Veganism has been around since 1944. However, it wasn’t as well known as vegetarianism, and for years people used the two terms interchangeably. This changed recently when going vegan became a serious trend. There are even a few subdivisions for veganism.
This makes people wonder, in these multiple tiers of veganism, would dairy products find a place on the menu? And if not full-cream milk, is skim milk vegan?
In the next sections, we’ll take a closer look at veganism, why people are opting for that difficult diet, and what are its various types. We’ll also check out which foods are on the menu and which ones are not.
What Is Veganism?
Being Vegan, for many people, means sticking to a plant-based diet. However, the idea of veganism extended over the years from being related to food only, to become a lifestyle and a worldview.
Even though the term ‘Vegan’ saw the light in 1944, it took full form five years later. In 1949, Leslie J Cross issued the definition of veganism. According to the Vegan Society, veganism is defined as follows:
“A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”
Clearly, veganism goes way beyond food choices. And many vegans choose this strict diet for reasons that have little to do with culinary tastes. The main reasons are:
- Ethical
- Environmental
- Related to health issues
What Do Vegans Eat?
From the above, we can easily deduce that vegans steer clear from anything that has to do with animals. Broadly speaking, they eat a plant-based diet. But from that general title, there are some interesting subdivisions.
Plant-Based Diet Vegans
These are folks who go vegan all the way when it comes to food but relax their standards a little for other products. They wouldn’t mind using natural leather, cosmetics containing animal byproducts, or processed food additives.
Naturalist Vegans
This is a diet that focuses on whole foods. It’s more into healthcare and body-building by providing a highly nutritious menu. It’s easy to get used to and doesn’t limit the intake of calories, natural fats, or carbs.
Raw-Food Vegans
The only foods allowed in this diet are either completely raw or cooked at a low temperature. Nothing that’s been heated to above 118 degrees.
There’s a sub-sub category here that’s a low-fat raw-food vegan. Here there’s a lot of calorie counting along with the exclusion of cooked food.
Is Skim Milk Off the Vegan Menu?
The whole dairy rack is off the vegan menu. Some people mix up lacatrian diets or lacto-vegetarian diets with being vegan. But that’s completely wrong. A vegetarian diet is off meat, but doesn’t mind the inclusion of eggs or dairy.
Newcomers in the vegan world often have this knowledge about vegetarianism. That’s why they expect to see some milk on a vegan table. Even if it’s skim milk.
The process of skimming milk takes away the fat content, but doesn’t change the fact that there’s some kind of farming in the process. They would also assume that there’s a possibility of animal exploitation involved.
Even organic sources couldn’t get the approval of the vegan society.
What Is the Vegan Alternative for Skim Milk?
One of the arguments often heard from vegans, is that there are plenty of plant-based alternatives for every conceivable food. Even junk food has a parallel in the vegan universe.
The ready alternatives for skim milk are almond milk and soy milk. But the catalogue contains many more options like oat milk, flax milk, and coconut milk. They’re all quite tasty, and lend themselves easily to all the classical beverages that previously had milk in them.
Are There Any Dairy Ingredients in Vegan Foods?
Milk is often used as a food additive in its dried form. If not added in its natural form, parts of it could be used to enhance the taste, texture, or nutritional value of some processed foods.
Many vegan eaters buy processed foods that seem to be completely vegan, but include milk in some form or another. Here are some of the usual suspects.
- Imitation cheese
- Margarine
- Low-fat foods
Imitation cheese is among the vegan favorites, and it’s present in numerous vegan recipes. The labels on it clearly state that it’s a non-dairy plant-based product. And this is true for the most part. But it sometimes includes the protein casein, which comes from dairy sources.
Margarine was traditionally made from animal fat, but that was more than a century ago. In recent years, margarine settled into its new status as a non-dairy substitute for butter. It’s mostly made from oil, water, and emulsifiers. The tasty ones include milk.
Low-fat foods, in general, include dairy products to improve their flavor and add a soft palatable texture to their consistency. A dry cookie is often baked with little or no fat, that’s why adding milk enhances the taste and improves the crunch significantly.
People who go vegan to lose weight are especially prone to encountering these products. The ingredient list is often very obscure and easy to miss. But not if you know what to look for.
To Answer the Question
Skim milk is way off the vegan menu. Even though it’s a derivative of full-cream milk, that doesn’t change its situation as a dairy product. A vegan diet excludes even the food additives that have an animal origin.
Veganism isn’t a single regimen or a fully defined lifestyle. There are several variants that come with different interests. While some vegans are fully focused on health benefits, others are concerned with ethical or environmental issues.
Interestingly, all vegans are against dairy. That’s why skim milk is labeled as non-vegan.