be still my heart), they have none of the yuckies like artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.

They come in three flavors, including 1) cranberry, almond, and dark chocolate, 2) apple, almond, peanut, and dark chocolate, and 3) peach, cherry, almond, and dark chocolate. That's right--they ALL have dark chocolate. Me and these squares were kind of made for each other. My personal favorite is the cranberry, almond, and dark chocolate. It's just sweet enough, chewy, and satisfying.

Brown Rice Cake + Avocado

Hi I'm Alexis and I'm obsessed with brown rice cakes and all the toppings. Lately my go-to is roasted garlic hummus with hot sauce, but avocado or guacamole does the trick, too. This is my favorite savory snack because it's simple, totally easy to prepare, crunchy, creamy, and freaking delish. Hot sauce (or red pepper flakes) not optional!

Easy Blueberry Smoothie

Smoothies aren't just for breakfast! With all that fiber and all those vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, why not whip one up for a snackity, too? If I have oatmeal or something savory for breakfast, I love having a smoothie mid-day to sneak my fruits and veggies in. It's always a rendition of this Blueberry Cacao Smoothie. For a snack-sized smoothie, try ½ cup frozen blueberries (I like Wild blueberries), ½ cup frozen spinach or a big handful of fresh spinach, ½ scoop of brown rice protein powder (I like Vega or Skoop), half a tablespoon of cacao powder (optional), and as much almond milk as needed.

Muffins

I am a muffin fiend. These chocolate banana muffins are my favorite because they're naturally sweetened with dates. No added sugar for the win! I pack a couple in my lunch and heat them up in the oven for the best snack on planet Earth. Done and done.

No-Bake Bites

What's small and round and brown? Ummmmm. No-bake bites? They're a breeze to whip up, naturally sweetened, perfectly chewy, packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and all the goodness. My favorites are these Lemon Coconut No-Bake Bites, Pumpkin Pie Protein No-Bake Bites, and these Cherry Vanilla Protein Bars rolled into balls.