Surviving the Holidays as a Vegan

Out of the 23 Holiday Seasons I've experienced in my time on this Earth, 20 were just regular, omni holidays.  I then spent 1 of them as a vegetarian and 2 of them as a vegan.  As I prepare for my third holiday season without any animal products I begin to feel the anxiety that has become standard for this time of year.  If you don't eat a "normal" diet, you may understand what I mean.  As we get nearer and nearer to family Christmas, I begin to think more and more of how I will handle those days amongst family.  I am by no means an expert, but let me share with you what I've learned so far and what I plan to implement this year to survive the holidays as a vegan!

Now, in my ideal world, my family would eat 100% vegan while we're together.  To be fair, I've never asked them to.  I don't want to force feed veganism to my family, as I know it will only push them further away.  But despite that I find myself thinking; "You've had countless meals to eat whatever you want since the last time we saw each other, and you know how I feel about consuming and using animal products.  Can't you just go one meal, or one day, without hurting animals?"

For those of us who are ethical vegans, the holidays are an emotionally fraught time.  I am lucky enough to be marrying a man who shares my values, and therefore live in a 100% vegan home.  That means that the only times I have to break bread with non-vegans are in the lunchroom at work or if I go to a non-vegan restaurant (not a common occurrence).  But at the holidays?  I may be spending as much as a full week eating every single meal surrounded by death.  It's not fun.

I love my family, and I want to spend as much time with them as I can.  But I DON'T want to spend all of that time incredibly stressed and trying to hold in the sadness, anger, and frustration I feel as I watch them destroy their health, the lives of animals, and our environment so that our time together can be pleasant.  

So this year, I'm making a plan.  I'm going to think of as many different circumstances and conflicts I can ahead of time and find solutions so that this year the holidays can be a joy like they're meant to be (as much as possible).  And I'm sharing it with you so that you can have the resources you need to survive the holidays as a vegan, especially if it's your first one!

P L A N   A H E A D

Since you're reading this article, you're definitely on the right track!  Grab a notebook and a pen or pencil to take notes on the points that apply to your family and life and get prepared for a happy holiday season!

M A K E   A   L I S T

Of every single person who you'll see at the holidays.  Every single one!  If you have a big family this might take a while, but this will be so helpful for maneuvering this tricky time.  

Made your list?  Good.

Now I want you go down that list and think about each person individually.  What are they like?  Have they every commented on your diet, or the diet or someone else, before?  What did they say?  Do they like to ask a million questions?  Get into debates?  Make jokes?  Poke fun?  As you ask these questions about each person I want you to turn to a new page and jot down every comment, joke, or question you can imagine being asked by these people about your vegan lifestyle.  

C R E A T E   C A N N E D   R E S P O N S E S

This tip is a LIFESAVER.  Once you have your list of potential questions and comments, I want you to come up with a handful of responses that fit each eventuality.  This is perfect if you...

A) Aren't great at thinking on your feet or get flustered easily, or;

B) Tend to get upset or angry quickly and can't think of a response OR say something that will hurt the other person (or the cause!), or;

C) Are really shy or afraid of offending people.

Some examples would be:

• (Where do you get your protein, iron, calcium, etc.) From plants.
• (So how do you like just eating salad?)  There are over 20,000 types of edible plant foods and I love the huge variety in my diet!
• (Why won't you eat what I made for you?  I worked so hard on it just for you!) I love you, and I would love to eat anything you made for me if it was animal product free.  But I can't compromise my values no matter how much I love you and your cooking.  I hope that being here and spending time together will be enough to show you how much I love and appreciate you!
• (Humans are omnivores.  We're meant to eat meat, just like it's natural for lions to eat gazelle.) You are not a lion.  And you're not a carnivore.  You don't chase down your victim and catch it in your teeth.  You don't rip into their living flesh and start eating them raw.  You don't eat every piece, every organ, of their body without discrimination.  You are NOT meant to eat meat.
• (Being vegan is dumb.  Vegans are weak hippies.  Why don't you care more about people than you care about the animals?)  I don't discriminate against ANY living being, regardless of its species.  That's why I'm vegan.  I don't wish pain and suffering on any living thing, including humans.  Did you know that if every person went vegan we'd have enough food to feed the entire human population?

