11 Products That You Didn't Know Were Vegan

When you first go vegan, you may fall into a habit of focusing on everything you can't eat. Sure, animal products are no longer an option, but think about the massive progress in the vegan movement recently. Think about how supermarkets now have dedicated sections for vegan food, and think of all the restaurants and takeaways that now have vegan menus!

The longer you stick it out and keep following a plant-based diet, the more the world will present you with new vegan-friendly food options. I've been vegan for over four years now, and I'm still discovering new products and ingredients that I can eat almost every day. So as a newbie, you might be unaware of the endless array of plant-based substitutes, plant foods, and accidentally vegan products that life has to offer these days.

My advice would be to always look out for the certified 'vegan' symbol on the packaging, and familiarise yourself with ingredients to look out for (as 'accidentally vegan' products are unlikely to have this symbol on their packaging). 

Without further ado, here's a list of 11 everyday foods that you might not have guessed were already vegan! 

Common sense would tell you that bacon-flavoured snacks would be an absolute no-go for vegans, but you'd be wrong! You can enjoy the smoky aroma and salty tang of perfectly cooked bacon in Mackie's potato crisps absolutely guilt-free.

Have yourself a wonderful vegan Easter by feasting on all the Cream Eggs your heart desires. Just make sure to look out for the Mummy Meagz version! This indulgent, creamy treat is the perfect solution for sweet-toothed vegans and anyone with a dairy allergy who misses Cream Eggs. As well as containing zero animal products, the Mummy Meagz chocolates are also palm oil-free with no added nasties.

Pizza lovers, rejoice! Many people think that being vegan means cooking everything from scratch, but that's no longer the case. You can whip up a quick weeknight pizza with a readymade base, tomato sauce in a jar, and your favourite vegan-friendly toppings (vegan cheese, vegan meats etc.).

Vegans are spoilt for choice when it comes to spreads; there's nut butters, chocolate spread, and of course Biscoff Biscuit Spread! Biscoff is a delicious alternative to any sweet spread and also makes a great addition to baking recipes.

No Full English Fry Up is complete without baked beans, so it's a relief that they're vegan! These ready-cooked organic beans are a source of protein, iron, magnesium and rich in dietary fibre, and can also be used in stews, on toast, or soups.

Everyone's favourite childhood snack is now vegan-friendly! Enter your time machine and enjoy these chewy Drumstick double flavour sweeties all over again. By making this classic sweet completely plant-based, Swizzels has proven that sweets do not need gelatin in them to make them taste good!

Many products sneakily have non-vegan elements lurking within the ingredients; however, ketchup is not one of them. This Great Taste award-winning Tomato Ketchup is bursting with organic sun-ripened tomatoes which are always packed within a few hours of harvest, keeping them fresh and flavoursome. Much healthier and tastier than the standard supermarket brands!

Fortunately, there are many more vegan-friendly sweets to choose from, even the nostalgic type like this Sherbert Dip Dab!

Soya Sauce is often a necessary ingredient for vegan cooking as it gives dishes a distinct umami flavour, making recipes taste meaty - without the meat! This product is made with organic whole soybeans using hand-crafted Japanese methods.

Not to worry, traditional English puddings are still on the menu when you're vegan, from bread and butter pudding to sticky toffee pudding! Make sure to look out for The Coconut Collaborative Custard which is made from nourishing coconut oil instead of milk and eggs (though just as delicious). 

Thank goodness for vegan chocolate! Sometimes all you need in life is to cosy up with some sweet, rich chocolate, and that's certainly a possibility when you're vegan too. You'll find that many vegan-friendly chocolates are of the dark variety like these After Dinner Chocolate Mint Thins by Divine. But there's still plenty of option if milk or white chocolate is your preference!