I'm so Stupid!

[Sammy and Peanut]

OK, so 3 weeks ago, my mom said that since I was becoming vegetarian, I need to take vitamins.

I said that was fine.

The next day she comes back from Walmart with the multi-vitamins.

I took 2 and put the container down.

Three days later, my friend Devon comes over, and I show her some of PETA's YouTube vids.

Then she told me that she did not want to eat meat anymore and was becoming vegetarian.

After that I walked into the kitchen and took my vitamins, while Devon sat at the table and waited.

All of a sudden, she points out that since they are gummies, they probably have gelatin in them.

"Crap." I thought. "1 1/2 months of staying vegetarian went down the drain."

Now I am stuck with these stupid things until I finish them, and there are 75 in a pack.

I have to have 2 of these "cruelty in a vitamin" 's a day.

[Paula]

I had a similar moment when I learned my beloved Lucky Charms are actually a meat product.

Live & learn ... Maybe you can talk your mom into a different Vitamin?

[CF#5]

Not too long ago I cleaned out all my vitamins and replaced anything that was questionable. All vitamins are available in vegan form.

[luvsgiraffes]

Lucky charms are a meat product? How?
Sammy and peanut- Sorry for that experience... I've had a few similar... my friend bought me a salad and we were driving in the dark. I asked... hey this doesn't have meat right? He said yes... started eating and was like... what is this weird taste. It was meat... *sigh*

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Don't be too discouraged. Becoming veg is very much a learning process in the beginning. As an omnivore you aren't forced to think about ingredients so extensively; it takes a while to learn to scrutinize all your foods (and vitamins/supplements).

You're doing a great job!

[Susan9608]

Unknowingly consuming non-vegan vitamins doesn't negate the whole 3 weeks you've been a vegetarian.

[gpigluver14]

Lucky charms are a meat product? How?

Gelatin.

And don't stress over it. All vegetarians make mistakes in the beginning. Look at the general picture. Just cutting a little meat out of your diet is making a difference. So consuming an animal by-product, especially accidentally, doesn't make what you're doing less than what it is.

[luvsgiraffes]

Ehh ... stupid gelatin... does anyone know of a substitute? Jello is one of my favorite foods.

[Paula]

Hypromellose is the vegetarian version of gelatin, but is more expensive so most food manufacturers won't use it.

[Jane_G]

Buy kosher gelatin. It is pareve which means it contains neither milk nor meat products.

This also applies to other food products. While I am not completely vegetarian, I do keep kosher so I watch what I eat and where it comes from.

[CF#5]

Kosher gelatin isn't more vegetarian than regular gelatin. It just comes from a different animal source. It's not any better. There are non-animal substitutes such as agar that don't cause any animal suffering.

[Jane_G]

Originally Posted by CF#5pig

Kosher gelatin isn't more vegetarian than regular gelatin. It just comes from a different animal source. It's not any better. There are non-animal substitutes such as agar that don't cause any animal suffering.

This is not entirely true. I said buy "pareve" gelatin. The pareve means that it is neither diary nor meat. Some kosher gelatins are not pareve and are made with animal sources, just not pig or other non-kosher animal.

It makes it much harder to be ve*gan if you start looking for foods that are hard to find.

[CF#5]

Virtually all kosher gelatin comes from fish. In no way, shape, or form, is it vegetarian or vegan. There is no direct correlation between kosher parve and vegan foods.

Grassroots Veganism with Jo Stepaniak