As a vegan I realise how difficult it is for an omnivore to shop for gift for vegan and vegetarian friends, especially when you do not know what to look out for on labels. Not only do you have to worry whether the recipient will like it aesthetically, it also requires checking the materials, items and ingredients to make sure the items don’t contain any animal products or any animal cruelty. It may sound difficult and confusing, but your friends will appreciate how you respect their lifestyle. I always appreciate thought out gifts from my friends especially when I see how much effort thy put in to make sure the gift is vegan.
Label savvy
Many companies try to hide animal based ingredients, so even if it says non-dairy it doesn’t mean that it’s vegan. For example on some dairy products the label reads that they are soy-based and while they do not have lactose they have casein that is made from milk. I suggest you to bring a non-vegan list of ingredients with you when you’re checking the labels because it’s too difficult to remember them all.
Food
If you’ve decided that your present is going to be food don’t be scared. There are many companies that offer vegan food – all you have to do is call them. A good and tasteful idea is to order a fruit gift basket delivery, but if the basket includes other goodies besides fruit, make sure they don’t contain animal ingredients. Also, when you choose a basket as a gift it can seem impersonal and dull so add something to the basket you know your friend would love – maybe a blue police box for Whovians or a My Little Pony plush toy.
Clothes, shoes and accessories
Vegan clothes do not contain any animal products and they guarantee that no animals were harmed to make the clothes. There are stores that sell only vegan clothes, but you can buy vegan clothes in any store and even online, all you have to know is how to read the fine print. If your heart is set on buying a leather jacket as a gift look for imitations. If it’s vegan it will have one of these written on the label: man-made leather, imitation-leather, pleather, synthetic leather or waxed-cotton. Genuine silk is also a no-no because the silkworms could have been boiled alive to get the fabric, so look for one of these on the labels: rayon, nylon, polyester, tencel, tussah, silk-cotton tree filaments or ceiba tree filaments or milkweed seed-pod fibers. And most obviously no wool feathers or fur.
Trinkets
Books are always a good gift because you know that they are made from trees – just make sure that the cover is vegan and not made from leather. Candles can be made with beeswax or can contain animal-derived stearic acid so if you’re going for a candle make sure the company sells vegan candles. If you want to buy makeup, besides reading the labels you need to make sure they have not been tested on animals. Looking for the leaping bunny logo on personal care items.
Feature photo credit: Steven Depolo, Flicker