Go to the main content

VegOut Back-to-School Snack Guide 2023

 School is in session, and we’ve got your plant-based snack needs covered!

Child and Adult holding Stellar Snacks pack
Food & Drink

Courtesy of Stellar Snacks

 School is in session, and we’ve got your plant-based snack needs covered!

Heading back to school? Don’t forget to add a variety of tasty vegan snacks to your school shopping list! And if you’re ready for some snacky inspiration, we’ve got you covered with options ranging from buttery vegan pretzels and regenerative almond butter to on-the-go hummus cups and cheesy mustache-shaped crackers. You know you want in on these plant-based snack options!

Plant-Based Snacks Perfect for the School Season and Beyond

If you’re not part of the back-to-school crew, we’ve got options for our working friends, wanderlust travelers, and avid snack lovers alike. So, you don’t have to be in your education era to get in on the goods. This year, we took the guesswork out of snack shopping, and we are ready to educate you all! Check out our guide for back-to-school snacking and beyond!

Stellar Snacks Pretzel Braids

Get ready to snack with purpose this back-to-school season! Introducing Stellar Snacks, crave-worthy pretzel braids. Created by a mother-and-daughter duo, this women-owned brand believes that snacks are meant to be shared. Therefore, the brand made their irresistible pretzel braids vegan, peanut-free, non-GMO, and kosher. The brand focuses on quality, inclusive ingredients infused with passion. Think sustainably grown and milled flour, vegan butter, Italian sea salt, and pure garlic, onion, and monk fruit seasonings.

Stellar Snacks pretzels come in a variety of tasty flavors like Simply Stellar (the brand’s take on classic buttery pretzels), Sweet & Sparkly (zesty Buffalo), Maui Monk (sweet Maui onion), and Bold & Herby (roasted garlic and onion). You know we love our flavorful options! And don’t even get us started on the lively packaging! Stellar partners with emerging artists, providing them with a platform to showcase their talents. Each bag is a work of art!

So, as you’re gearing up for the back-to-school season, be sure Stellar Snacks is on your school shopping list. These vegan snacks are tasty enough to enjoy on their own but pair well with a variety of plant-based dips. The delicious snack combinations are endless, and they’re sure to bring out the creativity in kids and grown-ups alike.

Bonus: Follow their Instagram for a big announcement about lunchbox sizes coming soon!

Stellar Snacks package and pretzels in bowl

Courtesy of Stellar Snacks

Why Bars Superfood Snack Bars

Good news—this health-conscious brand has your back-to-school snack needs covered! Made with better-for-you ingredients like gluten-free oats, almond butter, dried fruits, organic coconut oil, and chia seeds, Why Bars are an easy choice for nutritious snacking no matter what you have planned.

Made for sustainable energy between meals, these Superfood Snack Bars are organic, vegan, gluten-free, and crafted with simple ingredients. The brand’s flavorful, snackable inventory includes Apple Almond, Blueberry Bliss, Cherry Chia, Choco Peanut, Mango Ginger, Super Cacao, and Zesty Lemon formulations. Thinking about adding Why Bars to your back-to-school shopping list? Find these energizing bars on Amazon. We recommend opting for the variety pack.

So, whether you’re heading to campus, commuting to work, hanging at home, or moving your body out in nature, grab one of these convenient and portable bars for that trustworthy energy boost. That way, you can focus on your activity rather than your hunger. Hey, those essays aren’t going to write themselves! Are you with us?

Use promo code 15WHYBAR for 15% off your entire purchase!

Vegan why bars

Courtesy of Why Bars

Green Mustache Plant-Based Cheese Crackers

Created by a mother on a mission to feed her food-averse child snacks that were convenient, healthy, and well-accepted, VanTrang Manges founded Green Mustache in 2014. Now, this Brooklyn-based, woman- and minority-owned business is doing the most with delicious and innovative plant-based snacks perfect for back-to-school and beyond.

Made with better-for-you ingredients like garbanzo bean flour, kale, and chia seeds, the brand’s Mustache Munchies come in a variety of tasty flavors. Find these nostalgic snacks in Cheddarish, Parmesan Rosemary, and Spicyish. Appealing to a broader demographic, Mustache Munchies aren’t just vegan, they are also organic, gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified, and OK Kosher Certified.

Enjoying these vegan crackers is easy! Add them to a school lunch, bring them for a work snack, enjoy them during your commute, or pop a few in your mouth as you catch up on your fave TV series. From the satisfying crunch to the nostalgic flavor to the fun handlebar mustache shape, it’s easy to love these plant-based cheese crackers.

