Honey
No, its not made up of dead bees, but it is animal derived.
What to use instead:Agave nectar has a similar consistency, level of sweetness, and floral notes.
It works best in recipes where honey is an accent (dressingsormarinades) and not the main event.
Simply Recipes / Andy Christensen
As of this writing, some Quorn MorningStar Farms products contain egg whites.
What to use instead:Quorn and MorningStar Farms do make some vegan products.
Check the label just to be sure.
Sugar
Are you scratching your head?
Because conventional sugar is processed with animal bone charcoal, some vegans dont eat it.
Some vegans do eat conventional sugar, because theres no residual charcoal in the sugar itself.
It just depends on the person.
What to use instead:The only way to know is to scrutinize the ingredients list.
As of this writing, most brands of organic chocolate chips are vegan-safe.
Heres a sampling of non-vegan booze.
What to use instead:The websiteBarnivorehas a handy database of vegan-safe alcohols.
Its updated quite frequently.
Fish Sauce
Obvious, you say?
Correct, fish sauce is made with fish.
Have I spaced out and added it to, say, an otherwise vegan eggplant stir fry?
Yes, I have.
Oyster Sauce
Ditto the above.
What to use instead:you’re free to buyvegetarian oyster saucemade with mushrooms.
Its not going to win any awards, but it totally gets the job done.
Butter-Flavored Crisco
The butter flavoring comes from real dairy products.
What to use instead:Plain old unflavored shortening, which is admittedly much blander.
Margarine
Yup, its fake butter, but some margarine spreads contain dairy-based ingredients or flavorings.
What to use instead:Plant butter is the margarine of the 21st century.
Same concept, no animal-derived ingredients.
Check the label just to be sure.
Tips for Non-Vegan Hosts
Unsure or anxious about your guests needs or expectations?
Dont have time to ask?
Play it safe and avoid any questionable ingredients altogether.
When in doubt, have backup safe foods on hand.
A crusty loaf ofrustic breadand some good olive oil are nearly universal crowd-pleasers.
A plain baked sweet potato is the perfect mix of veganandgluten-free and reliably glows under the olive-oil-pepper-salt.
On a plate with roasted broccoli its a pretty solid dinner for most anyone.
