How to cook for a vegan
If you are cooking for a vegan or you are vegan and someone wants to cook for you, use this list to guide you through replacing ingredients one might unintentionally pass off as “plant based”
Definitions
Vegan: a movement based on reducing one’s harm of animals as far as practical
Vegan diet: any diet that excludes ALL animal products. This includes but is not limited to: meat, eggs, dairy, honey, or any product derived from an animal no matter how processed from the original source. It is not a diet meant for health, and does not have to be healthy.
Dairy: any product derived from cows’ milk. Dairy may show up in ingredient lists as milk powder and milk protein. Whey, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and cheese are all processed forms of dairy. Other animals’ milks are not “dairy” by definition but they are also not vegan.
Seasonings/bouillon/soup:
Be wary of chicken/beef/etc. “flavored” seasonings. Sometimes they are artificially flavored, so always check the ingredients. “Natural flavoring” on something not explicitly vegetarian/vegan most likely means animal sourced. Examples pictured below.
Some good alternatives that achieve the same flavor enhancer taste. Two I’ve tried that work great are Better Than Bouillon “no chicken” base (perfect for ramen) and Harvest “vegetarian bouillon mix” (which contain flavor enhancers found in many spice mixes and bouillons)
When ordering soup, always ask what the broth is made out of. Bone broth, chicken broth, beef broth, broth with fish paste, etc. are not vegan or vegetarian.
Sauces/dips/spreads:
Sauces can be based in yogurt, cream, or butter, which is dairy and not vegan. Some sauces are based on mayonnaise which contains eggs and is not vegan.
Dips are usually dairy based, or may have dairy mixed in. Ask if your meal comes with any sauces or dips and if your bean dip/guacamole/sauce/etc. has dairy
When at a restaurant, ask if any free starters (bread and butter, salad and dressing) come with dairy or egg based spreads, sauces or dips
Thickeners:
Common animal derived food thickeners include but is not limited to: gelatin, eggs, and cream, and gravy mixes
Common vegan food thickeners include but is not limited to: flour, corn starch, potato starch, tapioca, and pectin.
Oils:
Butter is dairy and not vegan
Ghee is a processed butter and not vegan
Margarine, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, and “buttery spreads” may or may not contain dairy. Always check the ingredients for milk.
Lard and shortening is the fat of an animal, and not vegan. Always ask/check what kind of oil is in refried beans, if there’s lard/shortening mixed in to any food, and what kind of oil your food is fried in.
Check the ingredients:
No matter what a package says, if the ingredients contain dairy (milk), eggs, or any animal derived ingredients, a product is not vegan. An example of veggie tots that are NOT vegan because they have cheese are pictured below.
Notice that separately, italicized at the bottom, the ingredients list the allergens.
The allergen list will always tell you if a food contains egg, honey, or dairy derived ingredient, but will not mention ingredients like lard, shortening, or gelatin. Always bee suspicious and vigilant.
Gluten free, soy free, non GMO, organic, vegetarian, does NOT mean vegan
Official vegan stamps mean the product was produced without any risk of cross contamination from animal derived ingredients. Some examples are pictured below.
When a package of food says “made in a facility that also processes x,y,z” that warning is there for people with allergies. For example, if a loaf of bread contains no eggs, but has a “was processed in a facility that also processed eggs” warning, that means cross contamination was possible. So a person allergic to eggs should avoid that bread, but a vegan can confidently eat the same bread.
Hope this helps! Feel free to add on or ask questions!!
