Clockwise from front: IKEA tins hold rosemary, Chinese five spice, cinnamon sticks and elder flowers (Photo by Chris Dunn).
But fear no more!
With a little effort and this nifty list, you can buy a gift for $10 or less for the animal-conscious person in your life.
1. Soap. With this gift, visions of cranberry, fig and pear berry will dance in their heads. Help your vegan loved ones get clean while keeping a clean conscience. Just be sure to look for soaps that don’t contain milk or honey.
2. Lotion/other body products. Again, another easy staple for vegan gifts. The more natural, the better, and don’t forget to check those labels!
3. Bottle of organic wine. What you might not know is, wine, beer and liquor companies use animal products and by-products to filter their drinks (fish bladders, eggs). Barnivore is a handy-dandy searchable guide that will tell you what companies are vegan-friendly. Visit www.barnivore.com for details. If you’re buying from a local brewery or winery, ask the salesperson how the drink is prepared.
4. Spice food kit. Put together a flavorful spice basket for the foodie in your life. Go to local farmers markets or spice shops, which offer an assortment of items. Also, think outside the box — chia seeds, Himalayan salt and nutritional yeast all make great additions to a spice rack.
5. Organic olive oil. It’s so yummy when it’s natural and -authentic, but sometimes vegans don’t always have money to buy the best. Treat them to a great bottle.
6. Cookbooks. You can find many different types of cookbooks for cheap online. You also can look for magazines that contain recipes. And, who knows, if you’re lucky, the recipient might share a dish from the new cookbook!
7. Donate to a vegan charity. Can’t decide on what he or she will like? Make a great contribution to a farm sanctuary or other vegan organization. Just make sure you do your research before donating to ensure the organization is truly vegan-friendly.
8. Etsy. If you’ve never heard of Etsy, where have you been? If you search “gifts under 10,” there are a lot of great items -looking for a new home including some great handmade pins by vegancraftastic.
9. Vegan chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? As with everything, check the ingredients before buying. Some things to look for that aren’t vegan: whey, butter, casein. When in doubt, go with a vegan company and look for the certified vegan logo.
10. Cook together! Do you wonder how vegans even eat? Buy the ingredients for dinner and spend some time in the kitchen with that special person. You just might be surprised to learn that vegan food is just as good as any other type of cuisine!
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