My Vegan Way Updated 9/04/2016 Please be aware that this is my way of how I go about being vegan and cruelty free. I m not necessarily an expert on the subject and there may be things here that are missing, out of date, not accurate, or not the best way. Eating Out vs. Cooking Although vegan options often exist when eating out, they are not ideal because they may lack protein or clear labeling identifying it as vegan. Some more popular examples with lots of protein are Which Wich, Pei Wei, Chipotle, and PF Chang s. Zoes Kitchen has clear labels on their menu about vegan and vegetarian item. Many local vegan or vegetarian friendly restaurants also exist and you can search for them online. With non-vegan restaurants you can ask them about what in their menu is vegan or Google vegan and the restaurant name. Here is some info about vegan menus at various popular restaurants: Eating Vegan at Fast Food Chain Restaurants 43 Vegan Chain Restaurant Menus Every Vegan Needs to Know Although I eat out occasionally, for me cooking is easier and more cost effective. On Sunday I cook my lunch for the week which usually lasts for the week. Plant based foods generally stay good for a longer time. For dinner I often have a variation of meals including salad, bread dipped in olive oil, burritos, pasta, soup, vegan sandwiches, dips like hummus or bean dip with chips, or meals that I can cook quickly and eat again for the next couple of nights. Shopping The biggest challenge with shopping is finding products that are labeled vegan or not tested on animals. It
can be difficult to tell by the ingredients what is vegan so it helps if the product is clearly labeled. Many foods not labeled vegan can still be vegan but in that case I have to look at the specific ingredients which can be challenging because some ingredients can come from both animal or non-animal sources, some ingredients have complicated chemical names, and some just say natural ingredients which can be both plant or animal. Some stores however are more vegan friendly because they label their vegan products as vegan, or tend to carry outside brands that label their vegan products vegan. Some examples are Whole Foods which has its own brand called 365, labeled vegan or not tested on animals if so, and also tends to carry many outside brands which are vegan and animal friendly. Trader Joes has some of their store brands clearly labeled vegan though at this time they don t seem to be as good about it as Whole Foods. Natural Grocers tends to carry the type of products that are labeled vegan or not tested on animals. When I can t determine if it s vegan, I often Google the questionable ingredients on my smartphone, or just Google the name of the product and the word vegan, which works best with popular products. There is also a smartphone app called Is it Vegan that scans the product barcode to help determine if it is vegan or vegetarian, and there are other apps also. Sometimes I email or call the manufacturer and they are able to tell me if their product is vegan. I read in one animal rights book however that one shouldn t worry that much about the little details of the ingredients, so there may be different camps in the vegan community on how they approach this issue. Foods Here are some of the foods which are part of my vegan diet. Nuts Unsalted Raw Mixed Nuts (Store: Target, other stores) on cereal, oatmeal, or even for example crushed/blended and mixed into cornbread. Deluxe Roasted Mixed Nuts with Sea Salt (Stores: Target, Aldi s has a similar thing, and other stores) or regular peanuts almost always mixed
with my lunch, dinner, salad, soup, rice, pasta, stir fry, etc. Can cook it with the food or mix it after it is cooked. Tofu I prefer extra firm. Easy to cook with some oil in a frying pan, then can be mixed with stir fry. Can also make baked tofu dipping sticks which are tasty and easy to make. Peanut Butter After dinner I usually have for desert some fruit, warm almond milk, and peanut butter on bread. Whole foods has several grinding machines where I can grind various nuts into nut butter. I also get my bread from Whole Foods which has a good selection, one is called Black Forest Rye. It s very full and tasty unlike the typical grocery store bread. Speaking of peanut butter, there is a popular peanut butter soup recipe on VegWeb.com which is very good. Protein Shake You can get a big daily serving of protein and various other nutrients from vegan protein shakes. They
can be surprisingly tasty and refreshing, and come from various protein sources including pea. You can find them with different flavors, like vanilla, chocolate, fruit, or non-flavored. Vega is a good one and available in many stores, and comes in the regular version which is very good, or the upgraded version, Vega One, which is packed with various other nutrients in addition to protein. Just need water and a blender, though it s good to serve cold with ice. Before protein shakes I often had a protein craving. Hummus There are many flavors and textures of hummus. I prefer the moist kind. Great with chips, pizza, bread, on the side with pasta or other meals. Also a good spread in sandwich. Lentils Lots of protein, easy to cook, and various recipes online. Refried Beans Another source of protein and easy to prepare.
