Answer: No.
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Are Lucky Charms Vegan?
Lucky Charms include swine gelatin, which is derived from boiling pigskin, joints, bones, and the like. They also have artificial colors, sugar, vitamin D3, and natural taste, all of which are questionable substances for vegans.
The most essential meal of the day is breakfast. A bowl of cereal with oat milk and blueberries is one of people’s favorites. With so many different cereal brands, it’s difficult to tell which ones are vegan or not.
Anyone would be intrigued by a bowl of cereal with such a diverse range of forms and colors. Lucky Charms was the first cereal to contain marshmallows in its packaging. It drew the interest of many people throughout history that it ranked sixth on Kiplinger’s list of the most popular breakfast cereals in America in 2018, beating out Fruit Loops and Fruity Pebbles.
Today we’ll look into Lucky Charms and their vegan status.
Without further ado, let’s dig in!
What Are Lucky Charms?
Lucky Charms is a breakfast cereal brand manufactured by General Mills from 1964. The cereal is made up of toasty oat pieces with multi-colored marshmallow bits or crumbs.
It was not sugar-coated at first. It didn’t garner a lot of attention, so they added the sugar coating, and the success began to expand.
They not only offer cereal, but they also have a Lucky Charms treat bar.
Lucky Charms offer a variety of flavors such as Limited-Edition Original Lucky Charms, Limited-Edition Chocolate Lucky Charms, Original Lucky Charms Cereal, Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal, Lucky Charms Honey Clovers Cereal, and Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes Cereal, Fruity Lucky Charms Cereal
Are Lucky Charms Healthy?
Lucky Charms is an enriched cereal with additional minerals and vitamins that may help people who have a low-calorie diet. However, it is far preferable to obtain your nourishment from entire meals such as fruits and vegetables.
Sadly, Lucky Charms cereal, like many other childhood favorites, is high in sugar. It also includes harmful dyes, which are used to create those bright tiny marshmallow charms. In certain studies, these colors have been linked to the development of cancer. In addition, the dyes have been related to behavioral issues, allergies, and hyperactivities for the kids.
Lucky Charms are not good for you. It may be okay to have a minimal serving, as with other crunchy snacks, but health-conscious diners and vegans would not want to make this cereal a regular component of their diets.
Why Are Lucky Charms Unsuitable for Vegans?
Lucky Charms is undoubtedly fantastic, however, after checking its ingredients and nutritional content, we found out that it is not suitable for your vegan plate.
The components you may find here may appear vegan at first glance, but after more investigation, we discover that most of the Lucky Charms ingredients are non-vegan. Read on to find out why.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3, which is added to cereals like Lucky Charms, is obtained from lanolin, a wax released by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, specifically sheep.
Lanolin is extracted during sheep shearing, a procedure wherein the wool is chopped off using electric clippers and rinsed to extract the lanolin out from the water. When lanolin is extracted, it takes the form of a gold waxy material, which is then packaged and shipped to a refinery.
The lanolin is then filtered, polished, and solidified before being transported to a lab and placed inside a special kiln to be subjected to UV radiation in order to recreate the effects of sunshine on the skin. Specifically, this process produces vitamin D3, which is subsequently utilized to fortify foods such as cereals.
Gelatin
Gelatin is made by boiling the tendons, skin, tendons, bones, and/or tendons of cows and pigs that have been rendered inedible by the meat industry. It is widely found in cosmetic goods such as facemasks and shampoos, but it is most typically found in fruit puddings and gelatins, as well as marshmallows and other jelly-like items.
Gelatin is obviously not vegan, but there are now substitutes such as agar-agar, carrageenan, and pectin, which are made from seaweed or fruit peel.
Artificial Colors
The following artificial colors can be found in Lucky Charms: Yellows 5 and 6, Red 40, and Blue 1.
This is a sensitive topic for many people, and for valid reasons.
Although artificial colors do not contain anything originating from animals, something equally as horrible occurs when this chemical is used, and that is animal experimentation.
Some may argue it’s vegan, while others will insist it’s not.
The vegan diet is all about putting an end to animal cruelty and suffering. Because animals are killed and tortured in the process of evaluating the safety of artificial colors, this component cannot be vegan.
Other testing methods, such as computer simulations, can be employed instead.
This component will remain non-vegan as long as animal experimentation is practiced.
Honey
Honey is another substance that is completely unsuitable for vegans.
We abuse the bees for their honey and replace it with sugar. We effectively rob them of their nourishment.
