Can Vegans Eat Bread? – Is Bread Always Vegan-Friendly?

Becoming vegan can be a confusing time with lots of questions. So, it makes sense that many new vegans are asking questions such as can vegans eat bread? So, let’s dive into it…

Yes, vegans can eat bread! And I’m sure this is going to be delightful news for so many new vegans who were worried they may need to lose this glorious food from their diet.

Before you start shovelling loaves, I do have a bit of bad news. While vegans can eat bread, not ALL bread is vegan. So you’d better put the loaf down and read on.

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No, vegans can’t eat all types of bread. Even though there are plenty of choices for vegans when it comes to bread you still need to be on the lookout for what’s vegan-friendly and what’s not. 

The most common ingredients used to make bread are flour, water, salt, and yeast. And because these are all vegan-friendly it means that bread is often vegan. But sometimes the recipe may contain other ingredients such as dairy, eggs or animal fats. If this is the case it’s no longer suitable for vegans. 

When animal-derived ingredients are added to the core ingredients of the bread recipe, it is no longer vegan. As a rule, vegans do not consume anything that comes from an animal or that causes an animal any harm.

• Eggs
• Milk
• Butter
• Honey
• Whey
• Yoghurt
• Casein
• Mono and diglycerides (could be soybean oil or animal fats)
• Lecithin (could be from soybeans or from egg yolks)

If by normal bread, we mean, white or wholemeal bread then yes, it’s usually fine. Most regular loaves are vegan-friendly.

There are some exceptions but vegans can usually eat:

• White bread
• Wholemeal bread
• Pita bread
• Baguettes
• Sprouted bread
• Ciabatta

Yes, I think vegans should eat bread, provided there is no other reason, such as an allergy or an intolerance. I think this because white and brown flour is fortified with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, thiamine (Vitamin B1) and niacin (Vitamin B3).

So, in moderation, bread is a healthy way for anyone to supplement their diet. Including vegans. 

Yes, as standard white bread is vegan. In the UK, I’ve found that supermarkets own and big brands make white bread that is vegan-friendly. 

To be on the safe side, if you’re going to try a different white loaf of bread on your next shopping trip just double-check the ingredients, but I’m sure you’ll almost always find that white bread is vegan. 

Yes, lots of Warburtons bread is vegan-friendly. 

Warburtons have been around since 1876 and their bread is a very recognised item in most British homes. And gladly, being vegan doesn’t mean you need to change that. 

Here are some of the vegan bread options you have from Warburtons:

• Toastie White / Medium White / Super Toastie
• Sliced Tiger White
• Half & Half Medium

If you’re wondering about any of Warburtons other types of bread, check out Warburtons website.  

A lot of Hovis products are vegan, but not all of them, so be sure to check. 

But to get you started here’s some vegan bread you can find from Hovis:

• Soft White Medium Sliced/ thick sliced/ extra thick sliced
• Farmhouse Soft White
• Wholemeal Medium Sliced
• Seed Sensations® Original

All Hovis bread is suitable for vegetarians. If you want to know if any other Hovis products are vegan take a look at its website. 

Most of what you find from Kingsmill is vegan-friendly, So it’s usually a pretty safe choice when it comes to buying vegan-friendly bread.

Here are vegan bread options from Kingsmill:

• Soft White
• Kingsmill Tasty Wholemeal
• 50/50 Multi-Seed

All of Kingsmill’s products are vegetarian. You can look on Kingsmill’s website to check if any of its other products are vegan. 

Without listing every bread there is, and ever will be, I can’t give an exact answer but as a rule here are some types of bread that are not usually vegan:

Naan – Naan is often made using dairy in the form of butter, yoghurt, ghee or milk.

Brioche – Brioche is typically super un-vegan-friendly, there’s often a bit of everything thrown in eggs, milk and butter. 

No, soda bread is not usually vegan. It typically contains buttermilk and eggs. It is possible to get or make your own vegan soda bread but most you find won’t be vegan-friendly.

Bagels – Plain bagels are usually vegan but there can be many types of bagels, so if you’re getting something a little fancier make sure it doesn’t contain milk, egg or maybe even honey.

Yes, pita bread is usually suitable for vegans. This is great for me because it’s been a staple many times while travelling. 

Each company may have a different recipe or change its recipe from time to time, it’s possible for the water to be replaced with milk. So, it’s always good to double check but vegans are usually safe when it comes to pita bread. 

Yes, vegans eat bread with yeast in it. Providing the bread has no other animal-derived ingredient it’s fine. Yeast is vegan, many vegans eat it and it can be a healthy addition to most diets. 

Usually, no, vegans can’t eat garlic bread and that’s because it’s made using butter.

Now, this doesn’t mean if you’re a vegan you’ll never experience the taste of a delicious, warm, crispy piece of garlic bread again. But grabbing it in the supermarket won’t be easy. 

Last week I tried the vegan garlic bread at Zizzi’s and it was pretty special! I’d go back for that alone. And if you fancy some garlic bread at home then it’s easy enough to whip some up yourself. 

You could buy some bake-at-home baguettes, some vegan spread, like Flora, a head of garlic and go crazy! 

Or if you want to go a little fancier, you could follow this delicious-looking recipe – The Best Vegan Garlic Bread from Minimalist Baker.

Well, vegans can eat wheat, so it makes sense that vegans can eat wheat bread. It is similar to regular white bread but whole wheat is processed to include all nutritious parts of the grain, whereas white bread only uses one part, the endosperm. 

So, wheat bread is typically vegan,  provided there are no unusual ingredients added. So, it’s always best to check.

Yes, Ezekiel is a great option for vegans. It is a super healthy bread made from sprouted grains. Here in the UK, it’s not easy to find Ezekiel bread. It is possible to find sprouted wheat bread in Holland and Barrett and Sprouted Rye Bread on Amazon.

More good news, yes ciabatta is vegan. The exception to this is ciabatta al latte, which as the name suggests, contains milk. But as a rule, regular ciabatta is vegan.

Yes! I’m glad to say that vegans can eat baguettes! They’re pretty much always made with plant-based ingredients such as flour, water, yeast, and salt. This makes them a delicious and vegan-friendly food.

So, do vegans eat bread? Yes, vegans all over the world eat bread every day! More often than not, bread is vegan.

There are many options available, but if you’re not sure, sticking to regular white flower bread is almost always a safe option.

Now you know all there is to know about bread, well at least what us plant eaters need to know. But what’s next, wanna learn about butter?  – Is Butter Vegan? How to Spread with Confidence! Or what about Jelly? – Vegan Jelly UK – Where to Buy Jelly for Vegans

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Meet the Author

Meet Sinead O’Carroll: Vegan explorer, sustainability advocate and the founder of The Wondering Wandering Vegan. Embracing veganism since 2018 and vegetarianism since 2005, Sinead is armed with a Vegan Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle qualification, and is on a mission to share her passion for cruelty-free living. 

With a taste for adventure and a heart for eco-conscious choices, she’s here to prove that vegans never miss out on flavour, fun or style. Join her in enjoying the delights of a vegan-friendly world! 🌱✈️🌍
Want to know more? Check out Sinead’s About page here.

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