Is Simply Lemonade with Strawberry Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When evaluating whether a product fits a vegan lifestyle, we have to look beyond just the presence of meat or dairy. For Simply Lemonade with Strawberry, the ingredient list appears innocent at first glance: pure filtered water, cane sugar, lemon juice, mango puree, and natural flavors. However, the devil is in the details.

The primary controversy lies with cane sugar. In the United States, a significant portion of cane sugar is processed using bone char—charred animal bones—to bleach the sugar and remove impurities. While the bone char is filtered out and does not end up in the final product, the use of animal byproducts in the manufacturing process disqualifies the sugar from being strictly vegan. Because Simply does not specify that their sugar is organic or explicitly 'vegan-certified' (which would imply it wasn't processed with bone char), it is widely considered non-vegan by strict standards.

Fortunately, the other ingredients pass the test. Lemon juice and mango puree are fruit-derived and vegan. The natural flavors are also generally considered safe in this context, as they are derived from plant sources to mimic the strawberry profile. There are no hidden dairy derivatives or gelatin stabilizers in this specific variety.

Nutritional Value

While the vegan status is debatable, the nutritional profile is straightforward. A standard 8-ounce serving of Simply Lemonade with Strawberry contains approximately 130 calories, all of which come from carbohydrates. There is zero fat and zero protein.

The main nutritional concern is the sugar content. With roughly 31 grams of sugar per serving, this beverage is very high in added sugars. It fits into a vegan diet regarding macronutrients, but it does not align with whole-food or low-sugar dietary limits. It is essentially a sweetened fruit juice, providing little fiber or satiety to offset the sugar spike.