14 Vegan Snacks for Game Day and Get-Togethers

The Super Bowl is coming (GO EAGLES!!!), as Steve so fervently reminds me almost every other day. I am so glad that Monday Night Football! Thursday Night Football! Sunday Night Football! EVERY NIGHT FOOTBALL is coming to a close. JK, it's not that bad. Last year when the season ended he looked at me, so sweet and dejectedly, and said, "I can't believe it's over." And I thought: All these feelings for a crack team of Bills hailing from Buffalo. THE DRAMA. But they did make the playoffs this year, so what do I know?Since my favorite part about the Super Bowl is gathering with family & friends for delicious food while pretending to yell at the TV like I have any idea what's happening, today I am sharing 14 plant-based snacks (some healthy, some indulgent) that you can enjoy without feeling deprived or left out. Steve and I celebrated a year of following a vegan diet on October 19th (!!!). While the time has flown by, there are things I wish I would've known earlier in our journey. Like how to eat at parties filled with food that you cannot have while also trying not to be "those vegan people."Defensive Side note: Vegans don't eat just lettuce, FYI (this is the number two thing people ask me after, "how do you get enough protein?") I have so many sassy responses in my head, but I just smile vacantly and humor the joke I've heard 9,062 times since October. It's fine.ANYWAY, NOT BITTER.

14 Vegan Snacks for Game Day and Get-Togethers

1. Hummus: with vegetables or pita. The possibilities are endless. Our favorite hummus is from a local Greek restaurant,  Yiannis.
2. Vegan Cheddar Fries: These can be ordered from a local place if you're lucky enough to have one, but if not there are a ton of vegan cheese sauce variations out there. We usually make our's with a cashew base or this one which is a little simpler/less fat. Top with tempeh bacon, slices of jalapeno and scallions and it's delicious. You could even add a dollop of vegan sour cream or my favorite garlic dip These are depicted above, ordered from The Mad Batter in Cape May.
3. Buffalo Cauliflower Bites: A million Pinterest recipes here.  We also make them into tacos which are delish.
4. French Onion Dip: with chips, veggies, or fries. I follow this recipe.
5. Specialty Vegan/Veggie Pizza: Order a tomato pie from a local vegan place, dominos (order thin crust with no cheese + add any veggies you like) or you can see my previous pizza post here. If you are in the Philly area please march yourself straight to Blackbird Pizzeria and buy everything on the menu.
6. Cucumber & Quinoa Salad: I like this recipe I found on Pinterest.
7. Chips, Salsa & Guacamole: SO EASY, SO DUH. We make guac so much I need to invest in this molcajete. I make our's with chopped garlic, cilantro, lime, salt, pepper, chopped onion, avocado, and sometimes diced tomatoes if I'm feeling fancy.
8. 7-Layer Dip:  In a trifle dish layer pico or salsa, pinto or black beans (whole or mashed), corn, guac, vegan sour cream, or vegan cream cheese mixed with one packet of taco mix, vegan nacho cheese, lettuce, cilantro). You can serve with tortilla chips, but we love toasting tortillas in the oven and using the dip as topping. Heat your oven to 350 and bake a few corn tortillas until they are crispy, then top with the dip. You could also just eat with a fork and see what happens. But maybe put it on a plate first, sharing is caring.
9. Kale Chips and Garlic Dip: preheat oven to 350. Wash and cut kale and spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper and nutritional yeast and bake for about 10-15 minutes (until edges are brown & toasty). Eat plain, or pair with any of your favorite dips.
10. Pretzel Bites: with sweet and spicy maple mustard & cheese dip. Here's a pretty simple recipe I found on Pinterest.
11. Spinach Dip: again, pair with anything your lil' heart desires. We love this easy recipe from Healthy Nibbles & Bits. 
12. Puppy Chow: this recipe I love -- and SO SIMPLE.
13. BBQ Tempeh Sliders: This is one of our FAVORITE dinners ever. We saute tempeh with onion, garlic, mushrooms, and a little BBQ sauce, then put on a bun or sliders and top with lettuce, tomato, pickles, sprouts, avocado, mustard, and vegan coleslaw. SO GOOD. If you've never made tempeh before, here is a resource for how to prepare it 5 different ways. 
14. The Best Chocolate Cupcakes -- I use this recipe and adapt to cupcake size. It's so good. Sometimes I add peanut butter frosting by whipping together earth balance, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond or soy milk. You can find plenty of variations via google.