Wondering about the veg-friendly status of this popular crunchy snack? We've got the answers...

Are Takis Vegan?

Some flavors of Takis are vegan and some are not. They currently have three vegan flavors (such as Takis Fuego) that are dairy free with no other animal products. Four of their flavors have ingredients with dairy, milk, cheese, and/or eggs. but are still vegetarian friendly. There are no indications of their products containing pork enzymes that we could find. Here's a full list of which takis are vegan...

Fuego - VEGAN

Zombie - VEGAN

Nitro - VEGAN

Salsa Brava - VEGAN

Crunchy Fajitas - NOT VEGAN (contains milk and eggs)

Xplosion - NOT VEGAN (contains milk and cheese)

Guacamole - NOT VEGAN (contains milk)

Bag Source: Walmart

This list was last updated on 2/26/2019. Be sure to always double check ingredients before buying! And don't worry if it says "processed in a facility with milk, egg, etc". This is just an allergen statement and has nothing to do with the actual formula of the food product.

What Are Takis?

Basically, they're rolled-up tortilla chips dusted with flavoring ingredients. The main ingredient is corn masa flour (so they're like crunchy corn taco shells). These snacks are known for being hot and spicy and boasting complex flavor profiles. They've been around since the late 90s and steadily gained interest all over the world. There are several Tex-Mex-style flavors, including Salsa Brava and Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime. From time to time, specials like Zombie Habanero and Cucumber Takis make an appearance on the grocery store shelves. Read Next: Are Hot Fries Vegan?

Ingredients

Takis are mainly comprised of corn flour, vegetable oil, seasonings, preservatives and colors. Each flavor has a different blend of seasonings and colors, but the general recipe is the same. Let's take a look at the ingredients of Takis Fuego: Ingredients: Corn Masa Flour (Processed With Lime), Vegetable Oil (Palm And/Or Soybean And/Or Canola Oil And/Or Rice Bran Oil ), Seasoning [Salt, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Baking Soda, Soybean Oil, Chili Pepper (Chile), Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Tbhq (Antioxidant)]. This happens to be one of the vegan flavors. As you can see, there are no animal or dairy products listed, but tons of preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. Side Note: Trying to figure out how to go vegan in a healthy and sustainable way?

Check out this vegan starter kit Now, what about the Crunchy Fajitas Takis? Check them out: Ingredients: Corn Masa Flour (Processed With Lime), Vegetable Oil (Palm And/Or Soybean And/Or Canola And/Or Rice Bran Oil), Seasoning [Maltodextrin, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Chili Pepper (Chile), Citric Acid, Onion Powder, Natural And Artificial Flavors (Milk, Egg), Artificial Colors (Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake), Dextrose, Sugar]. Notice the milk and eggs. Those are the main things you want to look out for when searching for Takis flavors that are vegan.

What About All the Trace Ingredients? We're not going to lie, with all of the trace ingredients in Takis, there lies the possibility that animals were involved at some point in the entire food supply chain. However, many top vegan organizations don't recommend worrying about trace ingredients (as their harm to animals is dubious at best) and neither do we unless there is clearly another option available. So if you're going vegan for ethical reasons, you're fine just focusing on the Takis flavors that omit eggs, dairy and all other animal products.

Are Takis Bad For You? Simple answer: Absolutely they are. Just because some are vegan does NOT mean they're healthy. If you follow us here at Thrive Cuisine, you know that we recommend a mainly Whole Foods Plant-Based Lifestyle for ideal health. Takis are very clearly removed from a whole food source (even the vegan ones). Flour, oil, flavorings and preservatives are a far cry from fruits and vegetables. Connections are being made between dyes like Red 40 and behavioral issues in kids as well as allergies and other health problems - an ingredient found in Takis. There's also MSG (monosodium glutamate) in Takis. People have been going back and forth on the safety of MSG for some time, but if you're one to avoid it, you're going to want to skip the Takis. At the end of the day, mindful eating is a never-ending job, but it's far more rewarding than difficult. Bottom line: We recommend consuming Takis in serious moderation, if at all.

Crazy Vegan Takis Recipe

Even though Takis aren't healthy, that doesn't mean we can't have any fun with the vegan ones. Did you know that you can make them into sushi? Check out the video below to see how easy it is - and how beautiful it looks!

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