B R I N G   F A C T S   T O   B A C K   I T   U P

If you don't feel confident holding your own in a debate, use your list of potential questions, criticisms and comments to do research ahead of time and jot down facts and figures with sources.  You can just pull it out of your pocket and read it to them!  Another option is to download and print off my Vegan 101 pamphlet and pass it around to friends and family.  I created it in a printable format as well as a PDF appropriate for reading on the computer or a mobile device, so you can also send it to them if you'd prefer to save paper and ink!  Fill out the form below and I'll send the link to you, 100% free.

U S E   T H E   B U D D Y   S Y S T E M

Everything's better with an ally.  Is there anyone in your family who is vegan or vegetarian, or even just a little more sympathetic?  Talk to them beforehand, if possible, and ask them to help back you up with certain family members or if you're being ganged up on.  Make sure they know that you don't expect them to agree with your stance, if they don't, but that you just need that support and someone to tell others to take it back a notch if it gets to be too much.

E A T   B E F O R E H A N D

Not sure if there will be anything you can eat at Christmas dinner?  Eat before you go!  If it's just a dinner thing, or if you can manage to sneak out for a half-hour, try eating a full meal ahead of time so that you won't have a hard time sticking to the few vegan options.  If you know there will be a bit more for you to eat I still suggest as least a big salad, or something else light yet filling, just in case!  It also helps for those of you who are new to veganism and are still having cravings or trouble with motivation.

B R I N G   O R   M A K E   F O O D   

For everyone to try!  This is my favourite thing to do at the holidays, because it helps to show that a vegan diet can be more than salad, and that it can taste GREAT!  This year Jason and I plan to make dinner for everyone - shepherd's pie, vegetable soup, and apple crisp for dessert.  I bet no one is going to miss the meat or dairy in that hearty meal!

You can also ask if you can help out in the kitchen and make suggestions to make dishes vegan.  You can explain how if the carrots are cooked without butter you can enjoy them too, and everyone else can put as much butter as they like on their own carrots - everyone's happy! 

C O M P R O M I S E

If you normally eat a fully raw, vegan, low fat diet, you may need to compromise with a cooked vegan diet, or  foods with a higher fat content for a couple of meals.  Or say a family member bought you vegan cookies with oil, and you usually avoid oil.  It is far better to make an exception than to uphold a perfectly healthy diet and hurt someone who has tried so hard to accommodate you.  Perfection is the enemy of the good.  Being vegan is important to you, and it's important for the world.  You don't want to compromise on that!  But don't let an all or nothing attitude about your 100% clean diet ruin all of your hard work.  A couple of days of vegan junk food won't hurt you, and it may just show your family that veganism isn't quite as scary as they may have thought!

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I hope this post helped you, just as I hope the original conversation with my newly-vegan friend, Amanda (which inspired this post) did!  If you haven't already, be sure to scroll up and fill in the form for your free Vegan 101 booklet!  I've been working on it for a while and I think it will be a great resource for those of us with omni families.  If you're a Plant Based Bride newsletter subscriber you will receive your link automatically, as you do with all free resources as soon as they go live!

Happy Holidays and good luck!

Until next time,

What's your number one tip for surviving the holidays as a vegan?  Let everyone know in the comments below!

Linked Up!

10 Tips To Help You Go Dairy-Free!

Decided to cut dairy out of your diet but not sure where to start?  First of all, congratulations on taking the first step!  I'm so proud of you and I want to help you make this change, so today I am sharing my top 10 tips for going dairy-free that I used when I transitioned from a vegetarian to a vegan diet almost 3 years ago.  What are my credentials, you ask?  Good question!  

