What’s the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch meal?  We’ll pass on the bacon and eggs and take a plate of pancakes any time.  You can easily serve pancakes minus the butter, and without a side of sausage or bacon, but are pancakes themselves vegan?  We took a closer look to see if you can make pancakes from a packaged mix (or from scratch) without animal products like eggs and buttermilk. All About Pancakes   What are pancakes, anyway?  Generally speaking, they are a thin round cake made from batter and cooked on a hot flat surface.  Pancakes have been around since ancient times and are made all over the world.  They go by lots of different names, are made with...

This popular soft drink says that it has zero sugar, zero fat, and zero carbs…sounds great if you’re on a diet, but what if you are vegan? So, is Diet Pepsi vegan? The short answer is technically: no. Here's what you need to know: Diet Pepsi Ingredients  The official company website for all of the Pepsi brands has the nutrition information for Diet Pepsi.  Here are the ingredients: Carbonated water Caramel color Phosphoric acid Potassium benzoate Sucralose Acesulfame potassium Caffeine Natural flavor Citric acid Need help figuring out what some of these things actually are?  The Pepsi website has an alphabetical glossary of ingredients that explains what everything is.  For example, it tells you that caffeine is found naturally in...

Stevia Overview Stevia is a popular sugar substitute derived from the ultra-sweet stevia plant native to South America. Stevia can have an overly sweet taste that isn't too bitter, but is stevia vegan friendly? When making this determination, it's important to check stevia ingredients as many brands add fillers. Some stevia products are also blends and contain other sugar alternatives like erythritol. The good news is most stevia brands on the market are vegan friendly, but that isn't the whole story. Here's what you should know about choosing a healthy, vegan stevia product. Stevia Ingredients List Stevia extract (stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) Maltodextrin (filler based on corn, rice, or potatoes) Dextrose (filler made from corn sugar or honey) Inulin (vegetable-based prebiotic...

Uh-Oh, Are SpaghettiOs Vegan? A low-cost pasta dish that's enjoyed by diners of all ages, SpaghettiOs might not immediately set off alarms for vegans. After all, it isn't difficult to find delicious pasta meals as a vegan. So, are SpaghettiOs any different? While some variants of SpaghettiOs contain meat, such as the kind with meatballs, vegans still need to be on the lookout for animal products in the Original variety of SpaghettiOs. This includes ingredients such as dairy products and any trace of poultry such as eggs. If you're wondering "are SpaghettiOs vegan?" this guide is just the thing for you. Spaghettios Ingredients List Water Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste) Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin,...

Are Popsicles Vegan? Just like Kleenex and Q-Tips, the word Popsicle is actually a brand name that people have come to use for the product itself.  Whether you’re talking about actual Popsicles, or some kind of frozen fruit-flavored ice on a stick, the question is the same:  Are popsicles vegan? Check out our favorite organic vegan popsicles here! If you want something in a bowl instead of on a stick, check out our picks for the best vegan sorbet brands.   Starting with Popsicle brand ice pops, if you’ve spent any time in your grocery store’s freezer section, you know that there are many different flavors of Popsicles.  But as long as it’s frozen fruit juice and sugar it’s got...

Say the word “grits” to most people and they’re likely to think of the creamy cornmeal dish from the American South, traditionally made with lots of butter and milk…often topped with cheese and served with accompaniments like sausage, ham, or shrimp. But do grits really need to be made (and served) with animal products to taste good?  Here’s what you need to know if you're a vegan who loves this classic Southern comfort food dish. All About Cornmeal Grits   The dish we know as grits is actually Native American in origin, a kind of porridge made from boiling coarse, stone-ground corn in water.  Unlike many other grains which originated in the Old World, corn is a New World plant...

Are Spring Rolls Vegan? With numerous tofu and vegetable dishes available at Asian restaurants, it seems like nothing could possibly go wrong for a hungry vegan. Unfortunately, just because a menu item doesn’t list meat, egg or dairy in its description does not guarantee it is animal-product free. Many Asian dishes require soaking tofu in chicken broth or stirring oyster sauce in with rice noodles. One item, however, appears completely harmless: spring rolls. They’re just noodles and veggies, right? Let’s take a deeper look at how this traditional Spring Festival food is made to answer the question, are spring rolls vegan? Disclaimer Before delving into what makes a spring roll a spring roll, it is important to mention that there...

Are Ring Pops Vegan? If you've ever wished for gaudy jewelry that was edible too, you've probably wondered, "Are Ring Pops vegan?" Fortunately for your jewelry-candy needs, Ring Pops are generally considered vegan. In fact, over the years, Ring Pops have been included on many lists of vegan-friendly candies. Therefore, most vegans feel okay about eating these sugary treats and sharing them with their friends. What's in a Ring Pop? There are a number of varieties of Ring Pops. Not only are there the classic fruity ones, but there are also Twisted, Sour and shaped Ring Pops. The ingredients vary slightly among the various flavors of Ring Pops, but the classic fruity flavors usually have similar ingredients. Here's what's typically...

You know Spring is coming when you see Girl Scouts around your neighborhood selling those little green boxes of cookies.  We all have fond memories of eating our favorite Girl Scout Cookies as kids, but if you are now vegan, you may be wondering if these iconic treats are for you.  We took a closer look at one of the most popular Girl Scout Cookies, Thin Mints, to find out - and.....Thin Mints Are Vegan! Have a sweet tooth? Order some Thin Mints on Amazon, or read on for more! Thin Mints Ingredients List Enriched flour Sugar Vegetable oil Cocoa processed with alkali Caramel color Leavening Cocoa Invert sugar Cornstarch Salt Soy Lecithin Natural and artificial flavors Oil of peppermint Are...

Are Cool Ranch Doritos Vegan? Doritos are among the most popular chip on the market today, and their Cool Ranch flavor is one of the two most eaten. So are cool ranch doritos vegan? Unfortunately these chips contain lactose, whey, and nonfat milk. All of these are animal byproducts and obviously make these chips not vegan. They also contain buttermilk and cheddar cheese, two more non vegan ingredients. Just about every Dorito flavoring has some problem that makes it non-vegan, except for the "Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos" which are 100% vegan (and delicious)! These Doritos are a relatively new addition to their product line and one that is designed to be friendlier to vegans like you. This makes them an...