Answer: Yes. Tortilla chips are made of plant-based ingredients. They are suitable for vegans.
Table of Contents
Description of Tortilla Chips
Being a vegan is not necessarily a diet but rather a lifestyle. You might merely be avoiding products of animals or perhaps prefer cruelty-free ingredients. Luckily, many popular snacks are available and made with organic ingredients.
You may probably have the question, “Are tortilla chips vegan?” You can now rest easy knowing that tortilla chips are from plant-based ingredients. It means that these snacks are vegan.
In the 1990s, the flours of tortillas sometimes contained lard. But today, due to health concerns, there are no such cases. Although many ingredients obtained from animals still happen to appear in mainly processed food.
Tortillas made from corn flour are mainly vegan as they are not from oil products. It is less likely, but you may come across wheat flour tortillas with lard. This is because tortilla companies today use vegetable oil instead.
Analysis of Tortilla Chips
Tortillas contain a mix of plant-based ingredients. So, yes, tortillas are vegan food. There are, however, flavored and colored tortilla chips that are not right for the vegan diet.
Tortilla chips are great as vegan snacks. However, it would help if you always look for a few things, like added flavors, which are apparent. Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch often contain animal products sprayed onto them for flavoring. Some of these chips contain colorants that are cruelty-free.
Plain and organic tortilla chips are the best choice to wager for a complete vegan. These chips have no added food coloring or may have natural colors only. You should check that the ingredients are ethically derived and that animal products are not in the recipe. Also, beware of tortilla chips in commercials; often color these chips in non-vegan food dyes.
If you happen to visit a traditional Mexican restaurant, be cautious. You can ask if they use lard as their ingredient or other non-vegan ingredients. Many restaurants today have tortillas that do not compromise a vegetarian lifestyle.
With all those mentioned earlier, it is safe to say tortilla chips are vegan. However, you may want to check the ingredients list on the packaging since not all tortilla production companies use the same ingredients.
Alternatives
You can always find vegan alternatives. It is a common misunderstanding that you have to quit your favorite food and snacks just because you converted to being a vegan. Today, many grocery stores provide healthy vegan alternatives. You would want to give in to a little bit of research on the brand of tortilla chips you regularly consume.
Some of the brands that put vegan tortillas on sale are Raw Wraps Vegan Spinach Wraps, 365 brands Whole Wheat Tortillas, Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortillas, Engine 2 Sprouted Wraps, WrawP Original Wraps, and Rudis Gluten-Free Fiesta Tortillas.
If you can’t decide which tortilla chips to get yourself, why don’t you make one yourself? Tortilla chips can snack easily made at home. Plenty of pre-made choices will help make things much more manageable.
What could be better than having vegan tortilla chips with vegan dips? And fortunately, there are varieties of vegan dips entirely based on veggies and fruits. It is always healthier, plus they taste better more often.
Tortillas are an excellent Mexican cuisine staple in the vegetarian diet and offer other vegan options. Mexican restaurants have dishes that mostly center on agricultural products. Chipotle, Taco Bell and Qdoba are easily accessible restaurants that fit in with their vegan customers by providing them tortillas with zero animal products. Mexican foods usually appeal to many people, and most would agree to go there because they are delicious.
You can find many tortillas recipes and substitute them with all-vegan food produce. Plant-based diets have been shown to provide lots of health benefits when carried out efficiently.
Try to Be Creative
Tortillas are generally vegan, but so many companies produce them. Some manufacturers make tortillas in the same facilities where they make other products derived from animals. You cannot research all of them; it will just be a complete hassle.
Luckily, tortillas are very versatile; you can prepare your recipe or order vegan tortilla foods. Some ways you can make sure your tortilla chips are all-vegan are:
- You can make your tortilla chips. Plain flour is vegan, but you will have to check its packaging. An ample amount of food products are staples for vegan diets.
- Try adding dips with your tortilla chips. Vegan dips are healthy and, most of the time, tastier than non-vegan dibs. With the growing population of vegans and vegetarians, companies these days produce vegan-friendly products.
- Vegan yogurt dips are light and have a fresh and delicious flavor.
- Vegan pates are toppings that are based on soy. Some varieties include mixtures of spices and herbs.
Final Verdict
You will never have to compromise your vegan lifestyle to satisfy your taste buds. Whether you are planning dinner with your family or just rushing to grab a bite, there are always traditional Mexican restaurants.
Some places like Taco Bell and others serve snacks for vegans and vegetarians. And to create vegan recipes, there are many online recipes readily available.