Right up until the day I committed to being vegan I was a cheese addict.  I would eat cheese with every single meal and snack.  I would eat melted cheese on a bagel for breakfast.  I would eat sliced cheese as a mid-afternoon snack.  I would eat a bowl of parmesan cheese with a spoon for dinner.  (True story).  Let me tell you, my family and friends were pretty shocked to hear I was no longer on the dairy train.  So how did I, as a major cheese addict, give it up cold turkey?  Keep reading to find out!

On to the tips!

ONE Have a clear image of WHY you're going dairy-free.

Every change is easier with a strong motivation.  What's yours?  Mine was purely ethical, read here for more on that, but there are a multitude of reasons to reduce, or even better eliminate dairy from your diet for health and environmental reasons as well!  I've written about these in detail on my blog, if you need a starting point in your research:

The Truth About The Dairy Industry

10 Reasons To Go Vegan!

Building Strong Bones With Plants

Should You Worry About Your Body's pH?

Milk IS NOT the Best Defence Against Osteoporosis

Still on the fence about giving up cow's milk and the products made from it?  I encourage you, if you haven't already, to read my latest blog post, The Truth About The Dairy Industry, and peruse the resources I shared throughout.  You can go now, it's ok, I'll wait!  Still not sure?  Comment below or send me an email at plantbasedbride@gmail.com and I'll answer any questions you may have and or chat with you, whatever you need!  I want to be a support for you, so please don't hesitate to shoot me an email (or a tweet or a Facebook message or whatever social media you like using!  I am on a good number of platforms.  You can find links to my profiles on the right side of this page on a desktop or at the very bottom on a mobile device!)

Once you have your motivation, do whatever you need to do to keep it at the forefront of your mind.  I found just having learned the truth about the dairy industry was enough for me, but you may need to write it down in your planner, or post a picture of dairy cows in a factory farm on your fridge, or have reminders pop up at meal times on your phone to keep your mind on your why.  Whatever method works for you, do it!  

TWO Consider your past successes.

Have you ever made a big change in your life?  Were you successful?  If so, take note of how you made that change.  Did you do it cold turkey?  Or was it more of a gradual change?

I won't tell you that one way is better than the other.  Everyone is different and each individual person needs to approach their life in the way that best fosters their success!  I cut out dairy in one fell swoop.  No more milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, etc. just like that.  I won't lie, it was hard.  But for me it was the very best option.  I am not great with moderation; a slow transition would have left too much temptation to cheat and have "just a little bit more".  My why was just too important for that.  

The good thing is, no matter how you do it, you'll be making a huge impact!  Even just a small reduction in your diary consumption at first will start to create improvements in your body as well as reducing the pain and suffering of animals and slowing the destruction of the environment.  Do not beat yourself up if you're not a cold turkey kind of person (I'm not either *wink wink*), and don't let others beat you up for it!  You're on your own journey.  No one else can feel what you feel or is thinking your thoughts.  You know which way is better for you and you are making a huge difference, no matter what anyone says!

THREE Tell your family and friends.

I'm not saying you should start preaching high and low, but I am saying you should hold yourself accountable.  The best way to do that?  Tell the people you're closest to your goal!  It is especially important to  tell those you find yourself eating with the most often.  If the people in your life know you're off dairy, they'll give you a hard time for cheating!  I found this to be one of the most helpful things I did to keep me on track in those first couple of weeks.

A caveat to this:  Some people will try to derail you.  Unfortunate, but true for almost any goal you could set.  People feel strongly about what they put in their mouths everyday (not surprising, as we are literally made from it!) and will sometimes get defensive or feel judged, even if you didn't once lay judgement on them.  It's ok.  It can be very hard, but don't let them push you to go against your values or miss your goal.  Maybe schedule more non-eating activities with them, or spend a little less time with them in that initial tough period while your willpower is still low.  They will stop trying to make you cheat eventually, once they see you won't budge.  I promise!

