The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Veggie Straws
On a recent visit with my niece who is vegan, I have learned some very interesting things about foods that will work for a vegan lifestyle. You can’t assume that just because an item is made with vegetables that it is truly vegan.
We are going to deep dive into the different flavors and most popular brand of veggie straws to see exactly which ones are considered vegan. We also list the ingredients make them not considered vegan.
Are veggie straws vegan?
Most people will assume that a snack made of vegetables will be vegetarian or vegan, but this is not always the case.
First let’s clarify that vegetarians do not eat meat or fish. A vegan is considered that most strict of vegetarians because they do not eat any item of food that contains animal products.
Common animal products that trip up vegans are gelatin, honey, whey, casein, and others. Let’s take a look at the flavors and brands and see if they are considered vegan.
Please note that a lot of bags of veggie straws will say vegetarian on them, but they are not actually suitable for vegans.
Are sea salt veggie straws vegan?
Sea Salt veggie straws are considered one of the most popular versions of the Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Straw product line.
The ingredients are listed as:
POTATO STARCH, POTATO FLOUR, EXPELLER PRESSED CANOLA OIL AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL, SPINACH POWDER, TOMATO PASTE, SALT, CANE SUGAR, CORN STARCH, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, TURMERIC (COLOR), BEETROOT POWDER (COLOR), SEA SALT.
Sea Salt Veggie straws are considered vegan and are not made with any animal products.
Are ranch veggie straws vegan?
For a fun flavor, you may want to check out Sensible Portions Zesty Ranch veggie straws.
The ingredients are listed as:
POTATO STARCH, POTATO FLOUR, EXPELLER PRESSED CANOLA OIL AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL, SPINACH POWDER, TOMATO PASTE, SALT, CANT SUGAR, CORN STARCH, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, TURMERIC (COLOR), BEETROOT POWDER (COLOR), SEASONING (SALT, BUTTERMILK, NATURAL FLAVORS, COCONUT OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, YEAST EXTRACT, SOUR CREAM [CREAM, NONFAT MILK, CULTURES], DEXTROSE, ONION POWDER, TOMATO POWDER CREAM, CITRIC ACID, CULTURED NONFAT MILK, SPICES [INCLUDING CELERY SEED], PAPRIKA, SUGAR, LACTIC ACID, MALIC ACID, VINEGAR, NONFAT MILK, SODIUM CASEINATE).
Unfortunately, Zesty Ranch Veggie Straws from Sensible Portions are not considered vegan. They contain buttermilk, sour cream, and milk.
**** We checked the Great Value brand of Zesty Ranch veggie straws at Walmart, and they are also not vegan. They contain buttermilk, sour cream, and milk too.****
Are spicy veggie straws vegan?
Are you looking for a little spicy with your veggie straws? Check out Good Health’s Jalapeno Flavored Veggie straws!
The ingredients are listed as:
Potato Starch, Dehydrated Potato, Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Salt, Dextrose, Dehydrated Tomato, Sea Salt, Jalapeno Pepper, Potassium Chloride, Dehydrated Garlic, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Spinach, Paprika Extract (for Color), Dehydrated Parsley, Dehydrated Green Pepper, Dehydrated Oregano, Turmeric (for Color), Radish Extract (for Color), Carrot Extract (for Color), Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor.
Spicy Jalapeno Veggie straws are considered vegan with no animal products used to make them. (Please note on the back of the bag does state that they are made on the same equipment that is used to make products that do contain milk and nuts.)
Are hot veggie straws vegan?
If you are a huge fan of hot, then you will want to check out Sensible Portion’s Screaming Hot Veggie Straws!
The ingredients are listed as:
Potato Starch, Potato Flour, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil And/or Safflower Oil And/or Sunflower Oil, Spinach Powder, Tomato Paste, Salt, Cane Sugar, Corn Starch, Potassium Chloride, Turmeric (Color), Beetroot Powder (Color), Seasoning (Salt, Natural Flavors, Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Buttermilk, Beet Powder [Color], Maltodextrin, Nonfat Milk, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Salt, Cultures, Enzymes], Whey, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Whey Protein Concentrate, Annatto Extract, Butter [Cream], Extractives Of Paprika, Vinegar).
Screaming Hot Veggie Straws are not vegan. They contain, buttermilk, nonfat milk, cheddar cheese, and whey.
Are BBQ veggie straws vegan?
Barbeque flavored veggie straws are relatively new to the lineup for Sensible Portions.
The ingredients are listed as:
Potato Starch, Potato Flour, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil, Seasoning (Sugar, Tomato Powder, Salt, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Extractives of Paprika, Vinegar, Natural Flavors, Paprika, Spices, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid), Corn Starch, Spinach Powder, Tomato Paste, Salt, Cane Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Beetroot Powder (Color), Turmeric (Color).
BBQ Veggie Straws are vegan and are not made with any animal products.
Are Kiddylicious veggie straws vegan?
Kiddylicious is a brand of veggie straws that are marketed as first foods for kids. They come in three flavors of Cheesy, Sour Cream & Chive, and Original.
Don’t let the flavors scare you off though, according to Kiddylicious’s website, all the veggie straw flavors are vegan and not made with any animal products.
All of the Kiddylicious veggies straws are also listed as egg free, gluten free, no nuts, and no sulphites. So, if you or your child have food allergies, these can be a great option as well.
Are Infuzions veggie straws vegan?
Infuzions veggie straws are most popular in Australia. We were only able to find the product information for their Sour Cream and Onion flavor.
The ingredients are listed as:
Veggie Straws [(Vegetable – 71%) Potato, Spinach Powder, Tomato Powder, Beetroot Powder, Salt, Beta Carotene], Sunflower And Or Canola Oil, Seasoning [Milk Solids, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Powder, Salt, Yeast Extract, Cheese Powder, Flavour, Sour Cream Powder, Herb, Acidity Regulators (330, 270, 327), Anti-Caking Agent (551), Vegetable Oil].
Infuzions Veggie Straws are not vegan. They contain cheese powder and sour cream powder.
Are Good Health veggie straws vegan?
Good Health Veggie Straws come in three flavors: sea salted, Zesty Ranch, and Jalapeno.
Technically the Sea Salted and the Jalapeno versions are vegan and are not made with any animal products.
BUT they made on the same equipment with products that do contain milk and nuts. We will have to leave this information up to you and how you feel about the ever-slight possibility of your veggie straws coming into contact with an animal product.
Can vegans eat veggie straws?
Veggie straws are an awesome snack for kids to adults and can be a great alternative to snacking on potato chips. Most veggie straws are promoted as a healthy snack and a healthier alternative to junk food.
If you are vegan, you will need to be extra careful to look at the list of basic ingredients. If the different flavors include “cheesy” or “sour cream” than that is a good indicator that it may contain a non-vegan ingredient. This isn’t always the case though like the Kiddylicious brand.
Most veggie straws in the sea salt flavor were considered a healthy snack in a vegan diet. So, stick to sea salt and BBQ flavors for now until new flavors are released by Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Straws.
To find out more information about veggie straws, check out “What happens if you eat expired veggie straws?“
