A vegan is someone who does not consume animal products or animal byproducts. You would think that just means a no meat nor dairy diet, but you would be very wrong. Here is a list of eight sneaky foods that are bizarrely not vegan-friendly.
1. Granulated Sugar
Sugar is naturally brown and so refined using bone char (incinerated bones) of cows to give it a white color while also filter out impurities. Some vegan-friendly alternatives are organic cane sugar, sugar in the raw, and beet sugar.
2. Beer and Wine
Sorry vegans! After the fermentation process, beers and wines need to be filtered. But brewers and winemakers do not use cheesecloth; most of them use the lining of animal organs to filter their alcoholic beverages. Guess you will have to drink strictly tequila.
3. Altoids
You’re going to have to find a new way to get minty-fresh breath. Altoids are stabilized with gelatin, and gelatin is made from boiled leftover skin, cartilage, and bones from a variety of animals. For the same reason, gelatin gummy bears are off the table as well.
4. Vanilla Extract
This one takes some serious investigation. One ingredient in vanilla extract is caramel color which is made with red dye. This extract, along with other processed foods containing red dye, are not vegan because red dye is made from beetles ground up for their red coloring.
Read your labels! And maybe try using real vanilla bean in your baked goods.
5. Orange Juice
Most orange juices are enhanced with omega 3’s which are very good for heart health. However, they take these omega 3’s from fish such as sardines and anchovies. Vegans may just have to settle for a cup of apple juice in the am.
6. Refried Beans
While vegans should have plenty of beans in their diet, refried beans should not be one of them. They are typically cooked then canned with pork lard (fat).
#SpoonTip: Black beans and garbanzo beans are great alternatives.
7. Hard Candies
Yes this means no Skittles, razzles, or those little fruit-shaped candies from quarter machines. Their shiny coating comes from resin which is extracted from lac bug juice. Yummy, bug juice.
8. Pre-Shelled Peanuts
Peanuts are inedible for vegans because, unless you crack them yourself, companies use gelatin to coat and protect shell-less nuts. This is one that will usually get ya’ because no one would expect that on a raw nut. Yet another reason why vegans need to know exactly what they’re eating.
The bottom line is that vegans must read labels and look into what they are consuming. They also need to eat smart since such a strict diet can have some one lacking many essential vitamins and minerals (B12, protein, calcium, iron). It is highly recommended to consult a doctor before trying this diet.