Kids are back at school and days are busier than ever. On hectic days, having easy snacks on hand is essential to avoiding drive throughs and vending machines. Snacks can be savory, sweet, salty, or whatever craving you may have. In no particular order, here are 20+ sweet snacks that are low waste, vegan, and portable for wherever life takes you.
- Home popped popcorn sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon
- Flavored nuts such as toffee almonds (often found in the package free section of grocery stores)
- Fresh dates (plain or filled with a nut or seed butter)
- Crackers paired with jam or preserves (bonus points if the spread is made with local fruit)
- Homemade granola with sweet additions (coconut flakes, maple syrup, chocolate, or dried fruit are great options)
- Overnight oats with sweet mix ins
- Homemade granola bars.
- Homemade trail mix with sweet mix ins
- Homemade energy balls
- Homemade brownie bites
- Homemade cookies (decorations are not required but are highly encouraged)
- Smoothies with seasonal and/or local fruit
- Hot chocolate in a reusable travel mug
- Sliced zucchini bread or banana bread (with or without nuts)
- Nuts or pretzels mixed with chocolate chips or carob nibs (mixing yourself is cheaper and more accessible for people than finding chocolate covered nuts or pretzels)
- Whatever fresh fruit happens to be in season
- Homemade muffins with a seasonal fruit mixed into the batter
- Dried fruit (often found in the package free section of grocery stores)
- Sliced apples with homemade vegan caramel dip
- Avocado topped with lime juice and sugar
In addition to all of these snacks, check your local grocery store to see if there are options that can be bought from bulk bins. Many national retailers have bins which can carry gummy candies, etc without packaging. You can also check with locally owned bakeries to see if workers are able to package things like donuts or pastries in containers you’ve brought from home.
Happy snacking!