Common vegan and non-vegan ingredients, de-mystified.
Don’t forget the basics.
You can never go wrong with fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh and seitan.
Learn to read ingredients over time.
Many products are (quite helpfully) marked as vegan right on the packaging so you can skip ingredient reading. For those that are not, we can help you with an ingredient list that will tell you whether some of the trickier ones are vegan.
Carrageenan
Derived from seaweed and used as a thickener in non-dairy milks and some vegan cheeses.
Shellac /Confectioner’s Glaze
Derived from the lac bug, and sometimes found in candies.
Nutritional Yeast
A vegan staple, “nooch” is found in many vegan foods that have a cheesy flavor.
Gelatin
A gelling agent derived from animal bones.
Tallow
Animal fat found in some soaps and candles.
Rennet
Enzymes from the stomachs of ruminant animals, often found in cheeses.
Whey
A dairy product derived during the curdling stage for cheese, may be found in baked items or non-vegan protein powders and bars.
Riboflavin
A B vitamin commonly found in enriched flours, pastas or breads.