New Vegan questions!!
Posted by freshveg on Jul 19, 2008 · Member since Jul 2008 · 7 posts
I am new to being a vegan, and read that sugar is made with animal bone char. So I found some organic sugars and cane sugars that I use. However, many products I find (from bagels to seasoning salts)have sugar in them. So i have been avoiding these products also... any suggestions?
Also, if a product is manufactured on the same equipment or in the same facility as eggs/ milk, do you still use these products? (For example Yves tofu dogs, garden burgers etc.)
Thanks!
It's really personal preference. I still eat things that were processed on the same equipment as non-vegan things. I also eat foods with refined sugars in them (but I only buy vegan sugar to bake with). I also eat local honey on occasion and don't freak if it's in things, though I will buy the honey-free alternative if one exists (for, say, bread or something). There is no "vegan police"--it's really a matter of personal comfort and what you feel OK with consuming.
Welcome :)>>>
america is gross and most vegan bread or other things i find that would normally have sugar in it has high fructose corn syrup instead, which i very reluctantly eat (not cuz its not vegan, just cuz its really not good for you).. in the caribbean here everything is made with evaporated cane juice, which is basically the same as raw (aka turbinado, or vegan) sugar, so im down with that..
about the stuff being processed on the same equipment as eggs, dairy etc.. i think of it like this.. i use to live with people that were not vegan and we cooked in the same kitchen, with the same stuff.. its basically the same (at least in my book).. i mean of course its better to find completely vegan stuff thats not on shared equipment, but if its all you can find then i dont have a problem with it..
again, its all a personal choice..
Oh, ditto on the HFCS. Gross :P
Thanks! I really appreciate your replies!
Being vegan is all new to me, although I have been dairy and egg free for 7 years.
I am not sure what I am comfortable with yet...my family and friends are all non-vegans, and watching very closely what I do :-\ which makes it a bit difficult at times! I guess the vegan confidence thing will grow with time.
about the stuff being processed on the same equipment as eggs, dairy etc.. i think of it like this.. i use to live with people that were not vegan and we cooked in the same kitchen, with the same stuff.. its basically the same (at least in my book)..
That is so true, I never thought of it that way before!
I guess the vegan confidence thing will grow with time.
Definitely true! I've been vegan for a year and some months now, and it's really a non-issue unless I visit people who are jerks about it. Day-to-day vegan living is a piece of cake now! It will be much less overwhelming as well once you learn to recognize brands that are vegan so you don't have to read labels on EVERYTHING that you buy. At first, though, get used to those labels ;)b
There is no "vegan police"--it's really a matter of personal comfort and what you feel OK with consuming.
Welcome :)>>>
I like this statement
I have to be comfortable with it...I am the only one (no matter who is looking on) that can decide what I am OK with consuming.
I totally love this forum. It will definately help me cement and grow as a vegan!
Yeah, it took us a little while to get used to reading/knowing what to look for...and I was calling myself vegan when I was still using up my regular granulated sugar (that I had from before). I now only buy Florida crystals (floridacrystals.com)...and stay away from processed things. I think the only HFCS we buy is in our organic Heinz. I don't eat any candy (non-vegan) or anything like that..but I'm also not "militant" about not consuming sugar. I just tend to stay away from it unless I know it's vegan. We don't eat honey. I also TRY to stay away from the things that say "processed on equipment that also...." if I can (like if there's another brand that doesn't say that), but I don't totally avoid those things. It will take a little bit of time to find "your line." As in, where you draw the line.
kb, I guess I'm a bit vegan police-ish about honey.. I still :)>>> you the same though. :)
eta: (edited to add)..yeah!! Totally immerse yourself in this site. It is absolutely amazing.
kb, I guess I'm a bit vegan police-ish about honey.. I still :)>>> you the same though. :)
That's ok. Honey's one of the controversial vegan things. I stopped eating honey when I first became vegan, but then I started getting allergies here like a month ago (NEVER have had allergies before in my life!) and started eating local honey on toast or in tea and it's really helped. I probably won't eat it once summer is over (since there won't be pollen buggin' my nose), though, because after not having it for a while, it's really super sweet.
