Vegan-friendly apps

Jumping into a vegan lifestyle can be confusing, and there are hidden animal products in many of the items we purchase on a regular basis. Fish scales in lipstick, crushed snails in other cosmetics, and wine produced with gelatin (pig hooves - no kidding!) are just a few examples of how we can unknowingly use and consume animal products. But luckily, there are some great smart phone apps to get us through an otherwise daunting shopping experience.

Cruelty-Free: A great shopping guide, with vegan-friendly items searchable by company or product type. From deodorant to floor cleaner, find out what household items are A-OK for vegans and animal lovers.

VeganXpress: A huge list of restaurants, food, beer, and wine that are suitable for vegans, including specific menu items on chain restaurants (great for when you're on the go or meeting people). Search for a specific place or item, or browse through the list.

Animal-Free: Aren't sure what those ingredients are that are listed on the package? So many things come from animals that we may not even know about. Animal-free has a list of animal-derived ingredients to avoid, as well as a bar-code scanner to check specific products. You can even click on an ingredient to see if it's commonly used in any particular products.

Whole Foods Recipes: You can filter to the vegan recipe option, and search for dishes based on course or category. A really neat feature is the ability to input what you already have "on hand" - and let the app show you recipes that you can make with those ingredients. 


Do you have a favorite vegan app, or other easy ways to shop vegan? Let's hear about it!