Foods claiming to be vegetarian but are not...

This topic is a very important one that I try to discuss with every vegetarian I come across. In the past few years I have come across many vegetarians, but I have also realised that the meaning of vegetarianism varies quite a bit from person to person.

There are some vegetarians that eat fish and eggs, and all dairy (including cheese that is not vegetarian), some that eat all diary but not fish and then there are vegans that steer clear of all animal products. I have also come across some vegetarians that say 'I am a vegetarian but as long as I don't see, feel, smell or taste the animal in the food, I will eat it'. Each to their own, I guess:).

I am a vegetarian who doesn't eat anything that is produced by hurting an animal or any potential life. So I drink milk, eat milk products that don't contain non-vegetarian elements in it but I don't eat eggs. Eggs are tricky.... Many people have argued with me that eggs cannot be non-vegetarian because they are not living things. Actually, they are... Even eggs that do not carry potential for life used to be living things at one point.

Anyway, my aim is not to prove whether eggs are vegetarian or not. My point is to make people who care, aware of foods that claim to be vegetarian/vegan but in reality are not. Especially when travelling, we go to a restaurant and assume that certain dishes are pretty safe to eat only to realise later that it could have contained something we did not want to put in our mouths! Some examples are salads and salad dressings, cheese and ice creams.

Below are a few websites I found that have some common foods that claim to be vegetarian/vegan but actually are not. I would like to say thanks to the people who have written these articles, they make life for vegetarians like me a little easier:).

www.nomeatathlete.com/non-vegetarian-foods/

http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2011/05/09/12-seemingly-vegan-vegetarian-foods-that-really-arent/

suite101.com/article/hidden-nonvegetarian-ingredients-a56686

Some foods not mentioned in these websites are ice creams and yogurt. If you eat ice creams and yogurts at free standing stalls make sure you ask for their ingredients list. Many of them use eggs and gelatine in their products. If you are travelling, there is a 90% chance that the ice creams sold in the country you are visiting are made of eggs and/or gelatine. This is definitely the case in most european countries. Imagine my disappointment when I was travelling in Italy! All their cheeses contained rennet and ice creams contained eggs:(!

Technology today has made life so much easier for us. Did you know, people who use smart phones have the choice of downloading apps that are designed especially for vegetarians and vegans? These apps contain everything from recipes to restaurants suitable for non meat eaters. These apps have made it so much easier for me to travel to exotic places and still be able to eat!

I hope this post helps vegetarians/vegans friends all over the world to be a little cautious in the future and plan in advance if they decide to travel to new places so they can be fully prepared for any unpleasant surprises that may pop up from time to time:).

Please do let me know of your experiences of travelling as a vegetarian in the comments section. I am sure anyone reading this post, including me, will appreciate it very much and be more aware:)!