“Do you eat turkey burgers?” is one of the most frequently asked question that I get when someone finds out I am a vegetarian, right along with “Why?” and “How can you not eat meat?” To answer the question, no I do not eat turkey burgers because surprise-surprise they are made out of turkey and last time I checked turkeys were animals.
I do not get mad at any of these questions since people are simply interested, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that people might not be aware of foods that are and are not vegetarian, which one would think is simple because vegetarian just means no meat right? Although turkey burgers are obviously meat and made out of animal products there are many tricky foods out there that we would not suspect to contain or be made with animal products, because being a vegetarian does not just mean no meat. For me it means not eating products that any animal had to die for.
When I became a vegetarian almost 34 weeks ago I did some research and found out there are many everyday foods that seem vegetarian, but really are not. I knew that obviously turkey burgers were not included in a vegetarian diet, but some of these other foods did surprise me. So I have assembled a list “Things that Seem Vegetarian but Are Not” for you guys.
1. Candy
First on my list is candy. Say what?? That’s right! Many types of candies are not vegetarian for 2 reasons. The first reason is that many candies contain gelatin, especially gummies. Gelatin is made from animal bones, skin, and ligaments. This is often an ingredient in marshmallows (bye bye Peeps, and Rocky Road ice cream) but do not worry too much, there are companies that make vegan marshmallows such as Dandies and Sweet & Sara. I have not yet crossed these in the supermarket but they are for sale online. You can find their website here. Marshmallows are not the only candy to contain gelatin, you can find it in gummy bears and similar candies.
I do not get mad at any of these questions since people are simply interested, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that people might not be aware of foods that are and are not vegetarian, which one would think is simple because vegetarian just means no meat right? Although turkey burgers are obviously meat and made out of animal products there are many tricky foods out there that we would not suspect to contain or be made with animal products, because being a vegetarian does not just mean no meat. For me it means not eating products that any animal had to die for.
When I became a vegetarian almost 34 weeks ago I did some research and found out there are many everyday foods that seem vegetarian, but really are not. I knew that obviously turkey burgers were not included in a vegetarian diet, but some of these other foods did surprise me. So I have assembled a list “Things that Seem Vegetarian but Are Not” for you guys.
1. Candy
First on my list is candy. Say what?? That’s right! Many types of candies are not vegetarian for 2 reasons. The first reason is that many candies contain gelatin, especially gummies. Gelatin is made from animal bones, skin, and ligaments. This is often an ingredient in marshmallows (bye bye Peeps, and Rocky Road ice cream) but do not worry too much, there are companies that make vegan marshmallows such as Dandies and Sweet & Sara. I have not yet crossed these in the supermarket but they are for sale online. You can find their website here. Marshmallows are not the only candy to contain gelatin, you can find it in gummy bears and similar candies.
A bag of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows
The second reason candy might not always be vegetarian is red food coloring. Red 40 often contains an ingredient known as Carmine. Carmine is made with crushed insects (Mmm tasty!). So if you are in the mood for candy but prefer not to eat something that once had a will to live keep your eye out for these ingredients and find candy that does not contain them.
2. Jellies
Jell-O, jellies, preservatives and anything else of that nature do often also contain gelatin and thus should be checked before eating if you want to maintain an entirely vegetarian diet.
3. Parmesan
If you like to top your spaghetti or lasagna with some parmesan cheese, I have bad news for you. Parmesan cheese is known to contain an ingredient known as rennet. Rennet is made from stomach lining of calves and other animals and therefore this is not vegetarian. There are brands that make completely vegetarian parmesan cheese. Including Dutch Farms, Sargento, and Miller’s cheese.
Sargento’s vegetarian Parmesan cheese
4. Beer
Next on our list is beer. Yeah that’s right all you alcohol-loving vegetarians it is time to check your favorite beers before you start chugging them down. Some beers are filtered using animal products. This might not show up on the ingredients lists and thus might require a little more research, luckily I have a list of beer brewing companies that do not use animal products. This includes Anheuser-Busch, California Cider Company, oh wait I am not 21 yet? Check out PETA’s list of vegan and vegetarian safe beers right here.
5. Worcestershire sauce
Lastly we have Worcestershire sauce which is commonly known as Worcester sauce and seems like a normal, non-animal containing product right? Wrong! Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies (gross!).
Luckily for those of you who like to cook with Worcestershire sauce there are vegetarian and vegan brands out there, such as Annie’s natural & organic Worcestershire sauce. I have not yet kept an eye out for these since I do not use Worcestershire sauce in my cooking, but I for those who want it bad enough, I am sure there is a store where you can find it, or buy it online. Also for those who are strict vegetarians and vegan ask your server before ordering food if you think there is a chance their food might contain Worcestershire sauce.
Next on our list is beer. Yeah that’s right all you alcohol-loving vegetarians it is time to check your favorite beers before you start chugging them down. Some beers are filtered using animal products. This might not show up on the ingredients lists and thus might require a little more research, luckily I have a list of beer brewing companies that do not use animal products. This includes Anheuser-Busch, California Cider Company, oh wait I am not 21 yet? Check out PETA’s list of vegan and vegetarian safe beers right here.
5. Worcestershire sauce
Lastly we have Worcestershire sauce which is commonly known as Worcester sauce and seems like a normal, non-animal containing product right? Wrong! Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies (gross!).
Luckily for those of you who like to cook with Worcestershire sauce there are vegetarian and vegan brands out there, such as Annie’s natural & organic Worcestershire sauce. I have not yet kept an eye out for these since I do not use Worcestershire sauce in my cooking, but I for those who want it bad enough, I am sure there is a store where you can find it, or buy it online. Also for those who are strict vegetarians and vegan ask your server before ordering food if you think there is a chance their food might contain Worcestershire sauce.
Annie’s Homegrown Natural Organic Worcestershire Sauce.
I hoped my list has helped some of you guys, and this does not mean that every vegetarian avoids these foods religiously. It depends on why they are vegetarian and how strict they are. If you are hungry for more knowledge come back again for more posts on vegetarian foods and much more!
Have a nice day!
XOXO A