“I Tried Starbucks’ Chickpea Bites & Avocado Vegan Snack Box”

On a recent family trip to Arizona, I stopped in the Desert Ridge Starbucks outside of Phoenix for a quick snack to tide me over until dinnertime. To my surprise, I was in for exactly what I was looking for, a healthy, filling, and vegan-friendly pick-me-up.

In my mind, I was envisioning munching on a typical Starbucks on-the-go snack, either a Kind bar I'd eat in two seconds or a sleeve of mixed nuts with too much salt. Luckily I found a snack box I'd never seen before and took a closer look since it sat solo on the open shelves with a little refrigeration. I thought, Is there only one left because it's that good? Then I noticed a small white "V" stamped on the green-colored package and had a moment because from my experience, typically the V stands for vegetarian. This time, I finally found a diamond in the rough: A vegan food option while traveling.

So I went to the counter and purchased the snack box, along with a grande iced cold brew, and sat outside in the dry heat to enjoy my quick bite. The box came with pre-packaged guacamole that tasted shockingly better than I expected. I also appreciated its limited ingredients. The guac was simply avocado, garlic, and lime, so the taste had a slight tang and onion-like flavor. It seemed pretty fresh, and was on the smoother side, instead of having a chunky texture.

The box also came with three snap peas and three carrots. To be honest, I'm not sure how fresh these vegetables were. They tasted pretty bland and dry. On one carrot, the top turned brown so I avoided eating that part. Take a closer look than I did at the vegetables before you purchase one of these boxes. Because there was only one left when I was there, I didn't even consider this, but all things considered, the chickpea bites were the star of the show.

I've never had chickpea bites before, so I was in for a surprise. They tasted somewhere between falafel and a cakey chicken nugget, probably because of its bumpy breaded outer layer. The taste of mashed chickpeas always reminds me of falafel, but it didn't have the same seasoning or fried feeling. These were tasty and completely filling. Each box has 15 grams of plant protein, with chickpeas pulling most of that weight.

The snack box also comes with a pack of cranberries and pumpkin seeds, a sweet and savory crunch full of nutrients. I've had these before in other Starbucks snack packs, or with the oatmeal.

If I was in another pinch and Starbucks was nearby, I would have another Chickpea Bites & Avocado Vegan Snack Box because I really enjoyed it, and it's one of the healthier menu items compared to the baked goods and other snack boxes.

For more reviews like this one, check out our vegan products column.