Use promo code VEGOUT20 for 20% off your entire purchase!

Green Mustache vegan snacks

Courtesy of Green Mustache

Blue Stripes Cacao Snacks, Bars, and Drinks

This back-to-school food brand is truly one of a kind! In addition to offering a variety of delicious and antioxidant-rich snacks, bars, and drinks, Blue Stripes is one of our fave upcycled food brands! Unlike traditional chocolate brands, the vegan cacao brand utilizes the whole plant for its innovative treats—that’s the cacao shell, fruit, and beans. And while chocolate comes from the cacao plant too, Blue Stripes focuses on better-for-you options.

The Earth-conscious brand features a delicious lineup of plant-based snacks, including dried cacao fruit, trail mixes, and coated cacao beans. Blue Stripes also has the hookup on cacao bars for when you need a little something sweet. And the brand’s inventory of hydrating cacao beverages is impressive. Choose cacao water in flavors ranging from vanilla to chili lime.

So, where does the back-to-school snacking come in? We’re glad you asked! Blue Stripes Cacao snacks and bars are perfect for between classes and during your commute. And the brand’s delicious cacao beverages are a great choice for post-school sports and exercise hydration. Find this upcycled brand on Amazon.

Use promo code SNACKHEALTHY15 for 15% off your entire purchase!

Blue Stripes vegan foods on table

Courtesy of Blue Stripes

Burroughs Family Farms Almonds and Almond Butters

What pairs well with the back-to-school season? Almond butter! But not just any almond butter, organic almond butter from Burroughs Family Farms. You can really taste the difference with these products, as the brand utilizes regenerative agriculture practices that aim to produce clean and delicious foods while protecting and enhancing the environment. Hungry shoppers can choose from creamy, crunchy, and cinnamon maple almond butter varieties.

The regenerative brand also offers packaged almonds for tasty after-school snacks! From raw almonds to various flavored options ranging from Everything But the Bagel, Cinnamon, Rosemary Garlic, and Smoky BBQ, Burrough Family Farms has your snacking needs completely covered! Enjoy these almonds on their own or paired with dried or fresh fruit for extra nutritious enjoyment.

So, whether you’re dreaming up almond butter sandwiches or thinking about a homemade trail mix treat featuring Burroughs almonds, you know where to look! The possibilities are endless here. To level up your after-school snacking, find these tasty, regenerative eats on Amazon.

Use promo code VEGOUT for 10% off your entire purchase from the brand’s website!

Burroughs Family Farms almonds

Courtesy of Burroughs Family Farms

Sabra Snackers

Find yourself in the mood for a snack with a little substance? We’ve all been there! Let chips and dip be the answer you’re looking for. And when not just any chip-and-dip duo will do, reach for Sabra Snackers. It’s the crave-able, spreadable, snackable dips you know packed into individual, on-the-go portions perfect for school, travel, and work alike. There’s no bad time for a Sabra Snacker.

Available in a variety of hummus and guacamole dips paired with crunchy dippers like pita chips, pretzels, and rolled tortilla chips, Sabra Snackers are our fave way to enjoy these plant-based dips anytime and anywhere. Find the Sabra Snackers hummus choices in Classic, Roasted Garlic, and Roasted Red Pepper variations. We’ve got options and you know we love it!

Sabra Snackers are a great addition to any packed lunch and make a nutritious snack for after work and school. These on-the-go snacks are easy to find, easy to enjoy, and easy to purchase over and over again. Here’s your sign to add these tasty dip combinations to your school snack regimen.

Sabra vegan snack

Courtesy of Sabra

Toufayan Wraps

When it’s snack time, but you want something more filling than chips, this is your sign to reach for Toufayan wraps! Available in many formulations and flavors, these sandwich wraps are perfect for simple vegan wraps, cheesy quesadillas, homemade flatbreads, and beyond. We’re obsessed with this family-owned bakery, and you will be too!

All made with wholesome ingredients, Toufayan wraps come in Classic Plain, Garlic Pesto, Low Carb-Low Sodium, Savory Spinach, Sundried Tomato, Wholesome Wheat, and Keto variations. Plus, the brand also features three gluten-free wraps in Original, Smart Grain, and Spinach varieties. These plant-based wraps are naturally free from cholesterol and trans fat and baked to perfection.

For a quick after-school or after-work snack, melt some vegan cheese in the middle for a nostalgic cheesy roll-up. But don’t stop there, get creative with your fillings. Add cruelty-free ingredients like your favorite veggies, mashed legumes, plant-based meats, homemade sauces, and more! These also work well for packed school, work, and travel lunches!

