How to Find Vegetarian Vitamins

Vitamins are pretty straightforward. You can get them in the form of a tablet to swallow, a gel cap or a chewable vitamin. They recently started making vitamins in the form of chocolate chews, gummy bears and even gum drops. There is no excuse for avoiding taking your vitamins. That is, of course, unless you're a vegetarian. Almost all of those forms of vitamins contain gelatin, a product derived from the bones of animals, usually pork, but oftentimes other animals as well. Since this will destroy the whole point many have for being vegetarian, it's important to take the extra time to find a vegetarian vitamin that is right for you.

Instructions

• 1

  Look at local health food stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or a local farmer's market. You'll find vegetarian vitamins at places where organic produce and health foods are a specialty. While there certainly are all kinds of vegetarian diets to choose from (the author stuck to fast food vegetarianism for a few years), it is the standard to put health food alongside vegetarian choices. They often have several different options for vegetarian vitamins at these stores.

• 2

  Read labels on any vitamins that can be found in regular grocery stores. Even brands like One A Day, Flintstone Vitamins and Disney's chewable vitamins have gelatin. Nature Made offers a great vegetarian Vitamin C supplement, but read the labels on its other options.

• 3

  Chew your vitamins. Try Vitaball. Not only is this a more fun way to take your vitamins, it's easy to make sure you get your full dosage that's easily digested. Vitaball offers vitamins in the form of bubble gum. Chewing a piece for five to ten minutes per day (preferably near meal time) ensures that you get all the nutritional intake possible from each piece of gum. Knock yourself out. Even blow some bubbles while you chew! You can rest assured that these vitamins are vegetarian. You can find Vitaball vitamins in most drug stores, grocery stores and through their official Website listed in our Resources section. The ingredients may change, but I was assured by a friendly staff member that they are safely vegetarian!

• 4

  Ask PETA about resources in your area. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals specializes in helping people help animals! By helping you find a great vegetarian vitamin that can keep you going strong, they'll be helping the cause. Contact the PETA administration through the organization's website that you'll find listed in our Resources section.

• 5

  Look at the diets of celebrities. Joaquin Phoenix, Carrie Underwood and Alec Baldwin are just some of the celebrities that adhere to a vegetarian diet. Be inspired by their choices while you go about your hunt for the perfect vegetarian vitamin.

• 6

  Try Veglife products. They have a great vegan chewable vitamin that is sold widely in health food stores.

• 7

  Look online for great vitamins. You'll see several links in our Resources section. There are a wide variety of solutions for the vegetarian vitamin popper!