Crisps, biscuits and other vegan treats I'm loving right now

Being the switched on type you are, you've no doubt heard about the whole 'eat clean' movement. I'll be honest with you here, I appreciate the idea of eating minimally processed foods, but some days, I just want to eat a bag of crisps, and if that means I'm eating dirty, so be it.

Thanks to leaving my job to become a student, the time I have to cook and prepare meals has taken a vicious tumble. Sometimes, it's all I can manage to find the nearest vegan thing and shove it in my face.

Case in point: the fancy grain-and-bean based salads I used to take to work for lunch have been replaced by that most depressing of English staples, the sandwich, eaten out of a plastic tub on a bench somewhere. So, if I feel the need to tart up my bread-based lunch, I reach for some Ten Acre crisps - which are handily sold on campus.

The 'cheese and onion' flavour, despite having no animal ingredients, is a pretty good version of the milky version that I remember from my pregan days. To be honest, I used to hate cheese and onion crisps, so the fact that I rather enjoyed these perhaps suggests that they're not an entirely faithful reproduction. That said, what would you rather eat - authentic or tasty? I'll pick tasty over authentic every time.


I also enjoyed these vegan chicken crisps, but I found the branding a bit problematic - chicken soup saved the day? Did it? I thought it mainly killed chickens.

This is one example of the problem I guess vegan food manufacturers face - shout about veganity and raise awareness, or keep it on the down low, get more people eating their products and save more animals, but at the same time, not make those buyers aware that's what they're doing. I'm not sure what side of the argument I fall down on, and I'm glad that Ten Acre have their vegan credentials clearly on the back, but I wish the name of the crisps didn't feel pro meat. Or am I just being oversensitive? Quite possibly! Ten Acre are the most popular all-vegan crisp brand out there, and I'm happy that they're there.


My university also sells their popcorn, which I am also fairly partial too - including this wasabi flavour. Hot enough that you know it's wasabi, not so hot you're still feeling it the day after (you know what I mean). 


Another vegan find on campus is Rebel Kitchen's mylk, which there are a few flavours of in the library canteen. I'm crushing on the matcha flavour. I like matcha, but buying some to drink at home is waaaaaaay too expensive for this poor student, so Rebel Kitchen is as close as I can get these days. And very nice it is too.


If I really want a treat though, this is combination I turn to - Lucy's Maple Bliss biscuits and a cup of tea. Everything goes better with a cup of tea and a handful of biccies. If I had to face down the apocalypse, this is exactly how I'd choose to do it - with a brew in my hand and some snacks for good measure.


Sadly, these aren't sold on campus. The only place I can find them is at Whole Foods in Piccadilly, which means they're not as often a visitor to my house as I'd like them to be. Still, that makes them a rare treat and one I always appreciate.

Comments

  1. You're killing me with those chips photos. And the flavors! I've never heard of them before but I so want to try them. :-)

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  2. Good snack choices. Will have to seek out those cookies. My train station cafe sells the Ten Acre range. The sweet and sour are my faves.

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  3. Wow, your campus sounds really vegan-friendly! That's great! :)

    I know what you mean about the crisps - not sure about the packaging either! Would be better as Vegan Chicken Soup Saves the Day!

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  4. I used to love chicken crisps - they were always what I had with lunch when allowed to have crisps as a kid - so I would try these crisps but I agree about the name - it is too clever for its own good. And I hate those sandwichs in plastic tubs so much that I would prefer a bag of crisps. Sad to hear your healthy salads aren't appearing in your lunch so often - but I know the feeling

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  5. I'm with you on the crisps, sometimes you gotta live a little. I never liked cheese and onion flavor either when I lived in Ireland...I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth after I ate them and it would drive me nuts.

    It's great that you can find vegan goodies on campus...I think I agree with Caitlin on the "chicken" issue, though as long as it's clearly marked vegan on the package I think it still helps people realize that you don't need animal ingredients to have yummy food or treats.

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  6. I am with you on clean eating, stop it already please. I discovered Acre crisps a few months back and I am loving the 'chicken flavoured one, but so agree with you on the branding - it confused me too, as it did not make sense. I will be on the look out for the Wasabi popcorn, I haven't seen them. I have to say, its good that your campus offers vegan goodies, even if limited.

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