Toufayan wraps

Courtesy of Toufayan

Daily Crunch Sprouted Nut Snacks

Looking for something new to add to your back-to-school snacking repertoire? Sustainably sourced nut snacks are coming right up! Daily Crunch features a variety of unique snacks made from sprouted nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and spices. The women-owned company offers flavors like Original, Cacao + Sea Salt, Nashville Hot, Coffee + Coconut, Cherry Berry Nut Medley, Turmeric + Sea Salt, and the brand’s newest option, Dill Pickle!

Where are our pickle people at? Daily Crunch’s new Dill Pickle Sprouted Almonds + Pepitas is the back-to-school snack of your dreams! Made in collaboration with Cleveland Kitchen, the Dill Pickle variety sources pickle juice and pickle ends from this fermented foods brand. We love an upcycled moment! Each bag delivers a savory taste with mouthwatering zest while being free from sugar and oil! It’s the better-for-you crunch you’ve been craving!

Whether you’re sold on the pickle variety or want in on one of the many other tasty flavors Daily Crunch has to offer, you’re about to make your snack time more enjoyable! From desk snacks and field trip fuel to commuter munchies and a late-night nosh, there’s never a bad time for Daily Crunch!

Use promo code DAILYCRUNCH15 for 15% off your entire purchase!

Daily Crunch vegan snack

Courtesy of Daily Crunch

Back to Nature Fudge Striped Cookies

Born in a small health food store in 1960, this California brand had a simple goal: to create delicious food with all-natural ingredients. Lending to the name, Back to Nature, this vegan-friendly brand is considered one of the founders of the Natural Foods Movement and is still leading that charge. The health- and planet-conscious brand is proud to be a Non-GMO Project Verified and entirely plant-based brand that avoids high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors, and ingredients sourced from animals.

For many reasons, Back to Nature is a great back-to-school snack choice. This year, we’re reaching for the brand’s Fudge Striped Cookies. Imagine buttery, crispy shortbread cookies dipped and drizzled with mouthwatering fudge. Yes, please! Plus, these nostalgic cookies, along with the brand’s other goods, use responsible packaging like plant-based vegetable inks (from renewable sources such as soy and flax) and 100% recycled paperboard.

While you’re shopping this better-for-you, nature-friendly brand, be sure to check out Back to Nature crackers, granola, trail mix, and the many tasty cookie varieties. This brand knows what after-school snack dreams are made of!

Back to Nature cookies with carrot sticks

Courtesy of Back to Nature

Starlite Cuisine Rolled Tacos

Whether you’re loading up on back-to-school snacks or simply searching for a nostalgic bite to bring you back to your school days, Starlite Cuisine has you covered! Specializing in authentic Mexican food products made with high-quality, plant-based ingredients, this small-batch brand is here to add taquitos, rolled tacos, and enchiladas to your school snack menu!

Starlite Cusine’s handcrafted rolled tacos are crispy, filling, and totally delicious. These gluten-free snacks come in three flavors—Garlic Chick’n, Santa Fe Chick’n, and Chipotle Chick’n. We’ll take one of each, please! The crunchy outer layer is loaded with plant-based chicken, chopped vegetables, and authentic spices. Imagine dipping them in homemade guacamole, refreshing salsa, and vegan sour cream. Plus, these savory bites are ready in a flash. You can heat them in the oven, skillet, air fryer, or microwave.

Drooling yet? We sure are! Find these tasty Rolled Tacos along with other vegan Starlite Cuisine products near you with the use of the brand’s easy-to-navigate store locator. It’s time to level up your afternoon snacks, and Starlite Cuisine is the perfect brand for the job!

Starlite vegan food on plates with packaging

Courtesy of Starlite Cuisine

Mamma Chia Organic Chia Squeeze

Perfect for lunchboxes, gym bags, yoga totes, backpacks, and beyond, you can never go wrong with Mamma Chia Organic Chia Squeeze. Made with organic chia seeds, vibrant fruits, and fiber-rich prebiotics, these pouches are a simple, delicious way to enjoy chia seeds and reap all of their health benefits. These gut-friendly snacks are USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and of course, vegan! Plus, they provide 1200mg of ALA Omega-3 fatty acids. You know we love to see it!

In addition to many gut-friendly health benefits, Mamma Chia Organic Chia Squeeze tastes great! These organic chia seed squeeze pouches come available in several mouthwatering flavors, including Blackberry Bliss, Wild Raspberry, Green Magic, Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Acai, and Strawberry Lemonade. As usual, we’d love to have one of each for our back-to-school snack rotation. Of course, back to school isn’t the only time to enjoy these tasty snack pouches.

