I'm not sure which ingredients arent vegetarian friendly?!
I'm not sure which ingredients arent vegetarian friendly?
I've just started being a vegetarian almost 4 months ago and I'm not sure if what I'm eating actually has meat in it but I just can't tell. I'll read the ingredients but I'm not sure what the ingredients mean exactly.. So I was wondering what ingredients usually mean like meat or something? Like, at school I'll buy a bean and cheese burrito for lunch but then my friend says "you know there's meat in that" or I'll get hot fries and my friend will say "There's meat in the ingredients they use to make those" I NEED HELP!
Answers:
Most school burittos use refried beans cooked with lard (animal fat) Most french fries, unless homemade have beef tallow (cow) Gelatine, in MANY foods, such as pop tarts, processed food, jello, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Gelatine is made by boiling the skin, bones, ligaments and tendons of slaughtered animals. Many things marked "natural flavors or colors" are derived from animal sources, such as flavorings on chips and snacks, and in drinks. Red food color (carmine) is made from crushed beatles. If you don't know what an ingredient is, google it. It takes a while to learn the ropes. Hope this helps-my 12 year old is a veggie, has been for years, and has learned to identify what is what-in fact she often points out things I didn't know, and I have been veggie longer than she has. Good luck, keep up the good work, and ignore ignorant, closed minded people who try to force you to eat that yucky meat
As far as french fries, just ask what kind of grease they use. If they use lard, its a no no. Make sure they use vegetable oil or corn oil. I have heard of some companies putting beef flavoring in their fries however (I think McDonalds does). Check the ingredients on products you purchase, they usually say things like "chicken flavoring" or whatever animal they use. Also, if you want to avoid ALL meat products. No Jelly Beans, JuJU Beans, Gummi Bears, or Jello. If you look at the back of packages they say gelatin and that is actually animal fat. Sorry!
Well, regarding the bean and cheese burrito, there is often lard used in the beans, but not always. French fries are sometimes fried in the same oil that some meats are fried in.
Also, make sure to watch out for gelatin. It's used in Jell-O, marshmellows, jelly beans, and a lot more, and it's made from animal fat.
Good luck!
How strict do you want to be? Being a "vegetarian" is a somewhat artificial quest anyway, all cereals and grains (and the flour and products made with them) contain insects parts since cereal & grains cannot be harvested without catching bugs too.
Oh well!
French fries do not contain meat unless they are topped with ground beef. If you are buying a burrito or something you question just ask someone who works in the cafeteria if there is meat in it. Just a little heads up caesar salad dressing is almost always made with anchovies and eggs(anchovies are little fish) it also contains worstershire sauce which contains oyster sauce (it is made from oysters)read the ingredients of dressings you buy or ask someone, if you aren't sure just don't eat it.
Cut yourself some slack. It's a learn as you go lifestyle. There's so much to learn it cannot be done overnight. Become a label reader and watch out for things like tortillas, refried beans and (yes) pastries. Often, you'll find some kind of animal fat in these things. That's why they actually have vegetarian refried beans next to the regular ones at the store. Secret ingredients on food labels like "natural flavors" often include animal products of some kind, but you should contact the company to find out. You may already know gelatin is an animal product too, but lots of people don't. And be careful of what you think may be vegetarian soups, they often have a meat broth base.
If you ever decide to stop eating dairy or eggs as well you'll want to avoid ingredients like whey, casein, lactose and rennet.
The meat your friend is probably talking about in your fries is the grease they're fried in. While most restaurants use vegetable oil now, they still fry the potatoes in the same grease as the chicken and fish.
Basically, learn to cook for yourself. You know exactly what you're eating then.
Watch out for yogurt, they all have gelatin nowadays.
Gelatin = bad.