In fact, even if you just try a little and you’re purely a “dietary vegan,” avoiding all animal products in food, you’ll have a significant impact on animals, the environment, and your health. The leading cause of death for all animals in the US is agribusiness. In 2008, over 9 BILLION chickens, 116 million pigs, and 35 million cows were killed for food. Because Americans consume far more beef, chicken, pork, cheese, and eggs than leather, wool, silk, animal-tested cosmetics, or animal-tested pharmaceuticals, our food choices matter most.

If you want to go further and be a vegan in all areas of your life, that’s awesome! You’ll grow as an individual becoming a stronger, more compassionate, and more honest person. And so what if animal products are ubiquitous and we can’t be 100% vegan in modern society? Does that really mean we shouldn’t try? Of course not!

So now, let’s tackle those so-called impossibly non-vegan items:

1. Plastic bags - Treehugger says that shopping bags often “contain ‘slip agents’, which reduce the friction in the material. What are those made of? Animal fat.” Well, there’s a very simple vegan solution! Bring your own cloth bags! Besides being vegan, reusable bags are better for the environment, way more stylish, and you can usually even get a discount when you use them (my grocery store gives me 5 cents for each bag I bring in). Now, why a blog called Treehugger wouldn’t suggest reusable bags, I have no idea.



2. Shampoo & Conditioner – OK, this is weird. There are plenty of vegan brands of shampoo and conditioners! I should know, I used to be a hair stylist! Some options come from these brands: Giovanni Cosmetics, Jason Natural, LUSH Cosmetics, ABBA (my current favorite for me), Jonathan, Kiss My Face, California Baby (my current fave for my baby), and many many more! (Check the label and look for the word “vegan” because brands carry both vegan and nonvegan products.) You can easily search for vegan personal care items at vegan stores like Vegan Essentials >>



3. Fabric Softener – Apartment Therapy offers five alternatives to store-bought (nonvegan) fabric softener. The options range from vinegar (that’s what we used when I was a kid, but we did it to save money not to save animals) to baking soda or borax. Vegan Essentials offers a reusable dryer sheet that is vegan. And Seventh Generation offers a liquid fabric softener that’s vegan for all intents and purposes (“Not tested on animals” & “No animal tallow derivatives”) and is gentle on the planet. Or, you could line-dry your clothes, which again is a treehugging sort of thing to do, so it’s odd the Treehugger website didn’t suggest it. Clothes that are dried by the sun rather than by electricity or gas generally don’t develop static-cling, but that wouldn’t give anti-vegan nay-sayers much to blog about, would it?



4. White and Brown Sugar – Guess the Treehuggers didn’t read my latest article about sugar (or the previous article) because if they had, they’d realize most sugar is vegan! And if you really want to be certain your sugar is vegan, just look for any of these words on the label: vegan, raw, unrefined, or beet sugar. Or you could use sugar alternatives like agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup, molasses, or rice syrup. Or, you could just avoid sugar since pure sugar ain’t all that healthy!



5. Toothpaste - I like the Jason Spearmint toothpaste available at Whole Foods. But you could use plain baking soda or other vegan toothpastes. Look at Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe for some ideas >>



6. Glue in Wood Work and Musical Instruments – While plenty of vegans have found alternatives to leather guitar straps or even horse hairs on violin bows, the glue issue can still be a problem. As in other areas of life, like sports, synthetic alternatives will probably take the place of animal parts eventually in part because the synthetics are often better. You can get vegan baseball gloves here, vegan ballet shoes here, vegan soccer balls are everywhere, and vegan drums here. As the number of vegans worldwide grows, the more vegan options will be available. Until then, the mostly vegan option is again the one that’s better for the environment and the thing Treehugger should have suggested: buy used!
   Even before synthetics improve to the point that they replace animal pieces because they function better, history suggests that social mores will force animal pieces to fall out of fashion. For example, my mom recently had her parlor grand piano refinished, including new keys because some had fallen off. She could either choose used ivory from old pianos or new synthetic fake ivory, but new ivory? Are you kidding! That’s not allowed!
   And if anyone knows where I can get a truly 100% vegan violin, I’d like to know. My husband’s violin was ruined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and he still hasn’t replaced it. I’m sure he’d adore a vegan, high quality violin.



