Are makhana vegetarian? Are makhana vegan?
Yes! Makhana are vegetarian! And yes, makhana are vegan depending on the flavour they are seasoned with!
Makhana, or popped water lily seed, is harvested from a flowering prickly water lily plant. This vegan snack comes from an heirloom plant that flowers once annually. Its ‘kernels’ are small, dark, and pea-sized, and left out to dry in the sun once they have been picked out of the water. Then, this sustainable snack is puffed using high heat, where each 'kernel' sheds its dark outer shell and expands to the size of a large snowy-coloured blueberry.
BBQ Makhana and Sweet & Salty Makhana are vegan because they do not contain any animal or animal-derived ingredients. Makhana farming also uses sustainable farming practices which guarantee that every crunch is guilt-free in every sense of the word.
Makhana are entirely plant based making them the perfect vegan snack; they are also gluten-free, making them an ideal snack for sufferers of celiac disease, and anyone with a gluten allergy. Our fox nuts are grown without pesticides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers, this crop is truly sustainable and its growth does not harm its environment, like corn and wheat often do.
A big part of veganism is the elimination of animal products and by-products, specifically in one’s diet, but it is also a bigger moral undertaking. The choices we make when snacking can and do have a bigger environmental impact because not all crops are created equal. Thankfully we offer a new vegan snack option out there to help fill the void (beyond the stomach!) and to help the world become more conscious about their snacking habits.
Corn crops are bad for the environment because they degrade soil quality over time, and require many pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to ensure a successful yield. This runoff finds its way into streams and rivers, affecting other life forms. Wheat farming requires the use of fertilizers, often made of chemicals such as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and nitrogen. Over 100 million tons of fertilizer are used annually for wheat farming, and experts calculate this accounts for 43% of greenhouse gas emissions.
We are living through a global climate crisis. Ironically, the methods used to farm corn and wheat are directly negatively impacting our climate. Unpredictable climate events, like extended droughts and flash floods have been increasing steadily in India, making yields of corn and wheat crops more and more unreliable. Farmers are forced to use more fertilizers, more water, stronger pesticides, and etc. The vicious cycle continues until some decide enough is enough, and choose makhana, giving them the chance to farm sustainably once again.
Dear Snackers Sweet & Salty Makhana and Dear Snackers BBQ Makhana are entirely vegan and gluten-free. These flavours are made without the use of a single animal product, are gluten-free, suitable for the whole family, including young children, and absolutely delicious. Shop now and become part of the snack revolution!
