Introduction
Following a vegan lifestyle means removing all forms of animal products from your diet, and when it comes to the world of beverages there are tons of vegan-friendly drinks and vegan alternatives.
This is because the vast majority of beverages do not contain milk, eggs, or meat, unlike the food industry. In accordance with this, today’s article aims to highlight these drinks with the goal of helping you find your next vegan bevvy. Let’s dive in
What do vegans drink?
Vegan drinks include any beverages that do not contain animal products, the most common in this category are – Smoothies, Fruit Juices, Plant-Based Milk, plant-based Hot Drinks, Kombucha, Protein Shakes, Flavoured water
Let’s dig into this list a little deeper:
Smoothies
A switch to veganism often comes with an impulse to live a healthier lifestyle, and smoothies are a quick and surefire way to achieve that goal.
There are so many smoothie flavours and fruit combinations that can be whipped together to produce a refreshing and revitalising drink. Personally, I love making pineapple and ginger smoothies the most.
Smoothies are easily made by combining a base and a liquid. This could be a plant-based milk like oat milk, and a handful of frozen fruits like strawberries, blackcurrants & raspberries. Have a look at some smoothie examples below.
More smoothie recipes:
Fruit juices
Whether your favourite is apple, mango, or orange juice, the vast majority of classic fruit juices are vegan-friendly. However, there are still a few key ingredients to be on the lookout for:
- Technical additives for clarifying wine and juices: gelatine.
- Non-vegan additives for refining: for example honey
- Added vitamins that are not of vegan origin: for example, non-vegan vitamin D3
~www.rabenhorst.de
Similar to smoothies, fruit juices are healthy beverages you can easily make at home if you have a blender or juicing machine.
Cold pressed rainbow juices
Alternatively you can always buy some . Here’s a list of 100% vegan friendly fruit juices:
- Pago Strawberry Juice – Vegan Friendly & Gluten Free
- Apple & superberry
- Rubicon Still Passion Fruit Juice Drink
- Juice Burst Orange and Carrot Juice Drinks
- Tropicana 100% Pure Pressed Tropical Fruit Juice
- Oasis Summer Fruits
- Biona – Organic Tart Cherry Juice
- Big Tom – Spiced Tomato Mix – Bloody Mary Mix
- Biona – Organic Apple Juice
- Trader joe’s cold pressed pineapple juice
- Biona organic pomegranate juice
- Stute juices -( Orange juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, mango juice, tropical juice, red grape juice, white grape juice.)
For a more inclusive list – check out Ocado’s vegan drink products here.
Plant-based milk
Plant-based milks are cow milk substitutes made from nuts and seeds. The taste of each individual plant based milk can vary widely, for example oat milk tastes quite similar to cow milk, especially when served chilled. But it’s just a little sweeter. On the other hand, coconut milk does not taste like cow milk but has other similar properties, like shelf life and consistency.
There are TONS of plant based milks you can try, here’s an overview of what’s available:
- Soy Milk
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Oat Milk
- Hemp Milk
- Rice Milk
- Pea Milk
- Walnut Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Sesame Milk
If you’re looking to get your hands on some plant-based milk, look no further than Amazon & Ocado. To learn more about plant based milks check out this article. What are plant based milks? Not your average beverage.
Vegan hot drinks
When it comes to vegan hot drinks, you’ll find that the vast majority are naturally vegan-friendly (tea & coffee). Hot chocolate, however, often contains milk.
Here’s a list of the most commonly purchased hot chocolate.
Knoops Delicious Vegan Hot Cocoa
Alises Spanish Hot Chocolate (Gluten Free, Soya Free)
Deluxe Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Drink
Deluxe Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Drink from Lidl
Kombucha
Often brewed using black or green tea, kombucha is a fermented and sweetened beverage that includes vitamins, amino acids, and other minerals said to provide health benefits. It is also frequently flavoured with fruit, juice and spices.
As mentioned earlier, a switch to veganism often means a switch to a healthier lifestyle, and this is why quite a few vegans consume kombucha.
This fermented beverage is known for the following:
- Possibly a good source of probiotics which can boost gut health
- High in antioxidants which aid in fighting cell damage
- Can help boost your metabolism
- Can possibly reduce high cholesterol levels
- Can lower blood sugar levels
Get your hands on some Kombucha!
- Lo Bros Lemon & Ginger Kombucha
- The GUTsy Captain Kombucha Original Bio-Organic Drink
- No.1 Living Sugar Free Kombucha Ginger with Turmeric
- La Brewery English Blush Kombucha
- Nexba Kombucha Mango Sugar Free Drink
- Biona Organic Kombucha Original
Vegan protein shakes
Over the last few years the popularity of protein shakes have steadily been on the rise. The same can definitely be said for vegan protein shakes, the market for which is expected to reach $8.03 billion by 2029. So why cant vegans get enough of this stuff?
Well 3 reasons in particular:
- Some vegans want to increase their protein intake
- Gym goers and weightlifters who turned vegan have grabbed the new alternative.
- Lactose intollerant people can enjoy vegan protein shakes.
Instead of being made up of whey or casein, which are both derived from mammalian milk, Vegan protein shakes commonly get their protein base from soybeans, peas or hemp.
Continued reading: What Is Vegan Protein Powder? – A Deep Dive
Some vegan protein shakes that don’t break the bank:
- Phd Smart Plant, high Protein Vegan Shake
- Nuzest – Pea Protein Powder – Clean Lean Protein – Smooth Vanilla
- Roots ‘n Shoots Vegan Protein Powder Shake with B12
- Planet Superfood 100% Certified Organic Hemp Protein Powder
- Mighty Vegan Protein Powder, Salted Caramel Flavour
- Bulk Pea Protein Isolate Powder, Vegan Protein Shake, Coconut
- PSN 100% Soy Protein Isolate Vegan Powder Shake
Soft drinks/fizzy drinks
Who doesn’t enjoy the odd soft drink here and there? Well if your one of those people then you’re certainly in luck because the vast majority of soft drinks are totally vegan friendly. No eggs, no milk, no meat. However here are a few ingredients to be on the lookout for.
- Cochineal – A food dye that comes from the shells of crushed insects it creates a red colour and so is used in certain sodas.
- Honey – Every now and again, you may find honey listed as an ingredient on the back of a soda can, so be on the lookout if you’re a new soda you’re not familiar with.
- vitamin D3 – This vitamin is often extracted from sheep’s wool making it a no-no for vegans.
Vegan friendly alcohol
Similar to soft drinks, most alcoholic beverages are indeed vegan friendly, however there are a select few that of course differ :(
barnivore.com is your best friend when it comes to sieving out the vegan friendly alcohol from the non-vegan friendly. This site does a great job at listing thousands of alcoholic beverages and disclosing whether they’re animal ingredient free.
If you’re wondering whether a particular brand or drink is vegan you can also search it up and find results instantly. :)
