Way too often in society, people mainly focus on what vegans “can’t” eat. When in reality, we should be asking the opposite, as the vegan diet isn’t limiting, but surprisingly liberating.
First thing’s first though, what can’t vegans eat? Just so we can get this out of the way.
What can’t vegan’s eat?
Vegans avoid any animal based product. This includes meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fish as well as other animal derived products, including certain food chemicals.
Yes, honey also counts as one of these foods.
Can vegans eat “may contain milk” products?
Many products have ingredient lists without any dairy within, but have a warning in bold letters saying “may contain milk”. That product, although some may disagree, is suitable for vegans.
A great example of this is Oreos, which has the same warning but no inclusion of milk in the ingredients list – One the seasoned vegans’ll know.
What do vegans eat?
So what can vegans actually eat? What’s suitable for vegans? A wide variety of things actually, let’s go through the basic ingredients, to different types of foods suitable for the modern vegan.
Fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits and veggies
Fruits and veggies have always been, and always will be vegan.
Naturally growing from the ground, whether it’s the fruit for your smoothies or veggies alongside your rice, this will always be a solid option for vegans.
Grains, greens, legumes, nuts and seeds
This is where the bulk comes from, the quinoa, the sunflower seeds, the greens to add depth and dimension. Vegans are free to explore different combinations of each, If I personally have already tried over 20 types of bean finding my favourites, you can too.
Not to mention the range of nuts and seeds for snacks. While the average Joe loves his salted peanuts, explore from the wider range including cashews, almonds, walnuts and more.
Naturally vegan dips
Going vegan you learn that more and more things are already vegan (or far from it).
Some notable mentions include hummus, baba ganoush, guacamole and ketchup (for the traditional)!
Others include bbq sauce, brown sauce, (most) mustard and soy sauce.
Cakes, bakes, cookies and shakes
Once you find a good recipe, or ten, you’ll find that you don’t need milk and eggs to enjoy cakes and cookies.
The same can be said for milkshakes and smoothies, which you can easily sub milk for dairy-free options for.
Veganised substitute options
When it comes to what vegans can eat, the options are truly limitless, so I’ll just take you through a few substitutes that come to mind with this topic.
Vegan meats
Modern day has made it easier than ever with an array of vegan options to choose from, in most major supermarkets today. Vegan meat ranges from sausages to mince and chicken pieces as well as processed foods like nuggets and even steak!
Depending on your preferences, you can easily get a touch of nostalgia if you missed the take or feel of meat. Which really does make you think.
Vegan “dairy” products
A lot of people can’t live without milk or cheese, luckily there are many substitutes for those too. I found almond or rice milk work great in my teas, cereal and smoothies; I love me some grated almond-based vegan cheeze for toasties and coconut yoghurt.
Vegan dairy alternatives are better for you anyways, considering we’re people and shouldn’t be consuming cow liquid, but each to their own.
Is the vegan diet restricted?
Vegan diets are not restricted, these assumptions come from meat eaters who don’t eat enough veggies. With the small range of veggies they do eat, they must assume your diet revolves around just that.
A vegan diet is far from restrictive, unless you’re in a household or restaurant that’s not accommodating to your options. Be sure to open up your avenues and keep your diet varied, that way you’ll never feel like you’re limited with fruits and veggies.
Conclusion
When I first went vegan it was tough. But now I eat more fruit than ever, I know my go-to alternatives and have meals on rotation as if being vegan wasn’t a factor.
The next time someone asks you what can vegans eat, reply wittily: what can’t they eat? Far as I know, my day to day diet is looking a lot more varied than mr. meat and 2 veg eating the same steak and chicken breasts every week.
Hopefully you enjoyed this post of what vegans can eat, hope this gave you some inspiration. Stay well and stay blessed.
