What is a list of foods a vegetarian can't eat?

akashwin

I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but I'm not sure what foods(besides meat) that I can't eat.

Xiaolongbao

Ummmm it's only meat or anything else made from dead animal.

So no lard, no gelatin, no oyster sauce etc.

But you can be as strict as you want. For example I don't cook with oyster sauce but if I went to someone's house and they served me a vegie stir fry I wouldn't quiz them over their sauce.

Lupercalia

It's up to you. "Vegetarian" means you don't eat meat, but that can be extended to anything that contains animal products.

bluemoon551

More often than not, cheeses are made with beef rennet; enzymes extracted from linings of cow stomachs. Vegetable rennet also exists, but it's used less often (although some brands like Cabot only use vegetable).

Showmm

Please, if you do give up meat, make sure you include fish. The number of people who call themselves vegetarian but still eat fish drives me mad. If you eat no meat other than fish, you are a pescetarian.

I was going to say most cheeses, but was beaten to it. Worcestershire sauce is also not vegetarian.

Alatariel75

Lots of hot chips/french fries from commercial kitchens contain beef fat.

Minerva624

Please, if you do give up meat, make sure you include fish. The number of people who call themselves vegetarian but still eat fish drives me mad. If you eat no meat other than fish, you are a pescetarian.

I was going to say most cheeses, but was beaten to it. Worcestershire sauce is also not vegetarian.

Right! It's so annoying. Fish IS meat. People are idiots.

GemskiB

Please, if you do give up meat, make sure you include fish. The number of people who call themselves vegetarian but still eat fish drives me mad. If you eat no meat other than fish, you are a pescetarian.

I was going to say most cheeses, but was beaten to it. Worcestershire sauce is also not vegetarian.

Right! It's so annoying. Fish IS meat. People are idiots.

If they call themselves pescatarians it winds me up less. The worst assumption is from a non veggie that you do eat fish. Sorry, non veggie here, but a few of my family are so I get the veggie rage ????

elexichoccyeater

Don't forget stock cubes! Bistro is vegetarian x

elexichoccyeater

Don't forget stock cubes! Bistro is vegetarian x

BISTO bloody auto spell!

LittleMissDover

If you want to be fully vegetarian you need to check the packaging for loads of things. Some stuff you'd think you couldn't have (beef hula hoops and chicken supernoodles) are actually vegetarian and some things you wouldn't expect not to be aren't like some chocolate.

I've given up eating meat for now, still eating fish but am slowly working toward removing other animal containing products from my diet.

For the semantics argument, I don't call myself anything, I just don't eat meat.

Gianna5587

Besides meat (including fish and seafood!) here's a list of 'hidden ingredients' from a reputable source:

http://www.cordonvert.co.uk/cv08/cv.aspx?page=68

alijane9

I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but I'm not sure what foods(besides meat) that I can't eat.

Any particular reason?
Only because if you are doing it for health then you might want to stick to lean meats in smaller portions (& only a few times per week) and still include oily fish a couple of times a week. You could have a 'meat reduced' diet, upping your fruits/veggies/pulses/grains/nuts & seeds in your diet.
If you are have a moral/ethical/food chain energy efficiency reason, then you might want to cut out all meats (including fish - they do have faces and mothers after all) and then think about what some of the posts have mentioned above about products that contain rennet & gelatine etc.
Or, if you just don't like the taste - then meat gone, but the by-products may not be such an issue.
All depends really. Good luck though!

dr3w_s

and no chocolate too, because apparently the average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it

emwebb98

I understand that if you eat fish and no other meat that you are not considered a vegetarian but instead a pescitarian, however, in the Canadian Food Guide, fish is considered a meat alternative, the same category as nuts, peanut butter, eggs, beans and the like of. It's not considered meat.

supplemama

Vegetarians don't eat animal flesh, skin, blood, or animal fat. Most vegetarians I know, myself included (I used to be a vegetarian for 24 years, ages 14-38) count birds and seafood as animals because they are vertebrate creatures, have faces, blood, etc

Vegans don't eat animal flesh, blood, animal fat, or animal milk, nor use non-consumable products made with animal flesh, skin, etc such as leather. Most vegans I know, myself included (I was an on-and-off vegan during the 24 years I was a vegetarian) count insects and their products as animals also. Thus they don't eat honey, for example.

I began eating meat again 3 years ago, and the animals I eat are mostly birds and seafood. So some people still consider me a vegetarian, but I no longer do.

You can definitely have a very full and interesting and varied diet when you eliminate meat

foleyshirley

More often than not, cheeses are made with beef rennet; enzymes extracted from linings of cow stomachs. Vegetable rennet also exists, but it's used less often (although some brands like Cabot only use vegetable).

I believe much of the rennet is now recombinant, so no calf killing.

DaveneGfit

Okay there is a lot of craziness going on with this post. I have been a vegetarian now for about 2 and half years. When I first started I had no clue what to eat and thus I ate a lot of processed fake meat...not really the best for you. Now my diet mainly consists of a lot of veggies, legumes, quinoa, and once in a while tempeh. If you have any questions feel free to message me

iechick

I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but I'm not sure what foods(besides meat) that I can't eat.

From the Vegetarian Society
https://www.vegsoc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=508#.Ui_LDz9Ra_I

A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs.

Or

A vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or by-products of slaughter.

There are different degrees of vegetarianism which may be what causes confusion with caterers. The four most common forms of vegetarianism are:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet.
Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products but not eggs.
Ovo-vegetarian. Eats eggs but not dairy products.
Vegan. Does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product.

Eggs: Many lacto-ovo vegetarians will only eat free-range eggs. This is because of welfare objections to the intensive farming of hens. Through its Vegetarian Society Approved trade mark, the Vegetarian Society only endorses products containing free-range eggs.

bwogilvie

As others have pointed out, this is a difficult question, depending on how you define vegetarian.

If you're really strict, you'll have to rule out most wines, since wine is typically filtered with isenglass, a product made from sturgeon bones. (That's why vegan wines are labeled as such.) Similarly, you'll have to avoid Campari, whose brilliant red color comes from insects. You'll need to check websites such as http://isitvegan.net.

If your goal is to be a vegetarian for health reasons, you can eliminate obvious animal products and sleep well at night, knowing that you've cut down on saturated fats and have reduced the unnecessary suffering in the world (I say that as a confirmed carnivore, by the way). If you have ethical objections to consuming animal products, you need to do a lot more reading; I'd suggest starting with Michael Pollan's _The Omnivore's Dilemma_ and going from there.

thomasparkour

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