FOUR Try removing one form of dairy at a time.

If you're having trouble going full bore but aren't great with moderation, cutting out one type of dairy at a time could be the answer!  Try removing milk from your diet, then once this has become easier add yogurt, then butter, then cheese... you get the picture.  Focusing on just one product at a time can make a big goal seem a little more attainable!

FIVE Stock up on dairy substitutes.

While I don't encourage regular consumption of these products on a long-term vegan diet, dairy substitutes can be a life saver while transitioning! 

Craving cheese?  Here's some daiya!  Need something for your breakfast cereal?  How about some vanilla almond milk!

For any and every dairy product, there is a dairy-free substitute.  Don't be afraid to rely on these heavily at first!  I had daiya cheese daily on my salads and dinners for the first two or three weeks of giving up dairy, and it stopped me from caving many many times!

SIX Try something new!

Do you always go to the same restaurant and get the same dairy-laden dish?  Maybe it's time to try something new!  I suggest checking out vegan restaurants in your area (Happy Cow is a great resource for that) as there won't be any dairy in sight!  Breaking your routine can really help cement the change.

You can even try this tip at home!  Why not look up some new dairy-free recipes to try a couple of times a week, rather than just trying to cut out or substitute for the diary in your go-to meals?  Check out these incredible blogs for some inspiration:

Pickles & Honey

Oh She Glows

Coconut and Berries

Vegan Yack Attack

Connoisseurus Veg

And check out my recipe posts!

SEVEN Eat well.

As they say, you don't win friends with salad.  While I disagree (salad is awesome and so are friends!), eating foods you don't like is not going to help keep you on track.  Eat well!  Treat yourself to dairy-free deliciousness every single day.  Don't give yourself the chance to start fantasizing about poutine.  And if you do, go out and get a vegan version! (Poutineville and Fresh in Toronto both have ridiculously delicious vegan poutine!)  The goal is not to deprive yourself, it's to thrive.

EIGHT Start a journal.

Not everyone likes journaling.  I don't.  But I really really wish I'd kept a journal before and after the switch to have more tangible proof of why I felt better.  I definitely did, and could feel it, but recording my sleep, feelings, aches and pains, skin clarity, stuffiness, gas and bloating, and more would have really helped me recognize the benefits I was getting, right from the start!

Try keeping one every other day, or once a week, if your not a journal person.  I promise you'll be glad you did!

NINE Don't do it alone!

Recruit your significant other, your best friend, your sibling, or your coworker to give up dairy with you!  Everything is easier with a little teamwork, and making a significant dietary change is no different.  You can encourage each other, go for meals together, and talk about the toughest and best parts of going dairy-free!

TEN Seek support.

This is especially important if you don't have someone to do it with you or if your closest friends and family aren't on board.  Try vegan or dairy-free groups on Facebook, chatting on message boards, or reaching out to someone who has done what you're trying to do, even if you don't know them personally!

Like I said earlier in this post, I want to help you make this change.  I am being 100% serious when I say you can email me (plantbasedbride@gmail.com) or direct message me on instagram (@elizabethturn) anytime you need support!  I would be honoured to be the person to help you make a positive change in your life.

Whether it's me or not, seek that support and don't be afraid to use it!

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Now, go forth and go dairy-free!

Until next time,

What helped you give up dairy?  What was the hardest part?  I want to hear about it in the comments below!

Linked Up!

Easy Nana Ice Cream Recipe!

Nana ice cream, banana ice cream, nice cream; whatever you call it, it's delicious!  Dairy-free ice cream is widely available, which is incredible for those of us who still want a sweet chilly treat from time to time.  But what if you don't want to have to run to the store?  Or you want something lower fat and less full of preservatives?  Nana ice cream is the (mouth-watering) solution.  Today I'm sharing a super simple recipe for you to make your own!

