WRITTEN BY AALIYAH ALEXANDER

Recently, I was preparing for a long-haul trip to Spain, and with that came the usual stressors: worry my luggage weighs over 50lbs, forgetting any essentials, and general pre-travel jitters. And if you’re a foodie like me, there’s the added concern — what am I going to eat while on the go?

Traveling as a vegan can be a challenge given that most airports have limited plant-based options. It often feels like a gamble to see if they have food options to meet your dietary restrictions. The best way to ease your mind (and cravings) is to prepare your own tasty plant-based snacks before your next trip. I’ve found 7 airplane-friendly snacks to satisfy any potential craving that hits. These alternatives check off salty or sweet and will pass through security with ease!

Tip: You can purchase reusable ziplock bags to pack these snacks and to reduce plastic use. 

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls

This is my all-time favorite snack to make for flights. It’s packed with protein and is easy to make. Personally, I like to add vegan chocolate chips for extra sweetness. 

Recipe: @beamingbaker

No-Bake Nut-Free Chocolate Date Bars

All you need for this recipe are a few key ingredients: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, shredded unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder, Delget dates, pure vanilla extract, and sea salt. Be sure to make this a day prior to your flight because it requires one hour of refrigeration. 

Recipe: @agirlworthsaving

Trail Mix

Here’s a quick and easy snack you can assemble and take with on any trip. Although trail mix is an easy to find snack in grocery stores, many variations (unnecessarily) contain dairy, so this recipe is great if you’re vegan like me or simply dairy-free.

Recipe: @breesveganlife

Air Fryer Kale Chips

Chips are a popular snack for long flights, but if you’re craving something just as tasty — minus the added sodium and saturated fats — this quick and easy recipe is perfect for you. Just mix together some kale, avocado oil, and sea salt, pop it in the air fryer for six minutes and in no time, you’ll have yourself a bag of crispy kale chips.

Recipe: @moon.and.spoon.and.yum

Superfood Oat Breakfast Cookies

This recipe features bananas, rolled oats, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and cinnamon and can be prepared in under 25 minutes. Instead of filling up on Biscoff cookies during your next flight, snack on these sweet and soft cookies. 

Recipe: @vegancedofficial

5 Minute Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crips

Enjoy a sweet and crispy snack during your travels with these crunchy chocolate quinoa crisps. These crisps take only five minutes to prepare and require no baking! Just be sure to prepare the night before your flight as they need time to harden in the refrigerator. 

Recipe: @thetoastedpinenut

Air Fryer Roasted Chickpeas

Bring a dose of protein on your flight with this roasted chickpea recipe. It features chickpeas coated in olive oil, salt, black pepper powder, paprika, cumin powder, and dried mango powder and can be prepared in under 20 minutes with an air fryer. 

Recipe: @bublisworldcusine