Bet You Didn't Know It's Vegan

Veganism often gets a bad rap because it is usually defined by what is not included in the diet. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, not even honey - what the heck does a vegan eat?! The truth is that the animal-free diet is very varied. But it's not all beans and rice - many popular and familiar treats are vegan, and are available at most grocery markets, convenience stores, and even gas stations. Here are a few examples of sugary and salty snacks that may already be on your shopping list:

• Cereals like: Cap'n Crunch Cereal, Cocoa Puffs, Frosted Flakes
• Chips and crackers like: Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Tortilla Chips, Fritos, Sun Chips Original flavor, Triscuit Crackers, Wheat Thins
• Candy like: Airheads Taffy, Blow Pops, Jolly Ranchers, Swedish Fish
  
• Cracker Jacks
• Keebler Fudge Shoppe Fudge Pops
• Marie Callender Frozen Fruit Pies and Cobblers
• Pillsbury Turnover (Apple & Cherry)
• SuperPretzel Baked Soft Pretzels
• Kool-Aid Drink Mix
• Red Bull Energy Drink
• Betty Crocker Bisquick
• Jell-O Instant Pudding (some flavors)
• Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Chocolate & Vanilla)

This is just a taste of the many different vegan options. Check out a longer list on PETA's I Can't Believe It's Vegan page.

You can also check out the ingredient list of your favorite snacks to see if they contain animal products. Look out for: milk, egg, casein, and whey. If you're not sure, do a web search and type in the name of the food followed by the word "vegan" - you're probably not the first to wonder about the ingredients.

There are also some handy vegan food apps for mobile phones, such as VeganXpress for the iPhone.

Most importantly, keep in mind that just because a product is vegan doesn't mean that it's healthy. Clearly, from the options above, it can encompass lots of sugar, salt, and oil, which should be had in moderation. Those foods are great for moments of indulgence, but to keep your body happy, focus on a whole foods plant-based diet: fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. Check out this article on Greenwala: Secrets to a Healthy Meatless Diet.

Whitney Lauritsen is a filmmaker, environmentalist, and vegan who promotes healthy living on her site www.ecovegangal.com. She shares tips on how to be kind to your body and the earth via video, photography, and writing. You can find her talking about being healthy and green on Twitter and Facebook.