Do vegans drink coffee?
The answer to the question “do vegans drink coffee?” is yes and no – depending on whether it is black coffee or milk or creamer-based coffee.
Generally speaking, because coffee is made of roasted plant seeds, vegans can drink black coffee but abstain from animal milk-based coffee.
With that being said, even if your coffee contains only vegan components, you might want to take into account the fact that some coffee beans are cultivated and processed in ways that don’t align with the vegan philosophy of protecting the environment.
Before giving a detailed answer to the question, “do vegans drink coffee?”, let’s define veganism and distinguish it from a parent word, vegetarianism.
What does it mean to be vegan?
In terms of nutrition, the word “vegan” refers to the practice of avoiding any products that are entirely or partially derived from animals. For instance, meat and seafood are excluded from the vegans’ diet. In addition to that, they also avoid eating dairy, eggs, and honey.
Vegan vs. vegetarian
The primary distinction between a vegetarian and a vegan is that the former abstains from all items derived from slain animals while the latter abstains from all animal products, whether derived from living or dead animals.
What is the vegan lifestyle?
Veganism is not only about abstaining from all animal products. It is a style of life that avoids exploiting animals cruelly for food, clothing, or any other purpose.
What is the truth about vegan coffee?
If you google it, you’ll find a lot of scams about vegan coffee products. What is the truth about vegan coffee, then? Is there such a thing as a vegan coffee product?
Here is the answer:
Since all coffee is vegan, there is no such thing as “vegan coffee.” Coffee beans are roasted plant seeds. From beginning to end, no animal is used— nothing related to animals is used in the roasting process.
Can vegans drink coffee?
Can vegans drink coffee? The answer to this question is simple and complicated at the same time.
- Should vegans drink coffee? Yes.
- Are all types of coffee drinks vegan? No.
Vegans can always drink black coffee, but dairy-based milk and creamers are off-limits.
Black coffee
Do vegans drink coffee?
Let’s start with black coffee!
Can vegans drink black coffee? The short answer is yes.
Vegans can drink black coffee since it is basically made of beans which are plants.
However, if you are a raw vegan, you might have concerns about the way they process coffee.
Although black coffee consists of just vegan elements, you may have concerns about the way it is grown and processed. This may not reflect vegan ethics.
Moreover, vegans who follow the raw diet only consume food that hasn’t been heated through or treated in any way. For these devout raw vegans, coffee is off-limits because it requires heat to brew.
You might be wondering, what about cold brew coffee? While the beans in your vegan iced coffee frappé haven’t been heated during preparation, it wouldn’t be ideal for a raw vegan diet because it has still been roasted.
NOTE: According to Healthline, raw vegan diets add to veganism the concept of raw foodism, which is grounded on the fact that foods should be eaten totally raw or heated at temperatures below 104–118°F (40–48°C).
Milk coffee
Do vegans drink coffee?
Unless you use plant milk, you may want to exclude milk coffee from your diet if you are a vegan.
With that being said, you may make milk coffee with plant milk. Here are a few options:
Oat milk
Oat milk is made by extracting organic material with water from entire oat grains. Oat milk is produced in a variety of tastes, including sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate. It has a creamy texture and a flavor that is mildly reminiscent of oatmeal.
Almond milk
Almond milk is a plant-based beverage made from almonds that has a watery texture and nutty flavor, making it ideal for vegans. It is low in saturated fat and free of lactose and cholesterol.
Soy milk
Soy milk is an emulsion of protein, water, and oil that is stable. Additionally, it is used to create dairy-like products such as soy yogurt, soy cream, soy kefir, and soy-based cheese.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is a milky-white, opaque liquid that is made from grated coconut pulp. Due to its high oil content, the majority of which is saturated fat, coconut milk is opaque and has a rich flavor.
Cashew milk
Cashew milk is full of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and other useful plant ingredients. It has a creamy, rich consistency.
Rice milk
Rice milk has a watery consistency. Unsweetened rice milk is 89% water, 9% carbs, 1% fat, and very little protein.
Pea milk
Pea milk is extracted from the yellow pea. The process of making milk is straightforward. Pea protein is typically combined with water, sunflower oil, micronutrients, thickeners, and phosphates.
You will have to try these types of milk to find the one you want to combine with your coffee.
It’s okay to use any of the above vegan milk substitutes in their basic form. However, you have to be sure that flavored varieties, such as chocolate or caramel, don’t contain animal byproducts. This is unlikely but it might occur.
Are coffee creamers vegan?
Using powdered coffee creamer instead of fresh milk in your coffee may also raise some concerns for vegans.
You should be aware that the majority of coffee creamers are not vegan. There are, however, a number of vegan coffee creamer brands that use plant milk rather than animal milk in their production.
What about the syrups and sauces?
At Starbucks, you may order coffee with syrups. Be aware, though, that some syrups and sauces are vegan while others are definitely not. The list of vegan syrups and sauces includes those based on cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut, peppermint, raspberry, toffee, etc.
Ask for advice from your preferred coffee shop server to be sure.
Conclusion
Here is the answer to the question “do vegans drink coffee?” in a nutshell!
Vegans can drink black coffee without any concerns. However, if you want to drink your coffee mixed with milk, syrups, or creamers, make sure they are plant-based products.