Best vegan moisturizers: 7 that pass, and the drugstore classic made with lanolin alcohol
Our pick is e.l.f.’s fragrance-free Holy Hydration cream at $13; The Ordinary’s is $6.70. 7 vegan moisturizers pass; skip Eucerin’s: lanolin alcohol.
Is lanolin vegan? No, and a natural-origin beeswax stick lists it fifth
No, lanolin isn’t vegan: it’s wax from sheep’s wool. Of 7 lip balms we read, 4 list it, Burt’s Bees’ beeswax stick included, and 3 are vegan.
Best vegan deodorants: 6 read from the label, and the Humble stick with beeswax
Our vegan deodorant pick is Humble’s baking soda-free Sensitive Skin stick. Schmidt’s is Certified Vegan. Skip Humble’s Original formula: it uses beeswax.
Is second-hand leather vegan? No, and the reason isn’t the money
No: a thrifted jacket is still an animal’s skin. The money argument barely holds, as USDA market data put a steer’s hide under 1% of its live price. Our line.
How to respond to vegan criticism: sound open before you sound right
Work out which of four kinds of criticism you’re hearing, then sound open before you sound right. One study found people misjudge how open they sound.
Why is veganism so popular? Its food is, while the vegan count barely moves
Veganism looks popular because its food is: 60% of US households bought plant-based food in 2025, yet US polls put vegans at only 1% to 3% of adults.
Best vegan boots: 7 that pass, and a Kamik with leather eyelets
Our pick is Blundstone’s #2115, with outside vegan verification. For snow, Will’s insulated hiking boot; for job sites, Kamik’s Workday 3 BX. Skip one Canuck.
Best vegan running shoes: 5 that pass, and the Ghost Max made with cow leather
Our pick is the Brooks Ghost 18: Brooks says no animal-derived dyes or glues. Mizuno, Newton and Veja pass too, but one Brooks Ghost Max is cow leather.
Is wool vegan? No, and it can hide in the lining of a shoe sold on its tree fiber
No, wool isn’t vegan, mulesing-free and recycled included. Allbirds’ Tree Runner has a merino lining; Patagonia, Columbia and Uniqlo sell wool-free layers.
How to make vegan food taste better: 10 pantry sauces checked, and the oyster the label won’t flag
Miso, tamari, vegan Worcestershire, mushroom oyster sauce, fish sauce, liquid smoke: 10 checked. Oyster sauce lists oyster; its allergen line doesn’t.
Best vegan hot dogs: 6 compared, and the no-nitrite claim with a celery footnote
Our pick is Lightlife Smart Dogs: certified vegan, 60 calories and 350 mg sodium a link. Six plant-based dogs compared, and what the nitrite claims mean.
Are tater tots vegan? The potato ones we checked are, but Green Giant’s veggie tots all have egg
The potato tots we checked are: Ore-Ida and Grown in Idaho list nothing animal. Green Giant’s veggie tots list eggs and whey, Dr. Praeger’s egg whites.
Can you eat oil on a plant-based diet? Yes, by the measured spoon, and the oil-free case is thinner than it sounds
Yes. A Mediterranean diet with olive oil beat a reduced-fat diet in the biggest trial we read. The oil-free study had no control group. Skip the coconut oil.
Is a vegan diet safe for kids? It can be healthy, and the US dietitians’ 2016 backing has expired
A vegan diet can be healthy for kids if B12, calcium, zinc, vitamin D and iron are maximized, says an AAP article. US dietitians’ 2016 backing lapsed in 2021.
Do vegans get enough protein? On average yes, and the average hides who doesn’t
Most vegans get enough protein: EPIC-Oxford vegans averaged 0.99 g/kg a day, above the 0.83 RDA. But 16.5% of vegan men reported intakes below the requirement.
Tofu that tastes like chicken: freeze it for days, not a night, and 8 products checked
Freeze firm tofu for days, thaw it cold, tear it and simmer it in vegan chicken-style broth. 8 products checked; Knorr’s chicken bouillon has chicken fat.
Chestnuts vs acorns: roast one, leach the other, and 8 products checked
Chestnuts and acorns differ: chestnuts roast and eat, acorns need their tannins leached out first. 8 products checked, one with tuna in the sauce.
Can you eat cucumber leaves? Yes, from a plant that isn’t bitter, and 6 seed varieties checked
Yes, young cucumber leaves can be cooked, if they don’t taste bitter; heat won’t remove cucurbitacins. 6 seed varieties checked; our pick is Marketmore 80.
How to use vegan protein powder: a quarter of the flour at most, and 7 powders checked
Shake it with cold liquid, make a paste before it goes into a hot drink, and swap 1/8 to 1/4 of the flour for it, as Vega advises. 7 powders checked.
Do vegans get enough zinc? Less than meat eaters, but the 50 mg bottle is too much
Vegans get less zinc than meat eaters. Our pick is MegaFood’s vegan 22.5 mg tablet; a 50 mg pill alone tops the 40 mg upper limit, and two others use gelatin.
Does vegan protein powder expire? The date is about quality, and two makers disagree on what happens after it
Yes, but the date is about quality. Vega says not to use protein powder after it; Growing Naturals says it can be safe 6 to 12 months past. 7 brands compared.
How to be vegan when you don’t like vegetables: let lentils and fruit do the work
Lean on lentils and fruit, and keep one orange vegetable. Lentils outrank greens for potassium on NIH’s list; vitamin A is where fruit falls short.
Is it cheaper to be vegan? On average, yes, and the savings come from what you stop eating
On average, yes. In a 16-week US trial, food costs fell about 16% on a low-fat vegan diet, more than in the control group, mostly from meat and dairy.
How to stay vegan while traveling: the vegan airline meal has fine print, so pack your own
On short US flights you often can’t order a vegan meal: American offers it domestically only in First. Pack solid food; hummus falls under the 3.4 oz rule.
Recipes By Course
Browse our vegan recipes database by category. We have clearly arranged what we consider to be the most important categories on this page – from breakfast to desserts. Click on the category that interests you. You can then refine your search in the next step.
About us
We’re Gregory and Tara, husband and wife, and we’ve both been vegan since April 2012. Gregory started out a sceptic who thought you needed meat and dairy, so he read the studies until he was sure; he still does, and he runs the tech side. Tara cooks, invents new dishes and has tried more vegan beauty products than our bathroom shelf can hold.
For about two years we also ran a small vegan online shop, so we know the aisle from both sides. Vegan Pots is where we answer the questions we had back then: is it vegan, is it worth buying, and what do you do with it at home.