Dairy There is a large selection of vegan dairy products and the ones I tried are very tasty in my opinion. It s been a while since I ate regular dairy but the vegan kind seems excellent, contain similar nutrients like calcium, and may be fortified with important nutrients for vegans like B12 or protein. Almond, Soy, Cashew, or Flax Milk I like almond milk and flax milk but there are various other milks including soy and cashew. I get the Califa Farms almond milk which has lots of calcium and other nutrients, and also the Good Karma flaxmik which is very nutritious and tasty as well, unsweetened. Vegan Cheese There are a wide variety of vegan cheeses, like mozzarella, cheddar, or parmesan, and a variety of brands and bases like rice or soy. They even melt. I ve tried some mozzarellas and cheddars which tasted good. Whole Foods and Natural Grocers have a variety of vegan cheeses.
Vegan Butter and Mayo I don t use butter, margarine, or mayo, not sure why. I don t recall trying any vegan butter so can t comment on the taste, but I had a vegan mayo a long time ago which I remember to be very similar to the real thing if not better. Vegan Egg Substitutes I haven t yet used egg substitutes but here are a couple sources about vegan egg substitutes: http://www.peta.org/living/food/egg-replacements/ http://www.thekitchn.com/5-vegan-substitutes-foreggs-in-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-136591 Sauces and Salad Dressing Great way to add variation to salad or food ingredients. For salad dressing I like Annie s which can be found at Whole Foods and even Target, though not all are vegan. Above are some of my favorites. Whole Foods also carries their own brand of salad dressing and various stir fry and other sauces which are labeled vegan.
Veggie Burgers, Sausage, and Burritos There are a wide variety of veggie burger, sausages, and burrito brands with protein and other nutrients. They can be found at Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and other stores. Kroger and Target have a decent selection of veggie burgers and burritos in a special section of the store, and many stores often have some form of veggie burger. Some look and taste a lot like meat, which I personally don t like, but for some people there is the option to have something very similar in taste to meat. I often cut a burger into pieces and cook it on a frying pan with potatoes and various veggies. The veggie burger can further breaks up from the heat into a scrambled consistency which tastes good. Noodles, Soups, and Rice Dr. McDougall s makes great vegan microwave ready noodles, soups, and rice meals, clearly labeled vegan. They can be found at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers. I mix in nuts and sometimes corn chips, avocado, jalapenos and even parmesan. Amy s also makes a variety of meals including soups, many are vegan and clearly labeled. You can see their vegan products here.
Bars There are a wide variety of vegan bars often found at the vegan friendly grocery stores mentioned earlier, but I try to reduce sugar so there are a few bars I ve found that don t have regular sugar in the ingredients. Some of my favorites are some Raw Revolution bars (may nobe popular with some) found at Natural Grocers, and Larbar Pecan Pie, found at many grocery stores. Fruit and Dried Fruit I usually have fruit for desert after lunch and dinner. I also often eat dried fruit like mulberries or dates. Mulberries have a subtle toffee like taste great with warm tea, mixed with cereal, or by itself, and dates are also great with tea or coffee. I purchase dried fruits from Nuts.com which has a wide selection.
Cereal I combine Fiber One Original, Kix, and Mom s Best Toasted Wheat-Fuls, mixed with raw mixed nuts unsalted, raisins, banana, or freeze dried fruits, with almond milk. Fiber One and Kix are found at many grocery stores. Mom s Best Toasted Wheat-Fuls can be found at Kroger. It s similar to a popular cereal called Post Shredded Wheat (also vegan I believe) but better in my opinion. Oatmeal Another great vegan option. Mix it with raw unsalted mixed nuts, raisins, banana, and cinnamon, or freeze dried fruits. I buy the 365 Organic Quick Oats from Whole Foods. Chips There are many vegan chips options, often at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers labeled vegan, and many popular brands can be identified by Googling whether that chip is vegan.
