Vegans are a group of people who completely avoid food that originate from animals. Such people have their own reasons for avoiding meals that originate from animals. Instead, they strictly follow a vegan diet. Some of these reasons range from environmental concerns, health issues and religion, among others. There is a wide range of meals vegans should avoid. Some of these meals are obvious, whereas others catch people by surprise. Some vegan meals are healthy and nutritious, whereas others are not. The unhealthy vegan meals should be avoided at all cost. Below are some 37 meals you should avoid if you are a vegan:
Animal meals
All vegans exclude animal meals from their diet. They mostly perceive it as cruelty or exploitation to animals. Vegans also avoid products derived from animals. Here are some animal meals vegans should completely avoid:
- Eggs- Eggs can be derived from fish, chickens, ostriches and quails.
- Meat- There are different types of meat that human beings consume. They are wild meat, pork, beef, organ meat, horse, lamb and veal, among others. Vegans don’t eat meat at all.
- Dairy- Ice cream, cream, butter, milk, cheese and yogurt, among others. There are numerous products not listed here that are produced from diary. Such products should be avoided by vegans.
- Bee products- Royal jelly, bee pollen and honey are some bee products vegans should avoid.
- Poultry- Poultry is mostly meat from birds. It can be chicken, quail, duck, goose and turkey.
- Seafood and fish- Different types of fish, crab, squid, fish sauce, shrimp, calamari, anchovies, scallops, mussels and lobsters.
Additives and Ingredients from animals
A lot of vegans are not aware that they should avoid additives and ingredients derived from animals. There are different kinds of ingredients and additives. This makes it difficult for a person to determine which kinds of additives are derived from animals. Here are some ingredients and additives vegans should completely avoid:
- Carmine or cochineal- Carmine is made from cochineal insects. Carmine falls under the category of natural dye. It is what gives plenty of food products the red color.
- Additives- There are a couple of additives that are made from various kinds of animal products. These additives range from E904, E901, E631, E120, E471, E322, E542 and E422.
- Isinglass- Isinglass looks like gelatin. It is commonly used in wine and beer making. Isinglass is derived from fish bladder.
- Omega 3 fatty acids- Omega 3 fatty acids are derived from fish. As a result, they don’t suit vegans. Instead, vegans should avoid omega 3 fatty acids from fish and focus on that from algae.
- Gelatin- Gelatin falls under the category of thickening agent. This thickening agent is derived from bones, the skin and tissues of either pigs or cows.
- Shellac- Shellac is secreted from lac insect. This substance from female lac insect is used to make wax coating and in candies.
- Dairy ingredients- Lactose, casein and whey are some ingredients derived from dairy vegans should avoid.
- Vitamin D3- Vitamin D3 can be derived from lanolin in sheep and in fish oil. Vegans should consider vitamin D3 from Lichen.
- Natural flavoring- There are some natural ingredients that are derived from animals. castoreum is one perfect example. Vegans should completely avoid these natural flavors that are deprived from animals.
The above listed additives and ingredients can be found in processed meals. Therefore, check out the ingredients before consuming any processed meals.
Meals that might contain some animal ingredients
There are some meals that sometimes contain animal ingredients but are considered 100% vegans. As a result, vegans must pay attention on the kind of meals they consume. This mostly applies to the ingredients. Here are some products you should always be on the lookout:
- Beer and wine- There are two ways beer and wine can be processed. It can be through the use of isinglass or egg white albumen. Isinglass is derived from fish bladder. Therefore, request clarification from manufacturers on the processed method used.
- Bread products- Some bread products like bread and bagels have l-cysteine as one of their ingredients. L-cysteine is derived from poultry feathers and is used as a softener. It falls under the category of amino acids. Vegans should avoid bread products with this type of amino acid.
- French fries- French fries fall under the category of fast foods. Some people use animal fats when preparing this popular snack.
- Candy- There are different kinds of candies in the market. These candies range from carmine, gelatin or shellac. Such candies range from gummy bears, chewing gums and marshmallows, among. Carmine is one of the ingredients derived from cochineal insects. This doesn’t suit vegan people. In such instances, it is vital to check out the ingredients used on the candy.
- Caesar dressing- Caesar dressing comes in different forms. Some Caesar dressing uses anchovy paste during the preparation stage as one of the ingredients. Anchovy paste doesn’t suit vegans.
- Deep fried meals- There are instances where batter is sometimes used in deep fried means. Batter used sometimes contains eggs. Eggs are derived from animals and particularly birds. This makes such meals unfit for vegans.
- Olive tapenade- There are a wide range of olive tapenades to choose from. Most of these varieties are made from anchovies, which is unfit for vegans.
- Bean products- vegans should be careful on the bean products they consume. A large fraction of baked beans have ham or lard as part of their ingredient.
- Pesto- A lot of people prefers stored pesto. Most of the stored pesto has parmesan cheese, one of the dairy product extracts. Therefore, vegans should look for pesto that doesn’t contain parmesan cheese.
- Pasta- There are different kinds of pasta. Some pasta such as fresh pasta contains eggs as its ingredient.
- Non dairy creamer- A lot of non dairy creamers on the market shelves contains high amounts of casein. Casein is a protein found in milk.
- Refined sugar- Bone char has for ages been used in lightening sugar. It is commonly referred to natural carbon and is derived from bone cattle. Vegans should consider evaporated can juice or organic sugar.
- Potato chips- Potato chips are known for their sweet taste. There are some potato chips that have powdered cheese or other dairy extracts like whey and casein, among others. These ingredients don’t suit vegans.
- Some dark chocolate brands- A lot of people think that dark chocolate is meant for vegans. Well; that’s not the case. There are some dark chocolate brands that have some products derived from animals. Milk fat, nonfat milk powder, milk solid and whey.
- Roasted peanuts- During manufacturing, gelatin is commonly used to simplify the process of spicing and salting roasting peanuts.
- Worcestershire sauce- Worcestershire sauce comes in different varieties. Most of these varieties have anchovies.
- Some farm produce- vegans have never thought that some vegetables and fruits could have wax. This wax is made from either shellac or beeswax.
Some of the mentioned products listed above are shocking and surprising isn’t it? As a result, vegans should carefully read the ingredients.
The Vegan meals you should consume with moderation
A lot of people have a perception that vegan meals are both healthy and nutritious. Well; there are some meals vegans should limit their consumptions. Here are some of these meals vegans should consume with moderation:
- Mock cheese and meat- Both mocked cheese and meat fall under processed meals. They contain high amounts of additives and few nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. The nutrients found in mock cheese and meat cannot be compared to the nutrients found in plants derived meals. This means they don’t benefit the body as many people perceive and should be taken in low amounts or avoid at all.
- Vegan junk food- Sauces, candy, vegan ice cream, chips and candy are some junk food some vegans consume. These junk meals have fat and added sugar. They contain low amounts of nutrients and compounds that are likely to benefit the body.
- Vegan sweeteners- Maple syrup, date syrup, agave syrup and molasses are examples of added sugar. Consuming too much vegan sweetener poses serious health conditions such as obesity and heart condition.
- Vegan protein bars- A large fraction of vegan protein bars contain a high percentage of refined sugar. The protein found in this bar is isolated. This means that it doesn’t have any nutrients.
- Dairy free milks- There are different kinds of dairy free milks. These dairy free milks contain high amounts of added sugar. Therefore, consider the unsweetened brands.
Bottom line
Vegans avoid all kinds of meals derived from animals and animal products. Additionally, not all kinds of meals derived from plants are healthy. Therefore, vegans should pay attention on what they eat. They should go for vegan meals that are healthy. Always read the ingredients before consuming any meal.