Easy Nana Ice Cream Recipe

serves 2  //  5 minutes prep time

• 4 frozen bananas
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 fresh dates, pitted
• handful cocoa nibs

Throw all ingredients but the cocoa nibs in your trusty blender, and blend until smooth.  Add cocoa nibs on top.  That's it!  Keep in mind that if your blender runs hot you may need to pop your ice cream in the freezer for a 10-20 minutes to get it cold and solid again.

Looking for something simpler?  I've got you covered!

Even Easier Nana Ice Cream Recipe

serves 2  //  5 minutes prep time

• 4 frozen bananas
• as much water as is needed to help the blender conquer those bananas

Blend and enjoy!  

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Nana ice cream is one of the absolutely simplest tasty treats you can make, and is so easy to change up!  Try out adding your own ingredients to get new flavours every day of the week and tag me in your yummy food pictures so that I can see your creations (@elizabethturn)!

Until next time,

What's your favourite nana ice cream recipe?  Share it below for everyone to try!

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Non Vegan Ingredients to Avoid

Whether you're a new vegan or a vegan veteran, keeping track of no-no ingredients can be incredibly difficult.  Friends and family, from longer term vegans all the way to new vegetarians, have been lamenting hidden animal ingredients popping up all over the place in the foods they used to enjoy with a clean conscience.  That's why I'm creating this handy guide!  Pin or bookmark it so that you can come back and use it as a reference while shopping, making your life that much easier.  These ingredients may be found in food, personal care products, clothing, household products, and more.  Remember:  no one is perfect and it's impossible to successfully avoid all of these ingredients 100% of the time.  Don't beat yourself up or get too caught up in the purity of it all and just do your best!

A

• Adrenaline - derived from the adrenal glands of pigs, cows, or sheep.
• Albumen/Albumin - derived from eggs.
• Allantoin (also Alcloxa and Aldioxa) - derived from cow urine.
• Alligator Skin 
• Alpha-Hydroxy Acids - may be lactic acid, which can be animal derived.
• Ambergris - derived from whale intestines.
• Amino Acids (alanine,  - may be animal derived.
• Angora - hair from rabbits or goats.
• Animals Fats and Oils
• Animal Hair
• Arachidonic Acid - derived from the liver, brain, glands, and fat of animals.
• Arachidyl Proprionate - may be derived from animal fat.

B

• Bee Pollen
• Bee Products
• Beeswax
• Beta Carotene - may be derived from animal sources.
• Biotin, Vitamin H, and Vitamin B Factor - found in every living cell, often derived from milk or yeast.
• Blood
• Boar Bristles - boar hair.
• Bone Char - animal bone ash.
• Bone Meal - crushed or ground animal bones.
• Butter, Artificial Butter, Artificial Butter Flavour, Butter Extract, Butter Fat, Butter Flavoured Oil, Butter Solids, Dairy Butter, Natural Butter, Natural Butter Flavour, Whipped Butter
• Buttermilk, Buttermilk Blend, Buttermilk Solids

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Related Post: 25 Surprising Non-Vegan Foods

