Recently converted vegetarians and even some veterans are sometimes surprised to find that some of the most unlikely foods contain meat or meat byproducts. Until I met Barney I never thought much about marshmallows. We went camping one summer and I was so excited to make s’mores. Who doesn’t love s’mores, right? well, it turns out marshmallows have gelatin in them, and gelatin, according to wikipedia, is “a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the bones, connective tissues, organs, and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, and horses.” Gross I can see why he wouldn’t want to eat it, vegetarian or not!
Gelatin can show up in surprising places too, as my friend Nick found out when I told him the Frosted Mini Wheats he (a vegetarian) had eaten for years contain gelatin. It can also show up in jello (of course), candy like gummy bears, ice cream, yogurt, jam, and even margerine.
Tallow and lard are other meat derivatives that are frequently overlooked. Be especially careful when buying real Mexican tortillas, refried beans, and baked beans. Unless the beans specify that they are vegetarian, they will frequently contain pork fat or lard.
I did not give up eating fish, so this is not a problem for me, but Worcestershire sauce and a lot of Caeser salad dressings contain anchovies. You can find Worcestershire sauce that does not contain anchovies, but you have to read the label.