When folks think about veganism, they often imagine limited food choices or a diet made up entirely of veggies. But that’s far from the truth!
In reality, many food products you likely already enjoy are vegan, even if you aren’t aware of it. Check out the list below of unexpected vegan foods – chances are, you’ve tried most of them!
Original Fritos
These tasty salty chips are made from very basic ingredients, all of which happen to be vegan! Fritos contain only three ingredients: corn, corn oil, and salt. However, it’s worth noting that not all of the different Fritos flavors are vegan.
So, if you’re looking to switch up your chip game, just remember to check the ingredients on the other Fritos flavors. In addition to the original Fritos, other vegan options include Fritos Scoops and Fritos BBQ.
Jell-O Pudding Mix
Many people assume that pudding isn’t vegan due to its dairy content, but you can easily make Jell-O Pudding vegan-friendly by using non-dairy milk. It’s important to remember that the instructions recommend using full-fat milk, or your pudding may turn out too runny – which is accurate. So, when you want to create vegan-friendly pudding, simply use half the amount of your preferred non-dairy milk, and it will work perfectly!
Moreover, please keep in mind that only specific flavors of the actual Jell-O powder are entirely vegan: vanilla, chocolate, lemon, pistachio, and banana. To make it even better, not only are these flavors vegan, but they are also gluten-free and soy-free.
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
If you’re craving chocolate, you’re in luck because Hershey’s Chocolate syrup is vegan-friendly! They offer three syrup flavors in total: original chocolate, strawberry, and caramel.
Out of these three flavors, only the original chocolate and strawberry syrups are free of animal dairy products. However, their caramel flavor contains skim milk, making it non-vegan.
So, the next time you yearn for some tasty and animal-friendly chocolate flavoring, you can rely on the classic chocolate brand Hershey’s!
Ritz Crackers
Despite their buttery taste, Ritz crackers are vegan. Their coating is made from soybean oils and fats, and no animal products are used in production. They offer various vegan flavors, including roasted vegetables, whole wheat, and bacon-flavored crackers.
Bisquick, Betty Crocker, and Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
If you’re craving pancakes, you can make them vegan by using substitutes like almond milk instead of dairy and bananas instead of eggs. These three pancake mixes are already vegan, containing simple ingredients like flour, sugar, leavening agents, and salt. What sets them apart is the absence of buttermilk found in many other mixes.
Dum Dums
Vegans can satisfy their candy cravings with Dum Dums! These lollipops come in 16 flavors, including the core seven, like lemon, lime, and cherry. The best part is that none of these flavors contain animal products. They’re mostly made with artificial ingredients, sugar, and coloring, and they’re also gluten-free. Gluten-free and vegan suckers? Sounds great!
Cracker Jacks
Cracker Jacks, a classic American snack, holds a special place in many millennials’ childhoods. Surprisingly, it’s a vegan snack! Despite its caramel coating, it contains no butter. The coating is made from sugar, corn syrup, molasses, and soybean oil. The popcorn and nut pieces are exactly what they seem – popcorn and nuts!
Skittles
If you’ve had doubts about Skittles being vegan, you’re partly correct. They used animal products in the past, and there might still be some old, non-vegan batches out there. However, nowadays, they are predominantly vegan. Still, it’s a good idea to double-check the packaging. If it says “suitable for vegetarians,” look for a different package. Most of the flavors should be safe for you to enjoy the rainbow!
Oreos
It might not be common knowledge, but Oreos are actually vegan! You might have assumed that the creamy white filling contains dairy, but it doesn’t. The FDA doesn’t allow Oreo to call it “cream” because there are no dairy ingredients, so they officially label it as “creme.” It’s made from sugar, canola oil, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, and soy lecithin. While Oreos initially used animal products in their cookies, they’ve been vegan and kosher since 1997 by using vegetable oils instead.
Sour Patch Kids
This one’s a real eye-opener! Gummy candy usually contains gelatin, which is a no-go for vegans. But when you examine the ingredients, you’ll be pleasantly surprised: sugar, corn syrup, corn starch, tartaric acid, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, and food coloring. Regardless of the flavor, they typically share the same ingredients so you can grab any of them without worry. Feel free to indulge in all the varieties!