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C

• Calfskin
• Caprylamine Oxide, Capryl Betaine, Caprylic Triglyceride and Caprylic Acid - derived from cow's or goat's milk.
• Carmine, Carminic Acid, and Cochineal - derived from crushed female cochineal insects.
• Carotene and Provitamin A - may be derived from animal sources.
• Casein, Caseinate, and Sodium Caseinate - milk protein.
• Cashmere - wool of the Kashmir goat.
• Castor and Castoreum - may be derived from muskrat and beaver genitals. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Catgut - derived from the intestines of sheep, horses, and other animals.
• Cera Flava - derived from bees.
• Cerebrosides - may be derived from the brains of animals.
• Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate - may be derived from sperm whales and dolphins. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Cheese, Cheese Flavour (artificial and natural), Imitation Cheese
• Chitosan - derived from the shells of crustaceans.
• Cholesterol - derived from animal fat, nerve tissue, animal nerve tissue, egg yolks, and blood.
• Civet - derived from a gland near the genitals of civet cats.
• Collagen - usually derived from animal tissue.
• Colours and Dyes - may be of animal origin.
• Confectioner's Glaze - contains approximately 35% shellac (see below).
• Cortisone, Hydrocortisone, and Corticosteroid - may be derived from the adrenal glands of animals. (Synthetics widely used.)
• Cream, Whipped Cream
• Curds
• Custard
• Cysteine, L-Form - may be derived from animal hair.
• Cystine - an amino acid found in urine and horsehair.

D

• Dairy, Dairy Product, Dairy Product Solids
• Down - goose or duck insulating feathers.
• Duodenum Substances - derived from the digestive tracts of cows and pigs.

E

• Eggs
• Egg Protein
• Elastin - derived from the neck ligaments and aortas of cows.
• Emu Oil - derived from factory-farmed emu.
• Estrogen and Estradiol - derived from the urine of a pregnant mare.

F

• Fats and Fatty Acids - derived from animals.
• Feathers - plucked from birds.
• Fish Oil, Fish Liver Oil, and Cod Liver Oil - derived from marine animals.
• Fish Scales
• Fur

G

• Gelatin, Gel, and Hide Glue - protein derived from the skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones of cows and pigs.
• Ghee - a form of butter used in Indian cooking
• Glycerin, Glycerol, Glyceryls, Glycreth-26, Polyglycerol, and Glycerides - normally derived from animal fat.
• Guanine - derived from the scales of fish.

H

• Half & Half
• Honey and Honeycomb
• Horsehair
• Hyaluronic Acid - can be derived from umbilical cords and the fluids around the joints of animals.
• Hydrolyzed Animal Protein - derived from animals.

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Related Post: 10 Reasons To Go Vegan!

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I

• Insulin - derived from hog pancreas.
• Isinglass - a form of gelatine derived from fish bladders.

K

• Kefir - made using milk.
• Keratin - protein derived from ground-up horns, hooves, feather, quills, and hair or animals.

L

• Lactic Acid - can be derived from blood and muscle tissue.
• Lactose, Galactose, Lactate Solids, Lactic Yeast, Lactic Monohydrate, Lactoferrin, Lactoglobulin, Lactulose, Lactalbumin, Lactalbumin Phosphate - derived from the milk of mammals.
• Lanolin, Laneth, Lanogene, Lonolin Acids, Wool Fat, Wool Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Lanosterols, Isopropyl Lanolate, Cholesterin, Aliphatic Alcohol, and Amerchol L101 - extracted from sheep's wool.
• Lard - fat derived from hog abdomens.
• Leather
• Lecithin and Choline Bitartrate- often obtained from eggs and soybeans.
• Linoleic Acid - an essential fatty acid derived from fatty acids.
• Lipase - derived from the stomachs and tongue glands of calves, kids, and lambs.
• Lipids, Lipoids - derived from animals and plants.

M

• Marine Oil - derived from fish and marine mammals.
• Methionine - usually derived from eggs and milk.
• Milk, Acidophilus Milk, Cultured Milk, Condensed Milk, Dried Milk, Dry Milk Solids (DMS), Evaporated Milk, Lactose-Free Milk, Malted Milk, Milk Derivative, Milk Powder, Milk Protein, Milk Solids, Pasteurized Milk, Powdered Milk, Sour Milk
• Mink Oil - derived from minks.
• Monoglycerides and Diglycerides - derived from animal fat.
• Musk Oil - secretion derived from musk deer, beaver, muskrat, civet cat, and otter genitals.
• Myristic Acid, Myristyls, and Myristal Ether Sulfate - occassionally derived from animals.

