When you’re following a particular diet, everything you eat matters, whether it is a major meal of the day or just a snack. Several studies have shown plant-based diets to be very effective when it comes to maintaining overall health, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, reducing the risk of volatile HbA1c if you are a diabetic, and aiding weight loss. If you are on a vegetarian or vegan diet, the snack ideas in this article are for you.

• Mango salsa
  Simply take one or two peeled, seeded, and chopped mangoes in a big bowl and add one-fourth cup of red bell pepper, 1 finely chopped green onion, 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and one finely chopped jalapeno chile pepper to it. Then, add one or two tablespoons of lemon juice and a little lime juice for taste. Mix all the ingredients well, cover the bowl with cling film, and allow it to sit for about 30-45 minutes. Voila! Your healthy snack idea for vegetarian and vegan diets is ready to be served with the bread of your choice or tortilla chips.
• Classic Texas Caviar
  In a bowl, put two cans of drained black-eyed peas, one can of diced and drained tomato, two stemmed, seeded, and minced jalapenos, one diced onion, one stemmed, seeded, and cut yellow bell pepper, and one-fourth cup of cilantro.
  To this, add seven tablespoons of red wine vinegar, one teaspoon dried oregano, one or two teaspoons of cumin, salt to taste, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and some olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for about two hours to two days. However, ensure that you check the seasoning just before serving. You may want to add extra vinegar or salt and pepper.
• Mashed yam
  Yam is a famous vegetable from Asia and is rich in calcium and fiber. To make this healthy vegetarian and vegan snack, start by removing the skin and washing the yam thoroughly. Being a root vegetable, it tends to get dirty while skinning, but soaking it in water for some time can help get the dirt off easily. Then, cut it into small pieces, add salt, and boil for about 5 minutes or steam for 15 minutes. After that, drain the pieces and let them cool. Then, mash the boiled yam and add chopped chilies, 2 teaspoons of cilantro, and some lime juice. This snack tastes best with pita bread!
• Smoked eggplant
  Wash the eggplant properly and brush it with oil. then, place it on a griller and allow the smoke to engulf the vegetable so that the flavor of the smoke sinks in; also, turn the eggplant around so that the smoke flavor is evenly distributed. After it is entirely cooked, cool it and peel off the skin. Mash it and add finely chopped onions and cilantro leaves, along with chili and some lemon juice. This healthy snack idea for vegetarians and vegans is great by itself, but it can also be had with bread.