Vegan Guide
Vegan FAQ — Basics
Short answers to real-world questions about veganism — food, health, shopping, and everyday life.
Basics
What do vegans eat every day?
Vegans base their diet entirely on plant-derived foods, excluding meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey. Everyday meals are built from a variety of nutritious plant foods.
What is veganism?
Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude — as far as possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
Are eggs from “happy hens” vegan?
No. An egg is a hen’s product, whether the cage is cramped or the bird ranges a backyard. Welfare matters — it does not change the vegan definition.
Can you go vegan gradually?
Yes. Most people do not switch overnight. A common path: meat first, then dairy and eggs, then honey, labels and clothes.
What replaces meat, dairy and eggs?
Meat: legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, plant burgers on the grill. Dairy: fortified plant drinks, coconut or soy yoghurt, hummus instead of cream cheese. Eggs: tofu scramble, aquafaba and flax in baking.
Do you need to be a good cook to go vegan?
No, you absolutely do not need to know how to cook to go vegan. There are now plenty of ready-made products, alternatives and shortcuts that make a complete plant-based diet possible without spending hours in the kitchen.
Do vegans eat dairy?
No. Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter and cream come from animals, so they are not vegan. Plant milks and cheeses — oat, soy, nut-based — are.
Can vegans eat fish?
No, despite the popular belief that 'fish is not meat'. Fish have a developed nervous system and feel pain and stress, so ethically veganism makes no exception here. People who eat fish but not the meat of land animals are pescatarians — a different diet category, often confused with veganism.