Yeah, it took us a little while to get used to reading/knowing what to look for...and I was calling myself vegan when I was still using up my regular granulated sugar (that I had from before). I now only buy Florida crystals (floridacrystals.com)...and stay away from processed things. I think the only HFCS we buy is in our organic Heinz. I don't eat any candy (non-vegan) or anything like that..but I'm also not "militant" about not consuming sugar. I just tend to stay away from it unless I know it's vegan. We don't eat honey. I also TRY to stay away from the things that say "processed on equipment that also...." if I can (like if there's another brand that doesn't say that), but I don't totally avoid those things. It will take a little bit of time to find "your line." As in, where you draw the line.
kb, I guess I'm a bit vegan police-ish about honey.. I still :)>>> you the same though. :)
eta: (edited to add)..yeah!! Totally immerse yourself in this site. It is absolutely amazing.
what exactly about white sugar isn't vegan? i've always wondered... i mean...there's not like horseblood or something in it, is there? ;) on this topic, i did buy some sucanat this weekend and plan to use it in my baking. i don't like refined sugar because it's BAD for me, so i'm trying to cut down on at least cooking with it. i've also bought some agave necar, though i do eat honey (not by the spoonful or anything, but i enjoy the occasional honey wheat beer or bread that has honey in it)... i honestly just do not feel like bees are 'used' or 'manipulated' for their honey. bees have to make honey. it does not hurt them to do so. they don't use all the honey they make. in fact, in taking some of their honey, doesn't it encourage them to make more? i'm just saying, with bees dying out and less plants being pollinated, we need those bees to make as much honey as possible! that's just how i feel about it, i mean it doesn't bother me if other people don't eat it. i just don't believe that it's harming the bees in any way.
please don't hate me!
Refined sugar is not vegan b/c animal bone char is used in the processing (decolorizing). 1/4 of the sugar in the US is processed with bone char (cane sugar). Hence, why Florida crystals and other non-refined sugars are not "white."
Please check out this website: http://www.vegetus.org/honey/honey.htm about why honey is not vegan. The honey "industry" is very similar to the dairy industry. It's very informative; please read!
I, of course, do not hate you!
I know that you want to make informed decisions though. :)
maybe i'm a bad person, but i'm really having a hard time raising up my sympathy for the bees. it might be because i've been allergic to bees since childhood. or maybe i can't take seriously an informative page that is presented to me with a bright orange background (sorry, design snob). i mean, i totally understand the premise. and did before i read that. i don't *buy* honey, but i also don't go out of my way to *not* consume it if it's in things. i dunno.
***staying away from honey discussion***
I have News & Debates opinions about it.
Refined sugar is not vegan b/c animal bone char is used in the processing (decolorizing). 1/4 of the sugar in the US is processed with bone char (cane sugar). Hence, why Florida crystals and other non-refined sugars are not "white."
Please check out this website: http://www.vegetus.org/honey/honey.htm about why honey is not vegan. The honey "industry" is very similar to the dairy industry. It's very informative; please read!
I, of course, do not hate you!
I know that you want to make informed decisions though. :)
I'll check out the site on honey, I honestly know nothing about the honey industry.... From a vegan stand point I don't mind omitting honey cuz personally I like agave nectar better, but it would good to know about the honey thing.
It will be much less overwhelming as well once you learn to recognize brands that are vegan so you don't have to read labels on EVERYTHING that you buy. At first, though, get used to those labels ;)b
Yeah, watch out for that damn "Veggy" cheese that has casein in it. BASTARDS!!!
Freshveg, I always like to point out this page to people who are struggling with these questions:
http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/path.html#veganexample
FWIW, I eat refined sugar and I have absolutely no compunction about eating things from shared equipment. I'm trying not to cause suffering; I'm not trying to keep my body pure. But everyone has their own reasons and their own comfort level. Find yours and don't let anyone make you feel bad about it. If you're making any effort at all, you're making a positive impact.
Okay, that site was awesome. I've been reading a lot of what people can/can't have on here and I was beginning to think being a vegan was totally impossible and that I'd have to be lacto-ova for life, but honestly I like the way the way the author differentiates between a practical vegan and a symbolic vegan, and I think it would be helpful for that distinction to exist on a day to day basis.
