Being vegan doesn’t mean you’re limited to eating just soy milk and broccoli. In fact, there are a number of food companies that produce items such as cookies, syrups, and chips that are completely vegan – oftentimes on accident. If you aren’t familiar with what qualifies a food as vegan, it shouldn’t contain any meat, dairy or animal products, including such items as eggs, honey (bees), or gelatin (horse).
Vegans typically subsist on a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. And while there are an abundance of foods that don’t qualify as vegan-friendly, take a peek in your super market aisles on your next visit to find these – and other – surprisingly vegan products. Just be careful to check the label first to ensure there aren’t any suspicious products in the way of you and a safe vegan indulgence.
- Bac-O’s Salad Topping
- Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
- Kraft Creamy Italian Dressing
- Sour Patch Kids & Dots Candies
- Lay’s Plain Potato Chips
- Jello Instant Pudding (not jello gelatin varieties)
- Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
- Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Ritz Original Crackers
Most vegans woud be quick to point out that these foods, aren’t in fact, real, healthy foods; but instead fake foods masquerading as real ones. So, don’t get too excited about these products if you’re vegan or considering going vegan – even part time – as they likely aren’t the best foods to begin incorporating into your diet.
On the other hand, there are plenty of foods that you may think are vegan but actually aren’t. Some of these products include BBQ Baked Lays Chips, which contain chicken fat; non-dairy creamers such as Coffee Mate, as they contain caseinate – a milk derivative; dry roasted peanuts, because they contain gelatin; and Tropicana Pure Premium Heart-Healthy Orange Juice, as it contains fish oil. Fish oil in orange juice? Both shocking and gross.
For more resources on the vegan diet and how to find vegan-friendly foods, visit PETA’s webiste for their official list of animal ingredients. And check out animalliberationfront.com for even more surprisingly vegan foods.
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