Do vegetarians drink soda?

Question

Im sorry if it seems insulting or something but I was reading this list on Peta2.com and under beverages soda wasnt listed.. so i wasnt sure.

Answer 1

Most do, but as a general rule soda should NOT be considered to be part of a vegetarian diet since it IS quite common for them to contain (or be made with) animal products. Here's my 'standard' answer about soda:

---
I'm not even sure they're vegetarian in many cases! If they list sugar as an ingredient you'd need to be concerned with bone char being used to filter the sugar.

Fruit flavored ones may contain unlisted glycerin as part of the flavoring per FDA regulations.

Cola's are allowed to have (among other things) musk oil, civet oil, pepsin and other animal based enzymes and/or flavorings as part of legally unlisted natural flavorings per FDA regulations. Be warned that those same rules legally allow makers to 'lie' about the "trade secret" ingredients!

What you have to ask the manufacturer is "Does your product contain any animal ingredients, or any ingredients processed with animal products, or any ingredients that originally derived from an animal source and/or are any products originally from an animal source used in the manufacture of your product?".

I've NEVER had a major soda producer give a straight yes/no answer to that question! This is the question you ask ANY food producing company if you want an answer will hold up in court. The last soda company that gave me a straight answer of no to that question was the original producer of "Ginseng Rush" back in the '70s.

IMHO soda can't be trusted! If you'd like a shock try asking that question to juice companies. Many juices are processed using animal based enzymes (sorry to ruin your day).
---

Answer 2

There's nothing inherently un-vegetarian about soda, though a few sodas may have animal products, and some vegetarians might not drink soda for health.

I drink soda quite sparingly because it's an unnecessary expense and I'm a poor college student, and because it's really not good for your body at all. When I do drink it, I save up for the really good brands like Jones or Blue Sky soda, or an energy drink like Red Bull. I think of soda as a rare treat, not an everyday beverage.

Answer 3

I avoid conventional sodas and drink the fruit juice sodas like Izze, the Switch, and Knudsen Spriter, to name a few. I also find sodas without artificial sweeteners (that use cane sugar instead) such as Cricket Cola. Your local natural food store or Whole Foods will have sodas that are not as bad as conventional sodas.

But I try not to have sodas more than once or twice a week because it's just not good for you!

You can also mix seltzer water with fruit juice for a totally natural soda.

Answer 4

It's probably not listed because of how bad it is for you. PETA is more concerned with the animal rights part of vegetarianism, but there's also the health factor and sodas are pretty terrible.

Also, soda companies have contracts with fast food places like McDonalds and KFC which PETA and other animal rights activists have a problem with because of the way they treat their animals. That might be another reason PETA doesn't list sodas, so not to promote and revenue to go to any of those companies.

Answer 5

Soda is vegetarian as far as I know. I don't drink a lot of it because, as I became a vegetarian, I lost my appetite for most junk food. A lot of vegetarians choose their diet for health reasons, and not drinking soda (or just drinking it on rare occasions, like me) is a pretty healthy idea.

Answer 6

yes. if you are thinking of becoming a vegetarian, you should know your facts and information. of course you can drink any type of soda. there are many different names involving vegetarianism and veganism. vegans do not eat anything that involves animal products, ie: cheese, milk, yogurt, pork, seafood.

Answer 7

Soda is loaded with sugar and chemicals - bad for your body, bad for your teeth. Many sodas contain caffeine which kids are becoming addicted to at younger and younger ages. Sugary sports and juice drinks are not much better - although at least they don't have caffeine. If you drink soda - or more importantly if your children do, this article has some eye-opening information.

If you have young kids, give them water to drink right from the beginning. Getting your kids to enjoy and love the taste of pure water is a great gift you can give them.

Answer 8

I'm a vegetarian and I drink A LOT of soda. It doesn't have any animal byproducts in it.

Answer 9

Yes. I even think vegans do cuz I'm pretty sure it has absolutely no animal products in it (but I could be wrong). I've a vegetarian and I drink it.

Answer 10

Yeah, we do.

Even if it had some type of animal product in it, most vegetarians would drink it, since it's not actual MEAT.
Vegans, on the other hand, wouldn't.