7. Biofuels - This is a new technology that is still developing. A variety of sources are used including both plant and animal sources. And as Planet Green states, “a third generation of biodiesels in development today that will allow algae to be used instead.” So it’s very likely that the future of biofuels will be vegan! And of course, electrical cars, and energy-saving devices are a good option.



8. Fireworks - From an ethical and environmental standpoint, fireworks probably don’t fit into a conscientious lifestyle. But they’re so rare that I don’t see the big deal. Just watch the community ones instead of buying your own and it’s all good. Or don’t. It’s up to you.



9. Car and bike tires – I think, and I’m not alone, that tires fall under the “as far as is possible and practical” exception clause of the accepted definition of vegan. (But don’t forget to recycle your tires! They can be made in cool stuff like non-leather purses and wallets!) And again, as in sports equipment and musical instruments, as the number of vegans worldwide grows the more vegan options will be available. So work on making more vegans rather than worrying about minor nonvegan products!

Let me say that last part again so it can really sink in:

As the number of vegan people increases the number of vegan options increases too. So work on making more vegans rather than worrying about a few, little nonvegan products!

In response to the recent nationwide recall of over a half-billion eggs, the Philadelphia Daily News reported on the myriad egg substitutes available for use in baking.

From the Philly Daily News:

One tablespoon ground flax and 4 tablespoons water equals one egg.

Read more here: http://www.philly.com/…baking_substitute…

Exactly which ingredients will do what, and in what combination with each other, is a science, or “alchemy,” as Rivers Samson calls it, that takes some experimenting. But a surprising number of ingredients can be substituted, she says, including water.

“People do get excited and scared about replacing eggs,” she said, “but if a recipe only calls for one or two, you don’t need to do anything but add more water or other baking liquid – for example, rice milk. When it’s that few, it’s just a question of a puffy texture, and water will do that.

That’s a great sub! Because water doesn’t have any cholesterol, fat, sugar, gluten, soy or anything else someone might object to.

More substitutes for eggs, from the same article:

• One tablespoon ground flax and 4 tablespoons water equals one egg.

• flour can be a good binder “as long as there’s enough water,” and that fluffiness can be achieved by various acid-rich additions. “Tomato juice, vinegar or lemon juice will all boost the leavening power of baking soda or baking powder.”

• “If the egg is enriching and binding a dish, as is the case in crème brûlée and the mousse, then something like silken tofu will replace the creaminess while not steering the flavor profile too far away, like peanut butter might. Actually, a combination of tofu and another fat, such as vegan margarine or shortening, might work well.

Click here for a list of egg alternatives. And if you’d like some ideas for other kinds of vegan alternatives, check out these posts:

• A List Of Veggie Meats
• Dairy Substitutes

• Anything by IT’S ALL GOOD. They have some of the best veggie beef and chicken on the market. Check out their website at www.itsallgoodfoods.com.
• LIGHTLIFE vegan products are fantastic! Check out the chik’n strips, steak strips, smart bacon, smoky tempeh bacon, pepperoni, plus the ham, bologna and turkey deli meats. The deli slices are great for quick sandwiches.
• The citrus sparerib cutlets by VEGETARIAN PLUS are fantastic. VEGETARIAN PLUS has some other VEGAN products like tuna rolls, orange chicken, shrimp and kung pao chicken. Make sure to read the ingredient list for other VP products because some of their foods are only vegetarian (containing eggs or dairy). I’ve seen these at Whole Foods.
• Any of WORTHINGTON’S canned goods are wonderful, especially their dogs, chili, and skallops. However, the canned TUNO fish is horrible! Don’t buy it. They used to make a frozen version of TUNO, which was utterly amazing, but they’ve stopped making it for some reason.
• Riblets, burgers, meatloaf and chicken patties by GARDENBURGER. These products are commonly available in mainstream grocery stores.
• Chicken patties, potstickers and egg rolls by HEALTH IS WEALTH. These foods are fun!
• BOCA vegan burgers. BOCA has a huge line of veggie goods but most are only vegetarian (containing eggs or dairy). A lot of people love the texture of Boca burgers.
• TOFURKY by TURTLE ISLAND FOODS. Don’t forget to check out the TOFURKY deli slices (6 different flavors), pizza (3 flavors but avoid the fire-roasted veggies one), Italian sausage, beer bratwursts, kielbasa, franks, breakfast links, jerky and tempeh strips (3 different flavors). Turtle Island also makes some really tasty desserts.
• Meatless Meatballs by NATE’S. These are fun to add to spaghetti.
• YVES has a huge selection of vegan foods like burgers and deli meats.
• MORNINGSTAR makes a huge line of veg food. But most items contain eggs or dairy so they’re not vegan. A few new VEGAN products - chicken and steak strips, ribs and a burger – have hit the market. These are usually easy to find and are a hit with omnis and even picky kids. Morningstar has promised to introduce more vegan products soon.
• STUFFED CELEBRATION ROAST by FIELD ROAST GRAIN MEAT CO. This roast is made from wheat (seitan) and it’s remarkable! I’ve only seen this at Whole Foods so far. Field Roast also makes a meatloaf and some excellent sausages.
• Anything by FIVE STAR FOODIES. They have a soy-free vegan burger made with artichokes (FANTASTIC!). Check out their website at www.fivestarfoodies.com.
• Anything by BAHAMA. They’re a vegan company that uses rice instead of soy. They offer four flavors of rice burgers, plus sausage and meatballs. Check out their website at www.bahamariceburger.com.
• FOOD FOR LIFE has chicken CLUCKPHREY and MOOPHREY burgers. Food For Life has been producing vegan, gluten-free breads under the brand name EZEKIEL for over 40 years.
• MATCH veggie meats are super good. They have beef, chicken, crab, pork and sausage. Check ‘em out at www.MatchMeats.com. I hear good things about this product but I haven’t tried it yet.
• UPTON’S NATURALS has four insanely delicious, ready-to-eat wheat meats (seitan) in the following flavors: Ground beef, Italian sausage, Chorizo and traditional. MELISSA’S also has SOYRIZO, a soy-based vegan chorizo.