Gum As always with popular brands it s easy to Google whether that product is vegan rather than Googling all its ingredients. I chew sugar free gum after lunch which may help reduce cavities. Above are two vegan ones that I chew, but not all from these brands are necessarily vegan. Vitamins I m not an expert on vegan nutrition and recommend you check multiple sources for proper vegan nutrition. In fact, for many years after becoming vegetarian and vegan I went without proper nutrition and may have experienced symptoms of B12 deficiency which can affect the nervous system. But for many years I was also a very unhealthy meat eater. As a vegan who also eats lots of salad and fruit I probably get lots of fiber and vitamins. But some vitamins that are important to take for vegans are B12 (not found in plants but made by bacteria which can be made into a vegan pill or fortified foods) and omega 3 (can be low for vegans). B12 is often contained in some vegan fortified foods, including vegan milk. I also take a vegan B12 vitamin each day. Omega 3 can be found in flaxseed meal (found at many grocery stores) which goes well on salad. In addition I take a vegan omega 3 vitamin each day. I also take a daily vegan multivitamin. I don t take calcium pills because I read it could increase the risk of heart attack. For calcium I rely on almond milk and other plant sources. You can also get your vitamin levels checked but I haven t done so yet. Here are the exact vitamins/nutrients I take each day. I recommend online vitamin shops like LuckyVitamin.com or Vitacost.com for the variety of selection, good prices, user reviews, and easy searching for what is vegan.
For B12 I alternate between these two every other day: Deva Nutrition - Vegan Vitamin B12 Sublingual 2500 mcg. - 90 Tablets Solaray - Vitamin B-12 5000 mcg. - 30 Lozenges For Omega 3 I alternate between these two every other day and also put flaxseed meal (2 Tbsp.) on my salad which I eat several times a week: Deva Nutrition - Vegan Chia Seed Oil Omega 3-6-9-90 Vegetarian Capsules Deva Nutrition - Vegan Omega-3 DHA-EPA - 90 Vegetarian Capsules And for multivitamin I take this each day: Deva Nutrition - Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral One Daily with Greens - 90 Tablets. I take the iron free version.
Cruelty Free Products There are many products which are not tested on animals and labeled as such. They can be found at stores like Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and even Target. They may have a cruelty free logo or may say in small print somewhere that it was not tested on animals. The good thing about many of these products is that they are often from natural sources rather that from harsh chemicals, and often are high end products made by socially responsible companies. There are also some online retailers that specialize in vegan shoes, clothing, and other products. These can be found by doing a Google search for vegan store or vegan shoes for example. Here are some common items I purchase from grocery stores: Toothpaste and Deodorant I use Tom s of Maine toothpaste and deodorant which can be found at various stores including Target. There are other brands like Kiss My Face for example which are available at Whole Food too. Hand Wash and Dish Soap
I use Method sweet water hand wash and various Method dish soaps. Shampoo and Body Wash I use the Whole Foods brand 365 shampoo and body wash. Laundry Detergent There are various detergents not tested on animals including Seventh Generation, Method, and 365 Brand, found at Whole Foods or Target. Various Cleaners There are many cruelty free
options for cleaners including all purpose, glass, bathroom, etc. Some examples are Seventh Generation, Method, and even Clorox make a good cruelty free cleaner called Green Works. They can be found at Whole Foods, Target, and other stores. Pests I don t like to kill pests, especially the less predatory ones. There is information online about humane ways to deal with insects and other pests. Keeping a clean house and closing possible ways they can enter your home are some ways to reduce their numbers. I use these two products below to remove insects that I may encounter, though there are other products available too: Bug Vacuum There are various bug vacuums online. I use the Backyard Safari which is actually a children s toy I purchased from ToysRus. It
doesn t have a strong motor so I use it to suck small bugs. It has a part that can then be closed shut to keep them from escaping. Bug Catcher For larger bugs like wasps I use this product from Amazon called Fascinations Spider Catcher Bug Remover which says it doesn t harm the insect. I used it on a wasp on the floor and it easily caught it and when I release it outside it instantly flew away. I tried it on a large American cockroach however but was not able to catch it perhaps because the roach was too strong. BugZooka Have not tried yet but they sell it on Amazon. It requires no battery.