Mamma Chia Organic Chia Squeeze Pouches make a great addition to nutritious meals and serve as nutrient-rich snacks alike. We love them for after-school eating, post-exercise fueling, road-trip snacking, and so much more. There really isn’t a bad time to enjoy these chia seed squeeze pouches.

Use promo code VEGOUT15 for 15% off your entire purchase from the brand’s website!

Person holding Mamma Chia vegan snack

Courtesy of Mamma Chia

Del Monte Fruit Refreshers

When the day calls for a rejuvenating school-friendly snack, we like to bring in Del Monte Fruit Refreshers. These portable eats contain real fruit packed in slightly sweet, antioxidant-rich fruit water. They are free from artificial sweeteners and can provide 100% of your daily value of vitamin C. Plus, these fruit cups are totally delish! Are you with us?

Del Monte Fruit Refreshers are found in a variety of tasty fruit-filled flavors. Enjoy Peaches in Honeysuckle Fruit Water, Pineapple & Mango in Prickly Pear Fruit Water, Grapefruit & Oranges in Pomegranate Fruit Water, Peaches & Chia in Strawberry Dragon Fruit Water, Red Grapefruit in Guava Fruit Water, and Pears & Chia in Blackberry Flavored Limeade. We’re on a journey to try them all! Plus these tasty snacks are packed in intentional non-BPA cups. We love a conscious brand!

So, whether these are going to be added to lunchboxes, served as an after-school snack, packed up for a road trip nosh, or something else, these refreshing snacks are easy to enjoy and find on the shelves at nationwide retailers! Consider this your sign to load up on these unforgettable and refreshing fruit snacks!

Del Monte vegan fruit cups

Courtesy of Del Monte

Plant Provisions Veggie Slices

Inspired by his grandfather who worked as a butcher, Plant Provisions’ founder, Michael Galbo, developed high standards for sandwich fillings. Galbo decided to create his plant-based brand with the focus of elevating meat, not imitating it. Through vegan-friendly recipe formulation, the brand perfected both the Plant Provisions Veggie Slices and Veggie Sausages. And during the back-to-school season, we can’t imagine a better lunch or snack ingredient! Can you?

Loaded vegan sandwiches, coming right up! Available in Tuscan, Smokehouse, Mesquite BBQ, Chipotle Chili, and Wild Truffle varieties, Plant Provisions makes it easy to whip up delicious sandwiches, wraps, and roll-ups in a snap. These veggie slices are made from legumes like chickpeas, vegetables such as roasted bell peppers, and herbs for that extra layer of flavor. Need we say more?

This school year, we’re getting creative in the kitchen! From packed sandwich lunches and after-school pinwheels to homework pizzas and weekend brunch scrambles, the plant-based possibilities are endless with Plant Provisions Veggie Slices. Find these deli slices at a store near you!

Register here to get your first pack FREE in-store or use promo code VEGOUT20 for 20% off your first online order!

Plant Provisions vegan snacks

Courtesy of Plant Provisions

Mighty Yum Lunch Kits

Mighty Yum is throwing it back to our school days and giving us all the feels of sweet nostalgia with its sandwich and pizza Lunch Kits. Consider us school ready! But in all reality, you can even catch us enjoying these plant-based Lunch Kits at our desks during work lunch breaks. Hey, who said they were just for kids? Everyone needs to get in on these easy vegan lunches.

Mighty Yum Lunch Kits come in three tasty and nostalgic varieties. Choose from Plant-Based Ham & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza Mighty Yum Munchables. Or leave the decision-making out and snag them all! No matter which variety you opt for, your lunches and snacks just got a whole lot tastier and loaded with fun. The kid-friendly brand also offers an assortment of puffed rice protein bars in several tasty flavors.

Join us for a quick trip back in time with Mighty Yum Lunch Kits. In addition to fun school lunches, these Munchables work well as after-work snacks, travel eats, beach bites, and so on! There’s never a wrong time to enjoy these lunch kits. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Mighty Yum vegan snacks

Courtesy of Mighty Yum

Anja Grommons

Anja Grommons

she/her

During her studies to become a registered dietitian, Anja—a longtime vegetarian—transitioned to a vegan diet. Living in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the time (Go Broncos!), she met Maggie and Tammie through VegOut Kalamazoo (one of VegOut’s first focus cities) and began collaborating with the duo. When she’s not writing about new vegan eats, practicing as a pediatric clinical dietitian, and virtually coaching fellow plant-based eaters, you can find her creating veg-centric recipes, trying new cruelty-free products, and spending time with her partner Addison and cat Kovu.

More Articles by Anja

More From Vegout