is it still considered vegetarian to eat yogurt, etc?

Question

this person i know whose also a vegetarian gets really mad at me whenever i eat yogurt, marshmellows, things like that which contain gelatin because apparently its made from worn down animal parts.

i keep trying to tell him there are different levels of vegetarianism and i dont eat any meat or poultry, but considering fruity yogurt isn't a slice of dead animal i thought it was okay.

what is your opinion..should i cut out all gelatin foods?
(even kosher gelatin)

and tons tons tonssss of foods contain gelatin, i dont know how you can't NOT eat it.

Answer 1

when your eating yogurt, you're in a LACTO VEGETARIAN DIET.

A lacto vegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, and kefir but excludes eggs. "Lacto" originates from the Latin word for milk. Within Indian culture this diet is often what is meant by the term vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians choose to consume dairy products, but abstain from specifically eating eggs. Cheeses which include animal rennet and yoghurts which contain gelatin are also avoided. This diet may be adopted by vegetarians wishing to lower their cholesterol levels, in view of the high amount of cholesterol contained within egg yolks.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1096
SO INSTEAD OF
Whole-egg dishes

YOU SHOULD TRY
Yogurt-based dishes made with fat-free yogurt

VEGETARIAN RECIPE
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Vegetarian/Main.aspx
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl_vegetarian/0,2661,FOOD_21216,00.html

Answer 2

There are some dairy products like yogurt and cheese that end up having more in them than dairy. Some contain animal by products like gelatin and rennet so it's up to each individual what they want to eat. I personally consider myself a lacto vegetarian, but I don't eat eggs, yogurt with gelatin or cheese made with rennet in addition to no meat or wearing anything made with animal skin & fur. Kraft domestic Swiss cheese is a regular (non vegan) one made without rennet. True, it's a challenge but one well worth it in the long run and once you get use to buying and eating this way it's just as easy as before you became a vegetarian. There are many products even in the main stream grocery stores that are animal free, just always remember to check labels and ask about anything you are not sure of. Keep in mind that you may have to give up something if you really want to become a vegetarian. Refined sugar should be one and that's what marshmallows are mainly made of. If you wanted to you could start making a lot of your own homemade stuff and that way you know what's in it. Being a vegetarian should be a celebration of life not drudgery.

Answer 3

Gelatin is not vegetarian. Kosher gelatin is also not vegetarian, as it comes from animals that were slaugthered according to the laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary law). Gelatin is the bones, hooves, tendons, and hides of various animals rendered into a goopy mess. Yuck!

There are vegan marshmallows out there (available at www.veganstore.com or www.veganessentials.com) and even vegan marshmallow fluff. You will want to read labels to make sure your food doesn't have gelatin in it. And there are tons and tons of food that DON'T contain gelatin, so it's pretty easy to avoid. If you like Starburst (which has gelatin), try Mamba, which is vegan. I've seen it at a few local 7-11s, so you should be able to find it in a conventional store. Goldenberg's Peanut Chews are a vegan version of Snickers.

You could also try soy yogurt--Whole Soy & Company is pretty good, and it's vegan to boot. Silk appears to be dairy-free but shared machinery. Neither has gelatin. My local Whole Foods has Whole Soy for 99 cents a carton, and my local natural foods store has it for $1.19 a carton, so it's not terribly expensive. But I bet you could even find a cows' milk yogurt without gelatin!

Part of being veg*an means reading labels carefully and putting back stuff that has ingredients we don't use.

Answer 4

there are "levels" of vegetarianism: ovo vegetarian (consumes eggs), lacto vegetarian (consumes milk), or ovo-lacto vegetarian. however, since being a vegetarian means not eating any type of meat from any animal, gelatin and rennet fall into the non-vegetarian category.

gelatin is a protein that is derived from beef and veal bones, pig skin, cartilage, tendons, and other tissue... basically, it's made from all the "inedible" parts the meat companies can't pack up in a plastic tray and put out on display in the coolers. kosher gelatin is made from fish bones or beef skins.

yogurt is vegetarian-friendly as long as the milk does not contain rennet. rennet is a milk enzyme that is usually taken from stomach linings. check the ingredients... if it is vegetable-sourced rennet, then it will usually say on the package... or you will have to call the company to find out for sure.

:)

Answer 5

There are plenty of brands of yogurt that don't have gelatin in them. You can buy marshmallows that are vegan, but I've only seen them online; you can also buy marshmallow fluff, which is usually vegetarian, in mainstream grocery stores.
I think it'd be good if you cut the gelatin from your diet, but you have to do what you think is right.
P.S.--It gets much easier to go without gelatin after you're used to it. You miss candy and other stuff at first, but you'll find other stuff that you like better :)

Answer 6

Only soy yogurt is vegetarian. Dairy yogurt is lacto-vegetarian.

If you plan on giving up dairy and eggs because of the cruelty involved with those things, it would make sense to give up things that contain gelatin. If not, why bother? Eating dairy and eggs is more harmful than eating gelatin.

If your friend still eats dairy and eggs, point that out to her.

http://meat.org

Answer 7

Only strict vegans cut out all animal products. As long as you don't eat animal flesh, you're technically a vegetarian. It doesn't really matter though, as your friend should find something better to do than monitor your eating habits.

P.S.- It is possible to find plenty of foods that don't contain animal products. Shop at an Adventist or health food store, rather than your regular grocery store. The staff there will also be very knowledgeable about vegetarian cuisine.

Answer 8

Low fat yogurt has gelatin added (some brands have fruit pectin instead). Regular yogurt usually doesn't have gelatin and is lacto-vegetarian.

Answer 9

I agree with you, there are different levels of vegetarians there are like you and then vegans which really don't eat much other than green stuff..no dairy at all....my sister is a vegetarian and she eats dairy, yogurt, eggs but no beef or chicken, only fish. It's your call on the gelatin debate..if you want to eat it then it's your decision no one elses.

Answer 10

They do have organic yogurt, that has Little or no animal by-products. One that i like has goat's milk in it. It's yummy. Vegetarians are so conscience about the environment and it's dwellers. I never would have thought about the ingredients of yogurt being up for debate.