What can't vegans eat? A comprehensive guide

December 3, 2025 •

4 min read

According to Healthline, a vegan diet strictly avoids all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and more. Focusing exclusively on plant-based foods, it is essential for vegans to know not only what can't vegans eat, but also how to spot the surprising hidden animal-derived ingredients in common products.

Quick Summary

Understand the complete list of prohibited foods and hidden ingredients for a vegan diet, from obvious meat and dairy to surprising additives like gelatin and casein.

Key Points

Hidden Ingredients: Gelatin, casein, and whey are common animal-derived additives often found in unexpected places like chips and baked goods, requiring careful label-reading.
Beyond the Plate: Veganism can extend beyond diet to avoiding non-food products like leather, wool, and cosmetics tested on animals, aligning with broader ethical principles.
B12 Supplementation: Vitamin B12 is typically not found in plant-based foods, making fortified foods or supplements essential for a healthy vegan diet to prevent deficiency.
Unexpected Items: Some beers, wines, and even common fortified cereals or juices can contain animal products used in processing or as additives, so checking for vegan labels is crucial.
Nutrient Awareness: Careful planning is needed to ensure adequate intake of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3s, which are often associated with animal products.

Obvious Animal Products to Avoid

For many, the first steps toward a vegan lifestyle involve cutting out the most recognizable animal products. While this seems straightforward, the list is more extensive than just red meat and chicken.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish

This category includes all flesh from animals, a rule that extends to seafood as well. Vegans do not consume beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, duck, or any kind of fish or shellfish, including crab, clams, and shrimp. The motivation can range from ethical concerns about animal welfare to environmental and health considerations.

Dairy and Eggs

Milk, cheese, butter, cream, and other dairy products are all off-limits for vegans. This restriction also applies to eggs from all animals. Unlike vegetarianism, which may allow for dairy and eggs, veganism requires a complete exclusion. This means avoiding products where dairy or eggs are primary ingredients, such as many cakes, custards, and traditional mayonnaise.

Honey and Bee Products

One common area of confusion is the inclusion of honey in a vegan diet. Since honey is a product of bees, vegans do not consume it. This exclusion also applies to other bee-derived products like bee pollen and royal jelly. Alternatives like maple syrup or agave nectar are widely used instead.

Less Obvious Ingredients and Products

Successfully following a vegan diet requires diligent label-reading, as many common products contain hidden animal derivatives.

The Hidden Dangers of Food Additives

Many foods contain ingredients that are animal-derived but not immediately apparent. Common examples include:

Gelatin: A gelling agent made from animal collagen (skin, bones, and connective tissue) often found in gummy candies, marshmallows, and some desserts.
Casein and Whey: These are milk proteins found in many processed foods, including some seemingly 'dairy-free' coffee creamers, cheese-flavored snacks, and protein powders.
Carmine: A bright red food dye (also called cochineal or natural red 4) produced from crushed cochineal beetles. It appears in some candies, yogurts, and juices.
Isinglass: A fining agent made from fish bladders used in the clarification process for some beers and wines.
Shellac: A resin secreted by the female lac bug, used as a confectioner's glaze on candies and other polished goods.
Some types of sugar: In the U.S., some granulated white sugar is refined using bone char, a charcoal made from cattle bones.

Surprising Processed Foods

Several processed items require extra scrutiny:

Some beers and wines: As mentioned, fining agents can be animal-derived, so it is necessary to check for 'unfined' or 'vegan' labels.
Cereals and fortified foods: Certain cereals and plant-based milks are fortified with vitamins that may come from animal sources. For instance, vitamin D3 can be from lanolin (sheep's wool), and some omega-3s are fish-derived.
Certain bread products: Some bread contains milk, eggs, or even L-cysteine, an amino acid often derived from animal hair or feathers.
Marshmallows: Most marshmallows are made with gelatin, though vegan alternatives using agar-agar exist.

Navigating a Vegan Diet: Reading Labels and Alternatives

Adapting to a vegan diet means becoming a savvy shopper and a keen label reader. Many companies clearly label their products as vegan, but for those that don't, recognizing the hidden ingredients is key. Fortunately, the market for plant-based products has expanded significantly, offering delicious and accessible alternatives for almost every non-vegan item.

Dairy Substitutes: Use fortified plant milks (oat, almond, soy), nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, and plant-based cheeses and butters.
Meat Substitutes: Tofu, tempeh, lentils, and jackfruit offer excellent alternatives for a wide range of recipes.
Baking Substitutes: Replace eggs with mashed banana, applesauce, or a flax egg (ground flaxseed mixed with water).
Thickeners: Use plant-based gelling agents like agar-agar or cornstarch instead of gelatin.

Comparison of Common Products


Non-Vegan Product	Common Non-Vegan Ingredient	Vegan Alternative	Key Vegan Ingredient	[Source]
Traditional Cheese	Casein, Milk	Plant-Based Cheese	Soy, Nuts, Starch
Gummy Candies	Gelatin	Vegan Gummy Candies	Agar-Agar, Pectin
Honey	N/A (Bee Product)	Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar	N/A (Plant-Derived)
Mayonnaise	Egg Yolks	Vegan Mayonnaise	Aquafaba, Soy Protein
Some Wines/Beers	Isinglass, Egg Albumin	Unfined Wines/Beers	Bentonite Clay, Carbon
Beef Jerky	Beef	Mushroom Jerky	Mushrooms, Spices

Conclusion: The Learning Curve of Veganism

While the list of items a vegan must avoid can seem daunting at first, it's a journey of re-education rather than pure restriction. The abundance of readily available information and product alternatives makes it easier than ever to make informed choices. With a little practice, identifying obvious and hidden animal products becomes second nature, empowering individuals to follow a vegan lifestyle aligned with their ethical, environmental, or health goals. Transitioning successfully requires careful planning, label-reading, and, for some nutrients like B12, reliable fortification or supplementation. For more detailed information on a balanced vegan diet, refer to resources like the National Health Service (NHS) guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, vegans do not eat honey, as it is a product of bees and therefore considered an animal-derived product.

Not always. In some countries, including the U.S., some granulated white sugar is refined using bone char, an animal product, so it is not always vegan unless specifically labeled as such.

Gelatin is a protein derived from animal collagen (skin, bones), used as a gelling agent in foods like candies, marshmallows, and some desserts. Vegans avoid it due to its animal origin.

Ingredients like vitamin D3 can be sourced from lanolin (sheep's wool), or omega-3s may come from fish oil. These products are only vegan if they specify a plant-based source for these nutrients.

No. Some alcohol products use animal-derived fining agents like isinglass (from fish bladders), gelatin, or egg whites to clarify the liquid. Look for 'unfined,' 'unfiltered,' or 'vegan' labels.

Casein is a milk protein used as a binder or thickener, sometimes found in 'non-dairy' cheese or coffee creamers to give them a creamy texture. Vegans must avoid it as it's dairy-based.

A well-planned vegan diet can provide most nutrients, but supplementation for vitamin B12 is universally recommended. Depending on the diet, supplementation for vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3s may also be necessary.