List of Products That Are Actually Not Vegetarian

Vegetarians do not eat beef, pork, chicken, fish or any other meat. Some vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs. They are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. Others eat either dairy or eggs but not the other and would be either lacto- or ovo-vegetarians. Those who eat no animal products at all are called vegans. If a product is labeled vegetarian, it has no meat, but may have dairy or eggs. If it is called vegan, it has no meat, dairy or eggs. If it has neither label, you may have to read the ingredients list carefully to see if it is vegetarian.

Gelatin

• Gelatin is an animal product. Foods that contain gelatin are not vegetarian. This includes not only gelatin desserts, but many products that use gelatin as a binder. Many vitamins and other dietary supplements include gelatin, and these are not vegetarian. The ingredients label will include gelatin.

Soup

• Many canned or packaged soups, or soups in restaurants, may appear to be vegetarian but are not because they use a base of chicken stock or other animal product. These include many vegetable soups or soups called tomato or other vegetables.

Lard

• Lard is sometimes used for frying. If you like refried beans, make sure they are vegetarian as sometimes they are prepared with lard. In a Mexican restaurant, you may want to inquire if a fried food is fried in lard. French fries may be fried in lard or other animal products. This includes those from many fast-food chain restaurants. Pie crust is also sometimes made with lard. You may sometimes encounter other animal products such as bacon grease used for frying.

Caesar Salad

• Traditional Caesar salad dressing is made with anchovies.

Burgers

• Veggie burgers are fine for vegetarians, but if you are vegan, be aware that some use cheese to hold them together. Read the ingredients or ask the staff at a restaurant. Pre-formed cholesterol is only found in animal products, so if a label indicates the product has any cholesterol at all, the product is not for you if you want to avoid all animal products.

Additives

• There are hundreds of additives in processed foods. It is often difficult to know if they are vegetarian because some can be made from either animal or vegetable sources. If you are a strict vegetarian, you may have to contact the manufacturer to find out, or just avoid the food.