New!
Being Veggie...
I decided to turn vegetarian on the bus to school one day when I was about 13. That evening, as my mum was getting the shepherd’s pie out of the oven, I told her I couldn’t eat it because I was vegetarian! My mum was understandably frustrated and asked me, “Couldn’t you be vegetarian tomorrow?!” I told her I couldn’t, I was vegetarian now! Luckily for me, she supported me in the decision.
That was almost 30 years ago when it was a lot harder to be veggie due to the lack of information and general intolerance in society. There are now loads of food options about and lots of information on how to eat healthily. If your child has just announced to you that s/he is vegetarian, don’t panic, there are lots of people, like me, who have been veggie for years and are healthy with it! I thought it might help if I put a few tips together, based upon my experience – forgive me if some of these seem obvious:
- Being vegetarian means that you do not eat anything that is from an animal’s body. This includes all mammals, birds, fish, insects etc. (Lots of people call themselves vegetarian whilst continuing to enjoy fish, chicken etc. – strictly speaking, they’re not vegetarian but they probably find it easier to say they are than to have to keep explaining themselves to everyone so, who can blame them?)
- Many vegetarians also avoid being “consumers” of other non-vegetarian products, not just food. Lipstick and moisturisers are classic examples; leather shoes and cleaning products too. Personally, I also see things in terms of financing a business – I ask myself, do I want my energy (money) to go into financing this business? Do I want to be a part of this? I don’t want to support cruel practices so if I know a manufacturing company has invested in horrific animal experiments or that a veggie quiche includes eggs from battery hens, I don’t buy them.
Guidance for life and personal development. Readings to suit your needs and budget.
Organic, Eco-friendly, Recycled, Natural & Ethical products & gifts
There are many ways we can all help to bring more peace to the world...
Clearing your clutter is an essential activity for any true earth lover...
Make your own natural cleaners.
Vegetarian and wheat-free.
- Sometimes people call themselves ovo-vegetarians or lacto-vegetarians which can be confusing if you don’t know what they mean. The words describe what people do eat (not what they don’t.) Ovo means they eat eggs and egg products; lacto refers to milk products.
- I’m not a nutritionist but I do know that you need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients. Make sure you maintain a varied diet – in my experience, too many vegetarians live off cheese, wheat and sugar products. Lots of people haven’t even heard of essential fats but if you’re not eating fish, you need to be particularly aware of these. To this end, you can include seeds in your diet, eg. pumpkin seeds / hemp seeds / linseeds etc can be sprinkled on salads, cereals and soups. It’s probably a good idea to research all this at length but if that’s not your thing, consult a nutritionist for advice. There are quite a few good books around too - I like books by Patrick Holford and Gillian McKeith.
- Read labels on packaging – it can be amazing what products have animal products in them. Look out for a clear indication that the product is vegetarian such as “SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS” in tiny writing or various green, leafy, “V”s, ticks and insignias. Don’t assume that a product always has the same ingredients, as manufacturers can and do change these. (Galaxy chocolate is a classic example of this – it is not always vegetarian – you need to check the label.)
Foods to avoid or watch out for
- Gelatine – it’s in lots of processed foods, supplements and medicines (as gelatine capsules) as well as jelly itself. You can buy veggie jelly and capsules now though. You can also ask your Doctor to prescribe veggie options where necessary.
- Similar to the above, is Aspic jelly.
- Animal fat - this is from carcases not milk. I see this on fewer and fewer ingredients lists these days. Can be called ‘Edible Fats’.
- Animal rennet – an enzyme taken from calves stomachs. This can be used to make cheese but there are lots of veggie cheeses (and even vegan cheese) which are easily available now.
- Pepsin - an enzyme taken from pigs’ stomachs.
- Many alcoholic drinks are produced using bone and fish products (eg. Isinglass), gelatine, chitin (see below), egg albumen and blood! I have found that the Co-op and Marks & Spencer are particularly good at labelling their bottles and have lots of veggie and vegan wine options.
- Some soft drinks. I have read that orange soft drinks are often not veggie. Unfortunately, ingredients lists are not necessarily 100% indicative of all that has been included during the manufacturing process. For example, gelatine might have been used during manufacture but considered too insignificant in the final product to be listed. Check with the manufacturers if you’re not sure.
- Battery eggs, which can be listed as albumen in the ingredients. These are often
used in processed foods. Watch out for quiches, which you might otherwise think
are OK, and, ‘barn eggs’ - these are not free range. Generally, if it’s free range,
it will say exactly that. (By the way, the mobile provider, Giffgaff is running a
campaign, “Unlock a phone. Unlock a chicken”. Go to Giffgaff to find out more and
help re-home battery hens.)
- Caviar (fish eggs) - requires the killing of the fish. Can be called, Roe.
- Chitin - from crab and shrimp shells.
- Worcestershire Sauce - some brands contain anchovies.
- Cochineal (E120) - crushed insects! One use is in cake decorations as a colouring.
- Bone china, horse hair brushes, silk (often kills the silk worms), chips from a chippie (might be fried in fish oil or animal fat), down duvets and pillows (whether the birds are plucked alive or dead, I really don’t want to be a part of it.)
- Whey, emulsifiers, glycerine, stearic acid, E numbers, stocks and suets - these are not always veggie.
I will continue to add to this list as I think of things... In the meantime, I thought a few tasty recipes would be in order – enjoy!
Why be Vegetarian?
Love... Ethics... Kindness... Compassion... Connection... Health... Environmental...
