International Vegetarian Union (IVU)
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Frequently Asked Questions

Vegetarian Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Definitions
  • words frequently used
  • some other confusing terms
  • Terms that are confusing when talking about vegetarian
  • Why become a vegeterian?
  • Why vegan?
  • How is "vegan" pronounced?
  • A little history
  • How many Vegetarians are there?
  • What is Macrobiotic?
  • Are there any regulations ruling the mention of 'suitable for vegetarian/vegans on food labels?
Ingredients 1 - Gelatin(e)
  • What is gelatin/gelatine? Is there any alternative to it?
  • What is kosher gelatine?
  • Is Halal gelatine vegetarian?
Ingredients 2 - General
  • What is cochineal/carmine?
  • Is all lysine animal derived?
  • Can the supplements glucosamine and chondroitin be manufactured from non-animal sources?
  • What are mono and di-glycerides?
  • What is lipase, tallow, stearate and lecithin?
  • Hidden Animal Products
  • Which animal derived ingredients kill the animal?
  • What is cantharidin?
  • Is 'gum base' in chewing gum vegan?
  • What is BHT, as found in prepared frozen foods, and most cereals used as a preservative?
  • Does low-fat margarine and butter contain animal products?
  • Are cashew oils bad for you?
  • Is soya lecithin vegetarian?
  • Do the omega 3 fats in linseeds become oxidised when linseeds are used in baking, such as in bread?
  • Animal Derived Ingredients - list
  • Maybe animal ingredients - list
Animals
  • Can you feed a cat or dog a vegetarian or vegan diet?
  • (Product list)
  • What Animal Rights organizations are there?
  • What about those bugs, flies etc?
  • My friend says she'll become a vegetarian the moment I can prove to her that pigs, cows etc. have feelings. How can I prove this without taking her to meet the animals?
  • What would happen to all the animals if humans didn't breed and eat them?
Children
  • What about infants and children?
  • Is breastfeeding vegan?
  • How do I ensure that my 10 month old gets enough B12?
  • Is it possible to give a child too much tofu?
  • What vegetarian fast foods are available for teenagers?
Nutrition 1 - Protein
  • Should I be worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian/vegan diet?
  • Do I need to combine proteins on a vegetarian/vegan diet?
  • What non-meat products can I eat to get protein?
  • Can you give an example of a day's meal plan that has sufficient protein?
  • Links to further information on Protein

Nutrition 2 - Vitamin B12

  • What about Vitamin B12?

Nutrition 3 - Other Vitamins and Minerals

  • What about calcium?
  • What about vitamin A?
  • What about vitamin D?
  • Should I worry about iron in a vegetarian/vegan diet?
  • How long should I wait between drinking tea and eating iron enriched foods?
  • Which vegetables are rich in iron?
  • Are there any supplements I could take to increase the amount of iron in my body?

Nutrition 4 - general

  • Are there any documented instances where flesh of some kind is necessary?
  • Commercial sources of nutrition products
  • Where is a detailed table showing the percentage of various nutrients in all kinds of foods?
  • Is it possible to continue a vegetarian diet if you have 'diverticulosis' or 'irritable colon'?
  • Is it safe for a diabetic to become vegetarian/vegan?
  • Is there a non animal form of glucose lowering agents for diabetics?
  • How can I 'bulk up' and develop muscles on a vegetarian/vegan diet, instead of eating meat and taking creatine?
  • Do any health problems occur from being a vegetarian, i.e deficiencies of certain nutrients?
  • How can a vegan diet help control high cholesterol?
  • What health benefits are there to being a Vegetarian compared to being a Carnivore?
  • Does a vegetarian diet meet the full needs of the human body?
  • What foods does vegan nutrition include and exclude?
Common Foods
  • What about honey?
  • - and sugar?
  • - apples?
  • - dried bananas?
  • - bread?
  • - cereals?
  • - crisps (potato chips)?
  • - chocolate?
  • - anything else?
  • Do vegans consume yeast?
  • Are there vegan marshmellows available?
  • Can I eat at fast food places like McDonalds or Taco-Bell?
  • Is Maple Syrup vegetarian/vegan?
  • Are vegetarians/vegans allowed to eat seafood?
Food specialities
  • What is nutritional yeast? Which ones provide B12?
  • What is miso?
  • What is seitan?
  • What is tahini?
  • What is tempeh?
  • What is tofu?
  • What is TVP?
  • Mail order food outlets
  • Is there mail company in the US available for ordering vegetarian sauces (such as vegetarian oyster sauce)?
Drinks
  • What about wines and beers?
  • Are carbonated drinks with low pH such as coke good for health?
  • Which soft-drinks contain sugars refined using Animal Products?
Eggs and Dairy
  • What's wrong with free range eggs?
  • - and normal (battery) eggs?
  • What can be substituted for eggs?
  • What's wrong with dairy products?
  • But don't I need eggs and dairy products?
  • Are soy/soya cheeses vegan?
  • Are there any types of eggs that can be purchased which do not come from situations such as battery eggs?
  • What is rennet? (in cheese)
  • Is the animal killed in order to produce the enzyme rennet?
  • How can I get Vegetarian cheese,without the one containing rennet from animal sources? How do I know what sort of rennet is used in the cheeses we get from supermarket?
  • What is rennet? Where is it found? How can it be avoided?
  • Are any non-dairy cheeses/ice cream available?
  • Is there a council or advisory board to have a food product certified as vegan for retail sales?
Issues
  • Rainforest beef -- Two different looks at the situation.
  • Names of animals versus names of animal based foods.
  • Is it possible to be a vegetarian with a partner who is not?
  • Are most vegetarians liberals or conservatives?
Clothing and Footwear
  • What's wrong with wool?
  • What's wrong with silk?
  • What's wrong with down?
  • Why not leather?
  • Which companies make non-leather products?
  • Wouldn't it be better to recycle leather, rather than waste it?

Literature

  • Books
  • Periodicals

Travel

  • Which airlines serve vegetarian meals?
  • Where can I find natural health food stores in .... ?
  • I want to take my partner to ............ Is it ok for veggies?
  • Travel Agencies and websites

Products

  • What about non-food household items?
  • Which major toiletries/cosmetics companies make products which are not tested on animals and do not contain animal deritives?
  • Is there a vegan birth control pill?
  • Which forms of contraception are vegan?
  • Some types of medicine are in capsules. Are capsules suitable for vegetarians?

Contacts

Note: this FAQ is developed from FAQs compiled by Michael Traub (rec.food.veg / vegan-l). He in turn used contributions from many people, this process is now continuing via this website.