Going Vegan: 10 Things You Thought Were Vegan That Aren’t

A lot of folks in new year are resolving to stick to Meatless Mondays or Veganuary or maybe even going all in with veganism as a new lifestyle. Going Vegan — especially when you’re already gluten free — can be trickier than you might think, but it’s certainly possible.

Vegan diets, when done right, are extremely healthy; they may even help you lose weight and vegan superstar athletes like Carl Lewis dispel the myth that our bodies need animal products to perform.

Seek the advice of a nutritionist or dietitian if you want your growing children to go vegan as well. Particularly in conjunction with a gluten-free diet, (or another diet devoid of a specific category of food) it’s important that certain nutrients be supplemented if not coming directly from food.

Going vegan means avoiding all kinds of processed and junk food, so that’s a great start; you just need to ensure you’re replacing what you’ve taken away with foods loaded with the vitamins and nutrients needed for a body at every age.

To go vegan, you have to eliminate both animal products (like meat) and by-products (like honey or milk). This task can be difficult since both are ubiquitous to our foods and every day consumer items.

Think beyond leather and steak to things like jell-o and marshmallows, both of which typically contain gelatin. Even beer and wine may be filtered with egg whites or fish isinglass/gelatin (but Green’s Gluten Free Beers are vegan – cheers!).

Whether you choose to go completely vegan or just limit your use of animal products, here are some links to more information to help you get started:

◉ Check my vegan egg substitutes article and use those tips to guide you as you bake without eggs.

◉ Bookmark my dairy-free article for my product recommendations for everything from dairy-free cheese to whipped cream *(note – not all products listed are vegan, even though they are dairy-free or lactose-free, so always read ingredient labels).

◉ Grab a copy of my award-winning cookbook, Free For All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy. Almost every recipe in the book can be made vegan with ingredient substitutes given for each recipe and an extensive section on baking without eggs or dairy.

◉ Review this infographic from Delicious Living, highlighting the 10 things you thought were vegan, but aren’t.

For more information on VEGETARIANISM, rather than VEGANISM, check my friend Cindy from Vegetarian Mamma’s post to learn about being a Vegetarian, and the different types of Vegetarians.