You are here: /commentary/updated-vegan-nutrition-data-2026-part-iii
It turns out that Goody Girl Cookies are vegan for both the Double Stuffed Chocolate Creme Cookies and the Birthday Cake Sandwich Cookies. Some stores already designate their products as vegan on their website regardless of a manufacturer indicator because they examine the ingredient source and also put the food particles, such as crumbs or more accurately food powder, under the microscope.
There are other name brands that make vegan foods or have foods that are vegan by default. Kit Kat, Hershey's, and Reese's all have Plant Based chocolates that include the circle v on the packaging and are marked as non gmo verified. The regular chocolates are possibly vegetarian but the sugar is not verified to be vegetarian or vegan friendly. Plain Lays and Fritos are considered vegan but the plant may bag them with other items on the same conveyer belts. While this is a difficult question to get answered, it can be answered with patience. Plain Ruffles are undetermined but are theoretically made with potato, oil, and salt.
One of the favorite vegan chocolates is unreal chocolate which is considered a specialty brand. Once a person becomes familiar with different brands, packaging, and their ethical or nutritional choices, it becomes fairly easy to do shopping.
Doctors are often curious about plant based diets, there is nothing is school that teaches about plant based nutrition. They learn about general physician examinations that are based on the standard American diet. Either the four food groups or the food pyramid. They might have attended seminars on keto, paleo, Atkins or something similar. In contrast, vegan diets are something new and self taught by consumers and a handful of specialists. Overall, the diet prolongs life by up to 10 years, lowers cholesterol and chances of heart attack, and can theoretically increase or improve digestive health.
The Vitamin B Debate
Thiamin was published as a deficiency in vegan diets in 2012. Initially published as Vitamin B12 Thiamin and available in a spoonful of dirt for those not comfortable with traditional food sources. This was within a medical journal, its fair to say that reading chemical lists on the side of food packages had become mundane at the time and considered information overload.
Avoid fortified foods
These may contain animal products, for example, the food is mostly vegan but is fortified with vitamins that are derived from animals. This is generally, not vegan.
Vitamin B1 is Thiamine and it is available in legumes, nuts and seeds, soy, and orange juice. These all meet recommended daily allowances, which are mostly important to people transitioning. Vegan doctors and many new professionals will not have an MD and many will no longer even have a bachelor. However, in the interim, they will be working with MDs and promoting the bachelor of biology as the new standard for advanced and expert level doctors.
Vitamin B12 does not come from plants. It is not called thiamin, it is just called B12. B12 helps with red blood cell formation, so does sugar water as red blood cells feed on and reproduce through the use of glucose, which is sugar. Deficiency in B12 can lead to anemia which is an iron deficiency. Iron is a mineral which rudimentarily can be found in oxidized metal. Iron is also found in unprocessed brown sugar along with calcium and potassium. Iron can also be found in legumes, seeds, leafy greens, and dried fruits. Remember that molecules change structure as they undergo temperature changes.
Thiamine Supplements - thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride are synthesized from non animal materials. This is normally plant cells, minerals, or other synthesized products like petrol which may come from plant carbons. The word fortified has been requested to be replaced with vitamin enhanced in vegan products.
This is famously derived from lanolin or sheeps wool and most well known for being present in Kellogg's Corn Flakes and other popular cereals such as Chex. Vegan sources of Vitamin D3 come from lichen and algae. This is an interesting conversation on Earth cycles, particle isolation in food manufacturing, cross contamination, and traces of milk.
Lichen is hybrid plant and fungi. When examine fungi, yeast is a consideration in the analysis. It is often suggested as vegan even though it is not a plant because it is single celled, does not have a nervous system, does not have a brain, or a capacity to feel pain. There are both bakers yeast and nutritional yeast that use these fungis in producing foods. Leaving wheat in water will also produce this yeast and the question is whether it is a fungi or whether it is a plant based leavening agent. The yeast is removed from the water and dried when produced from wheat. Now, Lichen is a hybrid plant and fungi, is it vegan?
Algae is a marine plant, meaning it comes from the ocean. In addition to D3, algae offer B12, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The plant grows in saltwater, sunlight, and requires nutrients. Some algae can be grown in freshwater. The question is if naturally grown algae would be vegan, there would normally be fish swimming in the saltwater. Overtime, farm grown algae would possibly be grown in a saline solution with only plant based nutrients. However, these would likely be synthesized and this is the conversation on vegan nutrition and plant purity that began in 2015. When examining soil and hydroponic mixtures, what level of purity is required at the molecular, atomic, or ionic level for a food to be considered fully and 100% vegan?
The plant based glycerin is derived from soybean, coconut, or palm and is labeled as vegetable glycerin, or plant based glycerin. This is a question to ask food manufacturers when monoglycerin, diglycerin, or triglycerin is seen on the food label.
Mostly derived from plants. This is a synthetic food or synthetic food ingredient and is referred to as petrol. This is used in food, cosmetics, skin care, pharmaceuticals, and industrials.
Ferric Orthophosphate - Iron Phosphate. What is phosphate made of? This is normally considered an inorganic compound.
Does water contain animal by-products? This is mostly cleaned out of water and even pure sources of water are sterilized or sanitized for human consumption. What level of purity does water need to have in order for it to be considered vegan?
Generally, if someone is interested in a product or service and it can be made economically or at a profit, someone might be willing to make it. Patents, trade secrets, and business agreements protect the purity and development of a product.
Take plant based milks for instance. The goal was not to put the dairy industry out of business. The goal was to provide a milk like beverage that was not lactose free. The solutions were soy, almonds, walnuts, seeds, and oats. In 2011, out of a 5-6 section milk aisle, only 1-2 sections were non-milks. Today, out of a 8-12 section milk aisle, nearly all of them are plant based in many stores with some brands having a 1-2 section to themselves.
This same dynamic is observable in watching food production going towards a plants-first philosophy with additives such as vitamins or preservatives being analyzed at the molecular levels to come up with alternatives or to be purposely ignored.
There are various food groups that were developed between 2011 and 2012 for vegans. These may be useful for people transitioning and learning about food equivalents. However, the vegan diet in 2026 is highly customized and will vary from person to person depending on their goals, habits, genetics, and goals. With most foods being plants, the selection of food is not so easy to measure. For example, 5 servings of vegetables may yield mostly water and a few vitamins or a variety of food nutrients that affect different health measurements in a person.
A good place to start is to categorize foods based on carbs, proteins, vitamins, sugars, minerals, salts, oils, and synthetics which may provide sustenance or health affects. Legumes, seeds, wheats, barleys, flours, salt, oils, and vitamins are a good place to start. Persons can then go high carb, low protein; high carb, medium protein, or high protein no carbs. This will need to be adjusted depending on water intake and many vegans drink lots of fluids and eat small to medium portions of food. In contrast, many non vegans eat medium to large portions of food and drink small to medium sized beverages.
With food consumption, a vegan doctor is looking at fatigue, lethargy, energy, metabolism, blood circulation, digestion, and nutrient levels. They are also looking at levels of hydration and measurements of hunger. Cravings are important and how they are satisfied. Are they ignored, feed but with dissatisfaction or is there a certain food that satisfies those cravings. From there, the health exam goes into regular human health statistics and qualitative health concerns or successes.