Is Bread Vegan? (what about yeast??)
Can vegans eat bread?
When I first went vegan I actually thought I couldn’t eat bread. It took two weeks for me to work up the courage to even look at a label to read the ingredients because I was so devastated I’d never eat bread again. Lol.
Lucky for you, you’re googling “can a vegan eat bread?” to get the answer right away.
YEP- most bread is vegan!
That’s because at its most basic bread is made from flour, water, salt and yeast. All you need to do is check the ingredients or make your own!
What kind of bread is not vegan?
Bread containing any sort of animal product is not vegan. Some of these sneaky ingredients include:
- Eggs
- Honey
- Casein
- Gelatin
- Royal Jelly
- Milk
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Whey
- Vitamin D3
Read the ingredients list carefully and you should be able to find a vegan bread easily.
Can Vegans eat bread and pasta?
Is Sunbeam Bread Vegan?
These are the ingredients in Sunbeam bread:
“Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Yeast, Salt, Soybean Oil, Wheat Gluten, Dough Conditioners (Contains One or More of the Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Monoglycerides and/or Diglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, DATEM, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides, Azodicarbonamide, Enzymes), Soy Flour, Yeast Food (Ammonium Sulfate), Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Soy Lecithin, Calcium Propionate (to Retard Spoilage).“
Because it contains monoglycerides and diglycerides, you’ll probably want to avoid this bread.
Monoglycerides and diglycerides are food additives to help improve texture, prevent oil from separating and extend shelf life. They can be sourced from plant based fats or animal fats but it’s impossible to know for sure by reading the ingredients. To find out, you’d need to call the manufacturer.
Is yeast vegan?
Before we answer that we need to ask the question:
What exactly is yeast?
Yeast are actually single cell organisms that are classified as a fungus. The yeast species we all know and love is called saccharomyces cerevisiae and uses sugar to produce carbon dioxide in alcohol in the process of fermentation.
The products from this reaction are used in baking and alcoholic drinks.
So, can vegans eat yeast?
Yes, yeast is vegan because it’s not an animal- it’s actually part of the mushroom fam 🙂
Vegan bread brands
Always check the ingredients. And be aware of “natural flavor.” The FDA’s definition of that isn’t super reassuring.
“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
This basically means that anything can fall into the category of natural flavor whether it’s plant or animal based.
This list has some companies that are vegan and some that have a lot of good vegan options. Always scan the ingredients so you know! This is just for informational purposes. Companies may change their products or ingredients at anytime. When in doubt, call the manufacturer.
Here are some vegan bread brands found in most supermarkets:
- Silver Hills
- Ezekiel Bread
- Dave’s Killer Bread
- BFree
- Thomas
- 365 Everyday Value Bread (check ingredients on some)
- Alvarado
- Arnold
- Aunt Millie’s
- Brownberry
- Ener-G
- Franz Bakery
- One Degree Organics
- Oroweat
- Cobblestone Bread Co.
- Trader Joe’s Brand
Is sourdough bread vegan?
Sourdough bread is vegan as long as they are using traditional ingredients:
- Flour
- Water
- Salt
- Yeast
If there are non-tradtional ingredients like milk, honey or other animal based products then it wouldn’t be considered vegan.
You can actually make your own vegan sour dough pretty easily 🙂
Is white bread vegan?
Most white bread is vegan- check the ingredients for dairy or animal based products.
Is rye bread vegan?
Rye bread is traditionally vegan- check the ingredients for surprise animal derived additives.
Is wonder bread vegan?
“Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Calcium Carbonate, Soybean Oil, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Dough Conditioners (Contains One or More of the Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Monoglycerides, Mono- and Diglycerides, Distilled Monoglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, DATEM, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid), Vinegar, Monocalcium Phosphate, Yeast Extract, Modified Corn Starch, Sucrose, Sugar, Soy Lecithin, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Soy Flour, Ammonium Sulfate, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Propionate (to Retard Spoilage).”
Based on their ingredients, no, Wonder Bread is not vegan. All the ingredients in bold are either animal derived or there is no way of knowing for sure if it’s plant derived.
Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) is actually made from the fat of lamb’s wool so that’s a pretty major one to avoid if you’re vegan.
Is subway bread vegan?
There are some vegan bread options at Subway:
- Italian bread
- Hearty Italian bread
- Roasted Garlic bread
- Sourdough
- Wrap
Are baguettes vegan?
Baguettes follow the same outline as all the other bread mentioned- if they’re made with traditional ingredients you should be fine. Check the ingredients for specialty things added to make sure!
Can vegans eat butter?
Butter is made from cows milk, so no, vegans avoid butter.
Luckily, there are so many vegan options now you don’t need to worry!
Here are some vegan butter brands:
- Earth Island
- Wayfare
- Wildbrine
- Melt Organic Butter
- Miyoko’s vegan butter
- Becel Vegan Butter
It’s a great time to be vegan
The options are plentiful. Big companies are fighting for a piece of the vegan pie. Who knew we would live in a world where ads for plant based burgers and milks would be normal?
There are so many options available and more to come. Bread is an easy one- check the ingredients or make your own at home with basic ingredients and a bread maker or oven 🙂
More Vegan Articles:
- Is Soy Sauce Vegan?
- Is Sugar Vegan?
- Best Vegan Toothpaste {top 7 vegan toothpaste brands that taste good!}
- Best Vegan Multivitamins for Kids and Toddlers
