Vegan Shopping Made Easy

Making vegan shopping simple and easy isn't that hard really! 

Vegan shopping is considered different to “regular” shopping; and it is, but there are only small changes that need to be made to ensure the shopping venture is successful. With the right mindset, anyone can go vegan shopping.  

Obviously, a vegan does not consume animal-based food products; meat/fish/poultry, milk, egg, honey and so on. A vegan also does not purchase non-food products such as clothing and make-up containing animal-based ingredients. This is the key aspect of vegan shopping to consider and work with; purchasing products free from animal-based ingredients and materials. 

The most commonly referred to part of veganism is food, as that is what some people characterise vegans by; their dietary choices only. When doing vegan shopping, the food purchased does not need to be hard to find, expensive or difficult to cook with/use (as some people believe vegan food is rare and hardly ever used in cooking or just sits in the back of the pantry after using a small amount of the food purchased). Any healthy diet should be prepared from scratch, so fruits and vegetables are definitely an important part of the trolley. They are packed full of beneficial nutrients that our body needs to survive, and on top of that; many supermarket fruits and vegetables are very cheap! 

When purchasing processed or packaged foods, it is very important to read the ingredients listings provided. These lists tell you what is in the food you are purchasing. Obviously, if an animal-based ingredient is listed, then the product should not be bought as it is not vegan. When doing vegan shopping, some people have difficulty understanding ingredients labels as there can be many numbers and unknown names on them, such as “120” (red food colouring made from beetle shells) or “gelatine” (a gelling agent made from various parts of animal bodies). To solve this issue, it is best to invest in a book or list that tells you what the various numbers and names are and what they come from. The Chemical Maze by Bill Statham is a very popular small series of books which give information on various food and cosmetics ingredients, which would be very useful to any shopper wanting to know more about the contents of their food. 

There are packaged foods often used in general cooking which can be safe for vegan use, such as pasta, rice and bread, however it is important to know that the specific product you are purchasing is vegan. For example, many breads use an emulsifier (471) which is often animal-derived, however some brands use a soy-based emulsifier (still listed as 471 on the label). If the label clearly states that the emulsifier is soy-based (and all other ingredients are vegan), then the bread is fine to purchase. Just be aware that there are many brands using an animal-based 471 emulsifier and the origin of the ingredient may not necessarily be listed on the label. 

Cosmetics and toiletries are another lifestyle aspect to consider when doing vegan shopping. For some people, such as though who do not wear make-up; this may not be a big deal, but for people who do wear make-up and or do purchase toiletries or other similar products; the case is quite the opposite. As many cosmetics and toiletries contain silk or other animal ingredients, it is again important to be aware of what is in the products you are considering purchasing. Checking the label of cosmetics and toiletries is much more difficult than the label of food products, as there are often many chemicals (and other ingredients with incredibly long names) which are not commonly known to shoppers. This is where a book or list, such as The Chemical Maze mentioned above, becomes very useful. Another option is to search the internet for vegan products and stockists of these products before purchasing, or to search for products which clearly state on the label that there are no animal-based ingredients used in them (also remember animal testing comes under the range of products and choices that vegans avoid, so this should be checked as well). 

Though clothes shopping is not as much of a frequent shopping activity as grocery shopping, it still needs to be considered to ensure successful vegan shopping. Vegans do not wear clothes made from or with wool, silk, leather or other ingredients and need to be aware of what alternatives are available when shopping. The alternatives available for clothes made from animal-based materials (such as acrylic for wool, satin for silk and synthetic/nylon for leather) are often quite easy to obtain; like with food and cosmetics/toiletries shopping, the labels need to be read. Sometimes it may be easier to ask the store assistants for help finding clothing suitable for vegans (this is especially useful when purchasing non-leather shoes), as they usually have good knowledge of what’s in stock and can easily navigate around the store. There are websites which sell vegan clothing and shoes, but it is usually easier to just buy direct from shops as you can actually try on what you might buy and see things in person rather than photos on the internet. 

Successful vegan shopping is rather easy once you know what to look out for; the various animal-derived ingredients in food, cosmetics and toiletries, and the animal-based materials used in clothing. However, once you have enough information and hands-on experience going shopping, visits to the grocery store and shops can be rather enjoyable as you find new things and learn more about veganism.