N

• Natural Sources - can come from plant or animal sources.
• Nisin, Nisin Preparation - derived from milk.
• Nougat - often contains egg and honey.
• Nucleic Acids - derived from the cells of plants or animals.

O

• Octyl Dodecanol - derived from animal sources.
• Oleic Acid - obtained from animal or vegetable fats.
• Oleyl Alcohol, Ocenol, Oleths, Oleyls - derived from fish.

P

• Palmitic Acid, Palmitamide, Palmitamine, Palmitate - commonly derived from palm oil, but also from animal sources.
• Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Vitamin B-Complex Factor, Provitamin B-5, Panthenyl - can come from animal, plant, or synthetic sources.
• Pepsin - derived from hog stomachs.
• Placenta - derived from the uterus of dead animals.
• Polypeptides - derived from animal protein.
• Polysorbates - derived from animal fatty acids.
• Pristane - derived from the liver oil of sharks and whales.
• Progesterone - a hormone derived from animals.
• Propolis - derived from beehives.
• Pudding

Q

• Quark - a soft cheese.

R

• Recaldent - derived from milk.
• Rennet, Rennet Casein, Rennin - enzyme derived from calves' stomachs.
• Retinol - vitamin A derived from animals.
• RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) - can be derived from animal or plant cells.
• Royal Jelly - a secretion from the throat glands of bees.

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Related Post: 15 Weird Things I Do Now That I'm Vegan

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S

• Sable Brushes - made from the fur of sables (similar to weasels).
• Shark Liver Oil and Squalane - derived from sharks.
• Sheepskin
• Shellac and Resinous Glaze - derived from insect excretions.
• Silk and Silk Powder - obtained from silk worms.
• Snails
• Sour Cream, Sour Cream Solids, Imitation Sour Cream
• Sperm Oil and Spermaceti - mostly derived from petroleum, but also derived from the heads of sperm whales and dolphins.
• Sponge - a plant-like marine animal.
• Stearic Acid, Stearamide, Stearamine, Stearamine Oxide, Stearates, Stearic Hydrazide, Stearone, Stearoxytrimethylsilane, Stearoyl Lactylic Acid, Stearyl Acetate, Dimethyl Stearamine and Isopropyl Palmitate - can be derived from cows, pigs, sheep, and cats and dogs euthanized in animal shelters.
• Stearyl Alcohol, Sterols, Stearyl Caprylate, etc. - may be prepared from sperm whale oil.
• Steroids and Sterols - can be derived from animal glands or plant sources.
• Suede
• Sugar - often refined using bone char

T

• Tallow, Tallow Fatty Alcohol, Sodium Tallowate, Tallow Acid, etc. - rendered beef fat.
• Turtle Oil and Sea Turtle Oil - derived from the muscles and genitals of giant sea turtles.
• Tyrosine - can be derived from milk.

U

• Urea, Uric Acid  - typically synthetic, can be derived from the urine of animals and other bodily fluids.

V

• Vitamin A - can come from fish liver oil, egg yolk, butter, and plant and synthetic sources.
• Vitamin B12 - can come from animal products or bacteria cultures.
• Vitamin D, Provitamin D-2, Ergocalciferol, Ergosterol, Vitamin D2, Calciferol, Vitamin D3 - can be derived from animal or plant sources.

W

• Wax - derived from both animal and plant sources.
• Whey, Acid Whey, Cured Whey, Delactosed Whey, Demineralized Whey, Hydrolyzed Whey, Powdered Whey, Reduced Mineral Whey, Sweet Dairy Whey, Whey Protein, Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Powder, Whey Solids - a serum from milk.
• Wool - derived from sheep.

Y

• Yogurt

Notice something I missed?  Let me know in the comments and I'll add it!  I will continue to update this post as I find new ingredients that are animal-derived so that we can all work on making our lives as animal-product free as possible, together!

Until next time,

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