Ah, the famous, round pastry that the world swoons over! They come jelly-filled, glazed, powdered, chocolate-covered, or pumped with Boston crème pie filling. Recalling its dense, moist texture already has you craving one. Hold on just a moment! Are donuts vegan? I bet you're thinking, “I sure hope so!” They look innocent enough, but how are they so fluffy yet dense? Let's take a look at a regular donut's ingredients. Common Donut Ingredients yeast water milk white sugar salt eggs shortening all-purpose flour vegetable oil (used for frying) butter powdered sugar vanilla extract Are Donuts Vegan? Unfortunately, most donuts that you may come in contact with are not vegan. Donuts are usually made with more than one dairy product. The...

What Is Sherbet? Sherbert happens to be a very common misspelling of the frozen dessert sherbet. However, if you hear people pronouncing it, either way, they are all talking about the same delicious frozen dessert. However, there is also a bit of confusion when it comes to sherbets and sorbets. Sorbet is like Sherbet's vegan cousin. Unlike Sherbets, Sorbets do not contain any dairy products which makes it the perfect treat for those who happen to be lactose-intolerant. Click here to learn more about Sherbets. Common Sherbet/Sherbert Ingredients Ice cream Milk Sugar Egg whites Gelatin Sweetened fruit juice Some people might think that it is near impossible to create a tasty frozen dessert without the help of an ice cream...

Vegans care about our planet and all its creatures. Adherents respect the right to live of every inhabitant of Earth and are dedicated to avoiding animal mistreatment and cruelty. For these reasons, vegans, to the best of their ability, steer clear of eating animals or anything containing animal products. Meat, fish, seafood, dairy, honey and eggs all make the Do Not Eat list. In addition, clothing made from or containing things like leather and fur and products tested on living creatures are taboo. While avoiding animal-based foodstuffs is simple enough when planning meals, things get complicated when a vegan is faced with taking nutritional supplements. Since animal-free diets do not always provide necessary amounts of some nutrients to keep people...

Answering your question: Your sweet tooth is calling! What choice do you have but to answer, right? Unfortunately for vegans most traditional sweets aren't an option. Animal products seem to have found their way into anything and everything. Now you find yourself daydreaming about a tall glass of almond milk, sweetened with your childhood favorite, Nesquik. Wait a minute, is Nesquik vegan? After investigating the nutrition label, well, sorry to burst your bubble folks, but it looks like a no. Don't let the nostalgia distract you, take a look at the ingredients yourself.   Nesquik Ingredients sugar cocoa (processed with alkali) soy lecithin carrageenan salt natural flavor spice vitamins and minerals: sodium ascorbate (vitamin C), ferric pyrophosphate (Iron), niacinimide, zinc...

When you've chosen a vegan diet and lifestyle, you may find yourself struggling to find the right condiments to flavor your dishes. Which ones are truly safe? Is there any chance of an animal product hiding in some of your favorite foods? In some cases, the answers may surprise you. Thankfully, when it comes to ketchup, you're off the hook: ketchup is a traditionally vegan dish, which means that you can slather it on your potatoes with confidence. In fact, according to PETA, Heinz Ketchup at one time went on record as stating that no animal products could be used in the creation of the ketchup product according to FDA labeling requirements. Unfortunately, not everyone is quite so comfortable with...

Is Sorbet Vegan? Sorbet has its origins in the Near and Middle East. In the middle ages, people in countries like Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan invented a frozen dessert made with fruit and flower petals, called sharbat. Modern sorbet is quite similar to the original Ottoman dessert, but without flower petals. Sorbet is most often safe for a vegan diet. Ingredients of Sorbet Sorbet, in essence, is simply a frozen blend of fruit, water, and sugar. Many premade sorbets are, in fact, vegan. But, as we all know, commercial food manufacturers are fond of putting lots of food additives and extraneous ingredients in their products. When you look at the ingredients list of a sorbet you find at the supermarket,...

If you've been vegan of any amount of time, you most likely know that animal products can be hidden in the most unexpected of places. Though it's well worth it, reading labels has to become a habit for those who are committed to the vegan way of life. And while you might think that soda wouldn't contain animal products, it is entirely possible for sodas and other drinks to be made with products derived from animals. You may question how a soda could not be vegan. After all, it isn't made with any obvious animal ingredients. But many types of sodas actually contain ester gum, which is a thickening agent. This gum comes from glycerol, which is often derived from...

  If you are a vegan, you undoubtedly examine the labels on everything you put in your shopping cart. It comes with the territory, because you are very concerned with what you put in your body. When doing so, surely you have come across the much-used "soy lecithin" as an ingredient. The question then becomes, is soy lecithin vegan?   What Is It? First, we have to ask, "What is soy lecithin?" What does it come from, and where is it sourced? There are many types of lecithin, and many ingredients within it. Can you even determine where a processed ingredient like this came from? Lecithin is a generic term used to classify certain fatty compounds, such as glycerol, choline,...

"Give me a break. Give me a break. Break me of a piece of that.." You know the rest. Kit Kats are one of the most popular candy bars around. Unfortunately, a cursory glance at a Kit Kat's ingredients list will show numerous animal products. Anyone who wants to adhere to a vegan lifestyle should stay away from Kit Kats. Kit Kat Ingredients List Here is a rundown of everything that Kit Kats are made of, so that you have a better sense of why, as a vegan, you shouldn't eat them: Sugar Wheat flour Skim milk Cocoa butter Chocolate Palm kernel oil Milk fat Lactose Lecithin (less than 2 percent) PGPR Vanillin, artificial flavor Salt Yeast Baking soda As you can...

What Is Taurine? Taurine is a naturally occurring compound found in fish and meat that is most commonly found as a major ingredient in energy drinks. Taurine is found in the large intestine where it is a major component of bile. It accounts for about 0.1% of the human body. This type of Taurine is not vegan. Check out these organic vegan energy drinks. But, that isn’t the only kind of Taurine there is. In fact, it is more common to find synthetic Taurine in energy drinks. This synthetic Taurine is created in a lab as the direct result of a chemical reaction. Using synthetic Taurine is cheaper than using the naturally occurring variety so many times the energy drinks...