From my experience, even with my vegetarian friends, I say that I'm working towards "veganism" and their immediate response is "oh that's so hard, I could never do it, you can't have/do/buy anything" And I think if we REALLY want to make animal suffering a thing of the past, we should def. make the "diet" more accessible. .....sorry for the rant, jsut feel passionate ;D
Thanks Veggydog! I totally appreciate your information. That website was very positive. I was feeling overwhelmed trying to be vegan, and after reading that I feel much more postiive. The practical vegan seems much more achievable than the symbolic vegan, ATM anyways.
Okay, that site was awesome. I've been reading a lot of what people can/can't have on here and I was beginning to think being a vegan was totally impossible and that I'd have to be lacto-ova for life, but honestly I like the way the way the author differentiates between a practical vegan and a symbolic vegan, and I think it would be helpful for that distinction to exist on a day to day basis.
From my experience, even with my vegetarian friends, I say that I'm working towards "veganism" and their immediate response is "oh that's so hard, I could never do it, you can't have/do/buy anything" And I think if we REALLY want to make animal suffering a thing of the past, we should def. make the "diet" more accessible. .....sorry for the rant, jsut feel passionate ;D
dude, i'm with you. my main reasoning behind being shall i say 'near' vegan is animal exploitation.... I would say the best I will accomplish is practical vegan, and for now I'm okay with that.
Yeah, it took us a little while to get used to reading/knowing what to look for...and I was calling myself vegan when I was still using up my regular granulated sugar (that I had from before). I now only buy Florida crystals (floridacrystals.com)...and stay away from processed things. I think the only HFCS we buy is in our organic Heinz. I don't eat any candy (non-vegan) or anything like that..but I'm also not "militant" about not consuming sugar. I just tend to stay away from it unless I know it's vegan. We don't eat honey. I also TRY to stay away from the things that say "processed on equipment that also...." if I can (like if there's another brand that doesn't say that), but I don't totally avoid those things. It will take a little bit of time to find "your line." As in, where you draw the line.
kb, I guess I'm a bit vegan police-ish about honey.. I still :)>>> you the same though. :)
eta: (edited to add)..yeah!! Totally immerse yourself in this site. It is absolutely amazing.
what exactly about white sugar isn't vegan? i've always wondered... i mean...there's not like horseblood or something in it, is there? ;) on this topic, i did buy some sucanat this weekend and plan to use it in my baking. i don't like refined sugar because it's BAD for me, so i'm trying to cut down on at least cooking with it. i've also bought some agave necar, though i do eat honey (not by the spoonful or anything, but i enjoy the occasional honey wheat beer or bread that has honey in it)... i honestly just do not feel like bees are 'used' or 'manipulated' for their honey. bees have to make honey. it does not hurt them to do so. they don't use all the honey they make. in fact, in taking some of their honey, doesn't it encourage them to make more? i'm just saying, with bees dying out and less plants being pollinated, we need those bees to make as much honey as possible! that's just how i feel about it, i mean it doesn't bother me if other people don't eat it. i just don't believe that it's harming the bees in any way.
please don't hate me!
Today, I met a vegan beekeeper at a local community garden, where honey is produced( in addition to the vegetables, fruit and herbs). He told me the bees there don't use all the honey, and said he became the beekeeper there because he wanted to make sure the bees weren't harmed. So I bought a small $2 jar from him.
I read about how local honey helps allergies. The money from the honey I bought goes back to help maintain the community garden. Also, the labor, packaging and pollution from manufacturing and transporting non-local sugar seems to me to cause more harm to the environment, than a local community garden honey. (I am still learning so if any of what I have said is wrong, please correct me.)
While I still bake with agave nectar, maple syrup, malted barley syrup as my liquid sweeteners(being mindful of my vegan friends who don't consume honey), I do plan to have a spoonful on my toast or in my tea every now and then to aid my allergies.
I hope the vegan police doesn't call me on that purchase, but I honestly didn't feel bad about buying the local honey from the vegan beekeeper.
For anyone interested, here is some information on Florida Crystals and the environment:
http://www.floridacrystals.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.OurEnviroment
I buy it in bulk at the store.
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