How many times have I eaten something that actually had meat in it? The number of items that I found on this list are incredible.
It all came to thought when my friend asked me which kind of beans I ate when I went to Qdoba. Black or Pinto? I heard that the pinto beans have pork in them.
To my surprise its not just these beans that I have eaten before which contains some kind of meat product. Many soups have chicken or beef broth, jello and marshmallows contain gelatin which is made from animal bones and Caesar salad/dressing contains anchovies.
To many of us vegetarians it’s a big deal because we would not eat any of these things but to our surprise we just do not know and unintentionally do end up eating it. It doesn’t seem to amaze me that we do not know the full extent to what manufacturers or restaurants put into our food but at the same time it is something that we need to be cautious of.
If one wants to practice a strict vegetarian diet, knowing about hidden non-vegetarian ingredients is something that one needs to know ahead of time in order to decide what is and what isn’t acceptable for their diet.
In order to help you know what contains some non-vegetarian products, here is a link that I found while doing some research. http://www.suite101.com/content/hidden-nonvegetarian-ingredients-a56686
Something on that list that caught my attention is that the gel-caps on medications contain gelatin. Medication is something that everyone takes and is important for health so it would be hard to boycott taking it because of one’s belief in vegetarianism. It really makes one think.
After researching I would like to say I am vegetarian, but sad to say, somewhere in my diet, a few meat products have gotten by. =/
Wow! That's really eye opening. I didn't think that there were so many things that contained meat products. I know working in a restaurant that people often ask for our vegetarian options, and its really hard to give them options because I am aware that a lot of our soups or dressings contain meat products, therefore rendering them non-vegetarian items. Your blog is so great in terms of introducing all of the concepts, problems, and other lifestyle changes that must occur before someone decides whether to be a vegetarian or not. While I enjoy my meat, your blog each week gives me something new to think about and to consider in my own eating habits.
ReplyDeleteTHis blog was an awesome read this week. It truely is amazing how hard it is to be a "true vegetarian". Besides the social pressures, you have so many products that do have these "hidden" ingredients. I especially liked the Caesar dressing comment. A few years back, my mom and aunt had arguement about that exact topic. My aunt does not eat fish: no salmon, no swordfish, not even dolphin-safe tuna. She even gags at the thought of eating fish. She does however LOVE caesar dressing. So naturally when my mom said that there were anchovies in the dressing, she didnt believe her. Let's just say, after a little research my aunt no longer eat caesar salads!
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