Am I still a vegetarian...(I didn't know!!)?

Question

Earlier today, I asked a question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmWExtR5qf18CeATKAwPXYbsy6IX?qid=20070226065345AAuc0Cn
So, pretty much, I ate a pop-tart without realising it contained gelatin. And I know gelatin is made of animal bones, tendons, skin, ect. I have been a vegetarian for two months now, and I love it; I feel healthier and an all around better person.
Someone answered my question saying that Pop Tarts are not 'vegan', but are they vegetarian? I mean, is the tissue used to make Pop Tarts just a byproduct of the meat industry that would just do to waste, anyway? Like leather? And I figured since vegans don't wear leather but some vegetarians do...
What I really want to know is am I still a vegetarian. No stupid answers, please.

Answer 1

Lacto-ovo Vegetarians don't eat meat. But many of them still eat products containing geletain. Some do, some don't....they're all still considered vegetarian if they don't eat actual meat.

Course, what most vegetaians and vegans don't realize is that sugar is not a vegan product either. Sugar is processed through a bone char. The bone char decolorizes the sugar.

I could list a hiundred common items that are often not vegetaian/vegan, even though most people assume they are:

chewing gum

wine

pre-packaged guacamole

bread (sometimes contains cysteine)

Items containing Mono- and diglycerides (as they are often animal derived - this includes bakery items, ice cream, beverages, whipped toppings, etc)

Royal Jelly

the list goes on and on. If you worried about everything you put in your mouth, and analized everything, you probably wouldn't even drink water and you'd starve to death.

Stop worrying about what OTHER people think is vegetarian, and focus on the foods that you do or don't feel comfortable eating yourself.

Answer 2

Hey, chips, be kind to yourself. Even those who are vegetarian for religious reasons have something they do to atone for having eaten something not vegetarian accidentally!

There are some gelatins that are vegetarian/vegan, and these are made from agar-agar, extracted from seaweed. So there is a possibility that your Pop Tart may be vegetarian/vegan!

Take heart from what Howard Lyman, the vegetarian activist, said: "I will not INTENTIONALLY eat anything that has any meat or animal products in it."

But in your case, you just didn't know. Just be careful next time to read the label of processed food.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You are still a vegetarian. You're going to find that you constantly run into things that contain animal products that you didn't know about. I recently had the same thing happen... I was eating my Tillamook yogurt and saw the word "kosher gelatin". I looked it up and found that kosher does not necessariy mean non-animal, so I emailed the company. They confirmed they use animal gelatin. I was SO bummed... and grossed out... but yeah. I just check my yogurt now!

Unfrosted poptarts are vegetarian. Frosted ones are not. Just don't eat the frosted ones anymore and you'll be fine.

That said... look out for other gelatin products. Many "frosted" cereals (including frosted mini wheats) have gelatin, as do many candies like starburst & skittles & gummy bears. Marshmallows (and anything containing marshmallows, like rocky road ice cream) also contain gelatin as do the majority of yogurts as well as some frozen yogurts.

Answer 4

Vegetarians don't eat meat.

Vegans don't eat animal byproducts.

Yes, you're still a vegetarian. Vegetarians can eat gelatin, I think, because animal bones aren't meat. You can eat everything that is not meat.

I've been a vegatarian for 4 months now and I'm still going strong. I prefer NOT to eat gelatin though, but that is only MY choice. You can do whatever you want. I think you can stick it through a long way, good luck!

(edit) I agree with most people here. It's common to slip up, don't let go of this because you THINK you made one mistake. If a Muslim eats pork by accident, they don't have to give up the religion, just never do it again. Some vegetarians prefer to eat chicken, which is white meat. I tend to not stick to categories, such as lacto-vegetarian or whatever else there is, I just do my own personal thing, and what I believe is right.

Answer 5

I believe you are still vegetarian,
a lot of different kind of vegetarian in the world. As long as you don't eat meat, you are STILL VEGETARIAN.
In china, we have vegetarian with eating eggs, but not meat, onion, garlic. They consider those food can't eat at all.
My husband is Indian vegetarian, we don't eat anything with animal products. Like the Pop-Tart you were talking about, and eggs, some cake contains eggs, we can't eat at all.
So, I believe that is all depend how you think and feel.
But I can tell you, you are still vegetarian.

Answer 6

Yes. You are still vegetarian. Everybody slips up. Everybody.

I have issues with people who pull the drama queen routine when they find out they've just eaten something with animal in it. Man does that get old.

We live in a world that is basically unfriendly to vegetarians. How can it be easy to be veg when they're splicing animal genes into our fruit? Beebs brought that up earlier today.

I find it does help to grieve. Feel bad for the fall. Even an accidental one. Then move on. But don't forget. Be careful for next time.

Answer 7

Oy, this is not an exclusive club.

If you believe that it is cruel to bring animals into the world only to slaughter them for profit, then you are a vegetarian.

If you try hard not to contribute to the demand that is supplied by cruelty, you're doing a great thing.

It sounds like you are new to this and don't really get it. It is a personal decision and no two people are exaclty the same.

Make your own rules that feel right to you and do your best.

Answer 8

If a man goes in the ladies room by mistake he's still man. It's called a mistake. If he continues going into the ladies room.....well ......
So are you going to continue eating pop tarts?

It really comes down to your reasons for being a vegetarian.
If it's for health reasons, then sure you are. You can eat gelatin and wear leather.

If you're a vegetarian for moral reasons against killing animals, then you're a hypocrite if you eat pop tarts and wear leather.

Answer 9

No, gelatin is not vegetarian. But everybody makes a mistake sometimes. They put animal products in so many weird things now days that its impossible to know them all. You are still a vegetarian, but now you know to always read the labels.

Answer 10

No...frosted pop tarts have gelatin in them and are not vegetarian. Being vegetarian means not consuming meat or by products. If you ate it my accident, then yes, you are still a vegetarian but willingly eating them..that's a different story.