The list is here: http://adaptt.org/shopping.html which is where you can also find a list of dairy substitutes and other useful vegan foods. It’s all there to help you go vegan or stay vegan. Check it out!

One more veg meat that wasn’t on ADAPTT’s list:

• GARDEIN chicken is the best. They’re online at www.gardein.com. I’ve seen these at Fresh and Easy as well as Smith’s and Whole Foods.

If you can’t find vegan meats at your local grocery store, just print out this list and had it to the manager. Ask him/her to stock at least a few of the items on this list.

A list of alternatives for dairy products, a la Monsieur Marcus and Madame Vigneault. Marcus is in quotes:

Butter: “Earth Balance and Soy Garden are excellent vegan margarines.”

You can also use coconut oil or other oils in place of butter for cooking. And you can substitute peanut butter, almond butter, jam, or hummus in place of butter for toast or bagels.

Yogurt: “WholeSoy, Wildwood, and Nancy’s all make soy yogurts. WholeSoy is probably the tastiest of the bunch and comes in 24-ounce containers as well as single-serving containers with fruit.”

So Delicious has a  vegan yogurt available now, too, as does Silk.

Milk: “Soy, rice, almond, and even hemp seed milks are widely available, not just from natural food stores but also from just about every supermarket. They’re sold both in aseptic juice boxes at room temperature, and in conventional milk cartons in the dairy case.”

Some brand names to look for include the ones mentioned already above, like Wildwood, So Delicious, and Silk, as well as other brands and you can even find generic non-dairy milks.

Cheese: “There are several non-dairy cheeses on the market, but always check the label for casein or sodium caseinate.  Casein is a milk protein that is used in some soy cheeses. Happily, two of the best non-dairy cheeses—Daiya and Wayfare—are vegan. Daiya comes shredded in 8-ounce bags, available in mozzarella and cheddar flavors.  The stuff melts beautifully and is amazing on pizza and in quesadillas. Wayfare’s ‘We Can’t Say it’s Cheese,’ is a spreadable product, perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and mac & cheese dishes. Both brands are widely available in the United States.”

More vegan cheeses: Sheese, Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese, Tofutti Vegan Cheese, Teese, and Vegan Gourmet. Take a look at some vegan cheese products here and here.

Ice Cream: “There are a number of excellent brands: Turtle Mountain’s “Purely Decadent” pints are outstanding, and conventional ice cream producer Double Rainbow makes several excellent varieties from soy milk.  Also, both So Delicious and Tufutti make vegan versions of those junky but delicious ice cream sandwiches you ate as a kid—you won’t even be able to tell the difference!

