Eco Friendly and Sustainable Snacks for Earth Day

This is a PSA: Earth Day is coming up on April 22 and you have to be prepared. Now, you may be wondering how one prepares for something like Earth Day? And what happens if I don’t? Will Mother Earth kick me out of her house and chuck me off into space? The answer is probably not, but you never know, so we say prep away. And don’t fret, prepping is easy. All it entails? In a word, snacks. In three words, environmentally conscious snacks. And we have a list of eco friendly and sustainable snacks right here for your perusal.

PipCorn

PipCorn, it turns out, is exactly what it sounds like: teeny-tiny popcorn kernels. Now, you may be wondering why this is appealing, and, y’all, it’s the variety of flavors and the types of snacks the brand is making. Plus, this stuff is “made sustainably with upcycled corn flour” and “crafted with the brand’s signature heirloom corn,” which adds a more complex flavor. This brand makes everything from Spicy Cheddar Tabasco-flavored popcorn to cheese balls, cinnamon twists, and more eco friendly snacks that are sure to up your Earth Day game.

Fishwife Smoked Albacore Tuna

Ever want to marry a fish? If you are one of those people who took Shape of Water as an instruction manual and not a commentary on…whatever it was commenting on, then Fishwife is for you. Either that it’s just really good and ethically sourced tinned fish. I’m thinking it’s the latter. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo envisions this tuna “on a charcuterie board with cheese, crackers, fruit, and mustard,” so it is a little on the fancy side, but hey, it’s good. Plus the fish is sourced from “responsibly managed fisheries and aquaculture farms,” so if you are a tinned fish girl, add this to your list of eco friendly snacks.

Chomps Original Beef Stick

I. Loves. Me. Some. Chomps. I really really do. Because not only do they source their meat from farmers who are “committed to sustainable and humane practices for their land and animals,” and have the Certified Humane Certification for all of their beef products, their beef sticks also taste really frickin’ good. Danny even went as far as to say that Chomps, in its savory, salty, deliciousness, “tastes so much like beef that I’m actually getting beef fat vibes, kind of like a ribeye steak. This is so beefy that it actually makes me think of a specific cut of beef.” That’s a lot of beefiness. They may be pricier than some other beef sticks, but I’ve found them at Costco at a significantly reduced price. Add these to your list of Earth Day snacks right now.

Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn with “No Cheese” Cheesiness

Looking for some good ol’ vegan popcorn that happens to be good for planet earth? Well, Lesser Evil supports the landfill gas energy (LFGE) projects and the Zero Waste movement by making their packaging with a type of plastic that, once it reaches the landfill, “accelerates the natural microbial process by creating a biogas which can be collected and turned into clean, renewable energy.” So cool. Also, this stuff tastes good. It tastes like the coconut oil it is popped in, but managing editor Gwynedd Stuart said the light coconut flavor “worked nicely with the mild flavor of the non-dairy ‘cheese’ powder on the popcorn.” Truly a win-win of a snack and a must-have on your eco friendly snacks shopping list.

Vegan Fried Chick*n (VFC)

Let’s start off with a fun fact: Since launching in December 2020, VFC has allegedly spared more than 254,000 chickens’ lives. That’s like one chicken for every person in Scottsdale, Arizona, to give you some absolutely unhelpful context. As for what VFC is, it is plant-based (specifically wheat-based) fried chicken fillets, tenders, and popcorn chicken, that come in vegan packaging with 90% recycled materials. These chick*n morsels have a crispy corn flake coating and a bunch of spices that make them a great eco friendly snack to munch on Earth Day (or any day).

Kazoo Snacks

No, these are not edible kazoos, but don’t let that disappoint you. These are “upcycled, sustainable tortilla chips that save an average of 20 gallons of water per 11 oz. bag of chips,” according to the company. That’s a whole lot of water. Plus, they come in Lime Zest and Restaurant Style, so whether you are a hint of lime junkie like me or a person who just likes your tortilla chips straight, they have an option for you. Go find them on Amazon and add them to your Earth Day sustainable snack list!