{"id":1826,"date":"2020-01-21T16:19:48","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T16:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=is_it_vegan&p=1826"},"modified":"2020-02-17T15:37:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-17T15:37:12","slug":"couscous","status":"publish","type":"is_it_vegan","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/is-it-vegan\/couscous\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Couscous Vegan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CouscousIn the hit parade of vegan clich\u00e9s, couscous is definitely a perennial top 10 chart success. When people of a certain disposition, people like Piers Morgan<\/a> perhaps, talk disparagingly about vegans and their diet, a throwaway jibe about eating couscous is always a possibility. Foods like quinoa, lentils, kale, jackfruit<\/a> and indeed couscous are strongly linked with veganism and so it may seem slightly strange to query whether or not the latter is indeed vegan friendly.<\/p>\n

However, what is commonplace to one person might be entirely foreign to the next. Moreover, as many vegans are aware, there are lots and lots of seemingly plant-based items that somehow have an animal derivative lurking either in their ingredients or their manufacturing process. Who would have thought that wine might be made with a fish\u2019s swim bladder<\/a> or that some breakfast cereals effectively contain grease from sheep<\/a>?<\/p>\n

So, whilst we may naturally assume that couscous is vegan friendly (even if we don\u2019t really even know what it is!), for the sake of clarity we\u2019ll answer the question of whether or not it really is suitable for those on a plant-based eating regime. We\u2019ll also look at what, if anything, vegans might have to be cautious of, as well as looking at what couscous is and whether or not it is a good addition to a vegan diet\u2026 assuming it passes the first test, of course!<\/p>\n

Can Vegans Eat Couscous?<\/h2>\n

Let us start with the important bit: is couscous vegan? Well, good news vegan couscous fans: yes, yes it is. We\u2019ll go into more detail about what couscous is later but for now all you really need to know is that couscous is plant based, doesn\u2019t use any animal derivatives in its processing and is, therefore, as vegan as a bowl of kale and lentils topped with jackfruit!<\/p>\n

Traditionally, couscous would be made with just durum wheat semolina and salted water and that is essentially how it is typically made today. For more information on wheat, check out our main Is Wheat Vegan?<\/a> feature but, we\u2019ll say it again, for now, all you need to know (and quite possibly all you really care about!) is that yes, couscous is vegan friendly.<\/p>\n

Should Vegans Eat Couscous?<\/h2>\n

\"Dried<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not here to tell anyone what to eat and what we are really looking at now is whether or not couscous is a healthy addition to a vegan diet. Of course, there is no real, fixed, simple definition of what \u201chealthy\u201d even means in a dietary sense but, once again, we can simply give you some nutritional information about couscous and you can decide for yourself.<\/p>\n

Couscous Nutrition<\/h3>\n

The following data is taken from the US Department of Agriculture<\/a> and there may be small variations depending on the specific wheat used. It is based on 100g of dried couscous and you should note that a standard serving size is typically between 75g and 110g.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Nutrient<\/th>\nAmount<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Calories<\/td>\n376<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Protein<\/td>\n12.76g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fat<\/td>\n0.64g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fibre<\/td>\n5g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carbohydrates<\/td>\n77.43g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Calcium<\/td>\n24mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iron<\/td>\n1.08mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Magnesium<\/td>\n44mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phosphorus<\/td>\n170mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Potassium<\/td>\n166mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zinc<\/td>\n0.83mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Copper<\/td>\n0.247mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manganese<\/td>\n0.78mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thiamin<\/td>\n0.163mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Niacin<\/td>\n3.49mg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Now, we know what you\u2019re thinking (assuming you\u2019re not a qualified nutritionist with a memory like a Mastermind champion): that\u2019s great, but is 1.08mg of iron and 0.78mg of manganese any good? Well, let\u2019s take a closer look at the key benefits of a standard 100g serving of dried couscous.<\/p>\n