Some vegetarian foods are obviously excluded from a vegetarian diet, while other foods contain non-vegetarian ingredients that you would only know by reading the ingredient list. Some people choose to a vegetarian diet because they want to increase their health, the health of the planet and support the protection of animal lives.
Meat
Meat is an obvious exclusion from a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians regard meat as any creature with four legs. Eliminating meat is the main reason why the American Dietetic Association supports the healthfulness of vegetarian and vegan diets. A vegetarian diet promotes optimal health because, if it is a well-balanced diet, you can greatly reduce your intake of saturated fat.
Poultry
Vegetarians also avoid poultry, which includes all of the different types of birds. The Cancer Prevention Coalition states that not eating poultry can help you avoid toxic substances that are commonly used in raising poultry, like antibiotics. Because poultry houses are typically unsanitary, poultry often suffer or die from diseases and illnesses, which are eventually sold to consumers.
Seafood
Vegetarians exclude seafood of all types. Not all seafood is harvested humanely. Fish nets have been known to accidentally catch dolphins, shark and other animals. When they are caught, they are many times injured or killed. Another seafood issue is that most of it is contaminated with pollutants in the rivers and ocean, such as mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin according to the EPA. Some farm-raised salmon is now genetically modified to grow larger and dyed with artificial dyes, both of which use toxins.
Hidden Ingredients
One of the hidden ingredients in processed food is found in cheese. It is called rennet, which is responsible for hardening the cheese. It originally only came from cow stomach lining, but now there are vegetarian options like vegetable-based microbial rennet. Another obscure ingredient is found in gelatin. A component in certain gelatin is derived from fish bones and skin. Gelatin is most commonly used in pudding and jello, but also to make some gel capsules for vitamins and medications. Check the packaging of your pills to see if it is "vegetarian-friendly."
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