Tortilla chips are a great snack that can be enjoyed plain with a simple dip like guacamole, or salsa or they can be dressed up in a recipe such as cheesy bean nachos. But are tortilla chips vegan friendly? In this article, we will be diving into whether all tortilla chips you find in your local supermarket are vegan-friendly and safe to consume on a plant-based diet. Which types of corn used to make tortilla chips are vegan and which brands have vegan-friendly options for us to devour and enjoy.
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Are Tortilla Chips Vegan? And what are they exactly?
Tortilla chips are a snack food made from corn tortillas, a fantastic snack derived from Mexican cuisine. The corn tortillas are traditionally made with yellow corn, vegetable oil, sea salt, and water. To become crispy they are either fried in oil or the healthier option which is to be baked. They are made with the intention to dip into guacamole, salsa or any other dip of your choice. Just like in Taco Time.
So when looking at the basic ingredients for traditional tortilla chips you are working with all vegan ingredients.
If you’ve been vegan for years, months, or weeks or you have just started out changing your diet over to a more plant-based one. I’m sure many of you are familiar with how many times you begin to question every food item you pick up in the supermarket before buying it. Unlike before when you could just toss any desired item into the shopping cart when following a vegan diet we all know the famous label checking that needs to be done before we can approve the said item.
This is because companies and factories tend to add animal products into their food items that don’t necessarily need them or could easily be made without. Trust me, if you don’t learn to question and check the back label of every product you buy, you will soon be conned and arrive home with items you assumed were vegan but has a sneaky hidden animal product ingredient.
When are tortilla chips not vegan?
So we’ve worked out that the traditional, classic tortilla chip is vegan-friendly and safe to consume. However, when companies start to add flavoring to their chips is where the vegan-friendly label will start to disappear and cause you to pause before purchasing. A lot of brands will add dairy to get a cheesy flavor along with dehydrated meat products, colorants such as carmine which is from bugs, and other ingredients that aren’t ethically sourced like palm oil.
It’s also good to be mindful when at restaurants that serve a lot of tortilla chips like Chipotle. But rest assured vegans, with this well-beloved fast food restaurant in particular we are safe because Chipotle offers 100% vegan tortilla chips for us to dip into their tasty guac and enjoy.
Are blue tortilla chips vegan?
Tortilla chips are usually made from yellow corn but can also be made from white, blue, and red corn as well. When you first hear it, the blue corn sounds strange and questionable because you hear “blue” and think of weird food coloring. But it actually contains naturally occurring anthocyanin which is in fact vegan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are On The Border tortilla chips vegan?
Almost all of On The Border tortilla chips are vegan except for the Jalapeno Ranch and the Cafe Style Queso flavor which both contain dairy products.
Are Santitas tortilla chips vegan?
All Santitas tortilla chips are vegan except for the cilantro and lime flavor as it contains whey which is derived from dairy. To give you a vegan example, the yellow corn Santitas is a pretty good one.
Which tortilla chips are vegan?
Traditionally, tortilla chips are made from entirely vegan products and are safe to consume on a plant-based diet. Flavored tortilla chips however may contain animal products.
Are Juanita’s tortilla chips vegan?
Although not stated on their website, Juanita’s tortilla chips are vegan and safe to consume on a plant-based diet.
Are Mission tortilla chips vegan?
Yes, according to their website their wraps, tortillas, and chips are all vegan-friendly and safe to consume on a plant-based diet. You should try this one!
Are Tostitos tortilla chips vegan?
All of the nonflavored and salted tortilla chips should be vegan and no matter the shape or type of corn used a couple of their flavored tortilla chips are accidentally vegan as well including the black bean and garlic flavor. Be sure to check the label on any other flavored packet for animal products before consuming.
