It’s no secret that vegan snacks aren’t as widely available as non-vegan ones. Although it’s easy to opt for organic snacks, a crunchy, roasted vegan snack can be just as yummy and works better on the couch while binging something.
How would you be quite sure that it’s vegan, though? Since milk and eggs are often key ingredients in chips and packaged snacks, it can be tricky to confirm if the product is actually vegan. So, we’ll take a look at the flavors and main components to help you decide.
Takis offers around 19 different flavors for their chips that include vegan options. But are the ingredients really vegan? We’ve looked into it and will show you what we found. Are Takis vegan? Let’s find out!
Is It Really Vegan?
You can often find vegan snacks labeled as such. Yet, it’s possible that some companies might label their products as vegan when they’re not. So, how can you be certain?
It’s quite normal to be skeptical and look for more details about the product. You can take a look at the ingredients to make sure your snack is 100% vegan. There’s always a way to catch any animal derivatives hidden in the components or seasoning of the snack.
Milk, eggs, and their derivatives and substitutes are common ingredients for lots of products, but there’s way more that can go under the radar. Animal derivatives in the ingredients aren’t labeled as such.
Some of these include but are not limited to Collagen, L-Cysteine, Diglycerides, Shellac, and others. Substances like these are extracted from animal fat, bones, wool, and even human hair.
If you happen to find any of these in any kind of snack, then it’s definitely not vegan.
What About Takis?
Takis are mainly roasted tortilla chips with a hint of the composition of taco shells, the ingredients for which can easily be fully vegan. However, while checking the ingredients, you’d find more than just that.
The recipe for Takis is supposedly corn-based and vegan. Some of the ingredients can be found on the company website. Barcel, the manufacturing company, states that the ingredients are mainly corn, veggie oil, flour, preservatives, and seasonings.
Since the main recipe itself is vegan, what differentiates the vegan from non-vegan flavors can mainly be the seasoning. Milk and eggs can be found in the seasoning of some of the flavors, so it’s preferable to check them first.
There are usually more questions when checking vegan snack options. What’s the point if one non-vegan substance found its way to the snack? You might want to know every little detail about what you’re eating, and we can offer some answers.
What About Other Ingredients?
Dairy
It can be a bit tricky to locate the non-vegan ingredients in any snack. Yes, the recipe is corn-based which is supposedly vegan but is that all there is? How would you know?
Dairy is one of the most controversial foods when it comes to veganism. Some cut off all foods containing dairy altogether, whether they’re vegan or not.
Some of the flavors Takis offer have dairy, and some do not. The seasoning of some of them contains milk and eggs and are thus non-vegan.
Luckily, with Takis, the ones that have dairy are known. For example, Crunchy Fajitas Takis aren’t vegan and contain milk and eggs. The same goes for the Guacamole and Xplosion flavors. So these would be the first to avoid.
Studies have differed about how harmful dairy can be, yet it’s obvious that if you’re looking for a vegan snack, you’d avoid them anyways.
Gluten
Although gluten isn’t necessarily harmful by nature, some prefer to avoid it in their diets. Whether it’s because of allergies or certain diseases, wheat or gluten can cause some health problems.
Although Takis have no wheat in the ingredients, they’re not completely gluten-free. The company that makes Takis also processes other products that contain wheat. So, there can be traces of gluten in Takis that can be avoided.
Artificial Color
It’s important to note that while some Takis are vegan, the ingredients might not go along the lines of veganism. Yes, they do not have any animal products, but there’s more.
Some of the artificial colors added, such as Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake are very questionable. Not only are they quite unhealthy, but they’re also products that get tested on animals before their approval to be added to any foods in the market.
Now whether that makes a difference or not is a personal choice. We’re just here to make sure you have all the information needed to decide whether to eat them or not.
Trace Ingredients
Worrying about trace ingredients can be such a pain when you’re going vegan. It’s not just the snack’s main components; it’s also about what may be added to it accidentally along the production process.
With Takis, some traces of animal fat or other derivatives may find their way to the chips during production. Okay, that’s a bit of a pickle there, or is it?
Choosing to go vegan isn’t just about one’s health; it’s also mostly an ethical choice. So, ethically speaking, would it be okay to eat them if they do have traces of animal derivatives?
We believe that while this can seem like a tough decision, it really isn’t as unethical or harmful as you might think. The toxic effect that these may have had on animals is less than mild. So, it’s not so unethical or unhealthy.
Just How Healthy Are Takis?
Well, while some of the options are vegan, Takis are still not that healthy at all. That is in the sense that the majority of packaged snacks are actually unhealthy.
Packaged snacks usually contain preservatives, additives, artificial colors, and more. These substances are never really that good for you anyway and can even be risky sometimes.
Remember the artificial colors mentioned earlier? Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake in Takis might have some health risks and can trigger some allergies in some children.
Ultimately, Takis are mainly flour, oil, and all other chemicals in the preservatives and colors. It’s not really the full meal that would be an actual source of nutrition.
However, they are tasty. So even if they’re not that healthy, they’re still nice to munch on if you feel like having a snack.
There are also several ways to liven up your meals if you feel like getting creative. Chips and such can often be used to spice up some meals and make them interesting.
What’s the Answer?
After much research, we can confirm that if you go for the vegan Takis options, you’re good to go. They’re fully vegan, and there isn’t much to think about there.
These are the vegan flavors you can pick from:
- Fuego
- Salsa Brava
- Nitro
- Zombie (limited edition)
Yes, they’re a bit limited. That is often the case with vegan snacks, right? So we can get a little bit creative with it. It won’t be the same quick snack, but it will be delicious.
- Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime Tortilla Chips, flavored with crunchy chili and lemon, for those who like hot taste.9.9oz
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Get Creative with Takis
Crunchy snacks have often been used as a seasoning to meals in specific cuisines.
You can use the crushed chips to season mushrooms, fries, and any kind of veggies that get fried.
Maybe an Alternative
So we’ve looked into all that and found the vegan option. But what if that’s not enough for you? You might still be skeptical about the health risks that come with such snacks.
That’s quite okay; if I were in your shoes, I’d be skeptical too. So, how do we fix that?
How about making it your own way? Yes, there is a way you can make your version of Takis without there being much difference. It would certainly be a lot healthier.
Of course, with home replicated snacks, the first thing to consider is the flavor difference. We wouldn’t want our alternative to be any less tasty than the original.
Spoiler Alert! To maintain the taste and the crunchy texture, we may have to change some of the original ingredients. Since the alternative option here is about being healthier, we’ll let go of corn and veggie oil as the main ingredients.
Yes, it’s a bit more work, but if you’re someone who prioritizes their health, this would be a piece of cake. It’s a lot safer if you know what is in your food because you’re making it yourself.
You can find the steps and ingredients for the replacement Takis here. There are definitely way more ways to use Takis in your meals or even make your own, but we chose the simplest, most convenient option.
So while vegan Takis are there and not so unhealthy, you still have other options. However, the bottom line is that Takis can be fully vegan and yummy.