Plus don’t forget about sorbets, which tend to be vegan and are lighter and often more flavorful than ice cream.”

Another name to look for is Dream. You can get Rice Dream, Soy Dream, and Almond Dream non-dairy ice creams at many standard grocery stores.

You can even make your own vegan ice cream. Here are three “cook”books for vegan ice cream:

1. Lick It by Cathe Olson
2. Vice Cream by Jeff Rogers
3. Vegan Scoop

Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, and Mayo: “Once again, you’re in luck. Both Follow Your Heart and Tofutti make superb vegan versions of cream cheese and sour cream, which are available at Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s, as well as many natural food stores.  There are also several vegan brands of mayonnaise, including a sensational and widely-distributed product called “Vegenaise,” which is made by Follow Your Heart.”

Some Whole Foods carry a product called Miso Mayo that is vegan and very, very tasty. And there’s a vegan mayonaise called Nayonaise that’s been around since I was a little kid.

There are lots of recipes for making your own vegan versions of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo as well. Try searching the recipe search here at Vegan Soapbox.

Coffee Creamer: “There’s no need to put cream in your coffee: Silk Creamer comes in three flavors and blends into your coffee just like cream.”

Plenty of people just add soy milk or almond milk to their coffee while some just switch to the lower calorie version: black coffee.

Pudding. “Bestselling cookbook author Mark Bittman concocted perhaps the best chocolate pudding recipe you’ll ever try, and it doesn’t contain a drop of milk.”

Hot Chocolate and Whipped Cream: You can use the chocolate versions of soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, or rice milk and heat them up. Or take your favorite non dairy milk, add sugar and cocoa powder and warm over a medium flame. Then add some Soyatoo vegan whipped cream on top. They make a soy version as well as a rice version.

Read more about going dairy-free at vegan.com >>

The writer says that they are currently vegan for health, environmental and animal issues but that they’re considering eating nonvegan foods: “Ethically I would most likely indulge in cheese and eggs if I could be assured they were produced in a cruelty-free environment.”

My response:

Vegan is a type of vegetarian. If, when you say vegetarian, you mean lacto-ovo vegetarian, then you should say that. Because a strict vegetarian = a dietary vegan. Let’s review some definitions, shall we?

Vegetarian - someone who adopts a plant based diet. There are a variety of vegetarian types ranging from lacto-ovo vegetarian, ovo vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan… Even some people who eat fish call themselves vegetarian, though the proper term for those people is pesca-vegetarian or pescatarian.

Vegan - someone who abstains from using animal products for food, clothing, cosmetics, and other uses as much as possible. A vegan eats a plant-based diet, but they also wear plant-based clothes, and in general live a lifestyle that avoids any unnecessary animal use.

Now, onto your question about eating eggs. In general, calorie for calorie, eggs are the most cruel. As you said, free-range labels cannot be trusted and the humane farmer is rare indeed. Besides that, eggs are full of cholesterol and they pose a risk of salmonella infection.

Since we have no nutritional need for eggs, why bother?

If, for baking, you need egg replacements, here are some suggestions:

• Use a commercial egg substitute product like Ener-G egg replacer.
• Simply omit the egg and forget about replacing it.
• Ground up flax seeds.
• Mashed banana.
• A little soy milk curdled with vinegar.
• Soy yogurt.
• Tofu.
• Applesauce.
• Nutritional yeast.
• Mashed cooked chickpeas.
• Water and baking powder.
• Mashed potatoes.
• Agar powder.
• Canned pumpkin.
• Purreed prunes.
• Cornstarch.
• Arrowroot.

Now, onto dairy. Again, we have no nutritional need for cheese.

Dairies tend to be incredibly cruel…removing baby calves and turning them into veal… overworking lactating mothers and slaughtering them at a quarter of their life spans… and remember that HSUS undercover video of cruel slaughter practices from a Chino slaughterhouse? Those cows were used up dairy cows. Every dairy cow is destined for death . She becomes cheap beef.

And in fact cheese is pretty bad for your health . It’s full of fat and cholesterol .

Better protein sources exist:
beans, quinoa, tofu, seitan, tempeh, edamame, nuts, faux meats, faux cheeses, nut milk, seeds, etc.

As for replicating the taste of cheese, I recommend trying some of the following vegan cheese brands:

• Daiya
• Sunergia
• Follow Your Heart
• Teese
• Bute Island
• Vegan Gourmet