Whey Powder
Whey is a kind of protein obtained from milk. It’s a byproduct of cheese making.
Obviously, this is not a vegan component.
Soy Lecithin
We list this as a non-vegan item since according to a study, it is one of the most frequent GMO crops and requires a large quantity of insecticide to get strong yields. This insecticide wreaks havoc on ecosystems.
Sugar
When it comes to veganism, this is one of the most debated substances. Cane sugar is the most often used sugar in the candies and sweets business.
Cane sugar is well-known for employing bone char throughout bleaching, which has garnered a lot of attention over the years. Most vegan folks believe that employing bone char is incorrect because there are other options.
Vegan Cereal Alternatives
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to discover vegan substitutes to Lucky Charms, but I have found a really excellent idea, but only if you’re really craving Lucky Charms.
Try combining Nature’s Path Cheetah Stomps with a pack of Dandies Marshmallows.
But, if you’re not feeling up to cooking, here are some wonderful vegan cereal alternatives:
Frosted Flakes
Frosted Flakes are generally acknowledged to be vegan. They do, however, include sugar and vitamin D, which are questionable components for vegans. Frosted Flakes may be avoided by the most committed vegans for this reason.
But I have found some Frosted Flakes flavors that don’t include Vitamin D3 as an ingredient. You can grab some Millville Frosted Flakes, Kroger Frosted Flakes, or Sainsbury’s Frosted Flakes.
365 Everyday Value Organic Morning O’s
It is manufactured by Whole Foods Market and has 22 g of whole grains per serving. This vegan cereal contains rice flour cereal mildly sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic whole grain oat and is fiber-rich and USDA organic.
Back To Nature Gluten-Free Apple Blueberry Granola
This cereal is a whole-rained rolled oatmeal with wild blueberries and apples.
Delicious granola with juicy apple bits and dried blueberries. Watered down with fruit juice concentrated and organic cane sugar. If you enjoy fruit, you’ll definitely adore this granola.
Cap’n Crunch
That’s true, your beloved sailor insisted that the best cereals from their broad choices be 100% plant-based. According to PETA, Cap’n Crunch Berries, Cap’n Crunch Original, and Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch are all vegan, so morning will be a pleasure. If you ask us, any of them drowned in a cup of almond milk with a snack of peanut butter bread sounds just delicious.
General Mills’ Fiber One Original
Whether you’re trying to get your daily fiber intake or just want to enjoy some old good grain, you will be delighted to learn that General Mills’ Fiber One Original cereal is vegan.
Barbara’s Puffins Cereals
The majority of Barbara’s Puffins Cereals are vegan-friendly, and while most are considered healthy, each mouthful has a robust flavor and will keep you satisfied until noon. The vegan options include Original, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Multigrain, Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Berry Burst, and Pumpkin. Undoubtedly, we’re planning a huge cereal tasting in the near future.
Are Lucky Charms Gluten-Free?
Yes, Lucky Charms are free from gluten, on the other hand, are manufactured with oat flour and whole grain oats. Some gluten-intolerant persons may also be vulnerable to oats.
Here are some Lucky Charms gluten-free flavors:
- Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes Cereal
- Lucky Charms Honey Clovers Cereal
- Chocolate Lucky Charms Cereal
- Fruity Lucky Charms Cereal
Are Lucky Charms Halal or Kosher?
The marshmallows from Lucky Charms are neither halal nor kosher since they are produced with pork, an animal that neither Muslims nor Jews are permitted to consume.
Are Lucky Charms Keto Approved?
No, Lucky Charms contains too many carbohydrates and sugar to be suitable for a keto diet. On a keto diet, you typically consume between 20 and 50 grams of carbohydrates each day. Lucky Charms contain 30 grams per serving. Obviously, this cereal will not be a reasonable option for someone on a keto diet.
Conclusion
Lucky Charms is not a good choice for your vegan journey since they include animal-derived components such as gelatin and vitamin D3.
In the United States, Lucky Charms cereal is a popular childhood snack. It is not a nutritious meal, despite being fortified with minerals and vitamins, which is advantageous to individuals with a poor diet.
Sugary cereals, such as Lucky Charms, include artificial additives that might be unhealthy. They have been linked to childhood obesity and may increase your chance of acquiring diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Today, more than ever before, you can have your cake-like morning cereal and eat it too! Consider some of the healthy and vegan alternatives to Lucky Charms listed above. You could find they’re even better than your childhood favorite!