Wine, tortillas or even vegetable soup are obviously vegetarian, right? Well, if you’re on a plant-based or vegan diet, you might want to double-check. Some foods that are seemingly animal-free might not actually be. Surprising ingredients, including animal byproducts, sneak into everyday staples without much warning.
We spoke with food and drink experts to learn about 10 common foods that aren’t always vegetarian-friendly. Here’s everything to know.
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Cheese
Real Parmigiano-Reggiano isn’t a vegetarian product, due to the use of rennet during production.
Alarmist headlines like to specifically call out Parmigiano-Reggiano as a nonvegetarian cheese, but Parm is far from the only culprit in the cheese category that contains more than just milk.
“Cheese is often not vegetarian because of the use of rennet, which helps the milk coagulate and separate into curds and whey,” explained Emily Monaco, an international cheese judge and journalist. “Traditionally, rennet comes from the stomach of a baby animal: calf, kid or lamb. While similar, [plant-based] enzymes can be used for similar effects, many cheeses rely on animal-based rennet, especially in France,” and throughout Europe.
Check your ingredient lists, or ask your cheesemonger if you’re unsure. “Rennet” will pretty much always indicate animal rennet, but “vegetarian rennet,” “microbial rennet,” “thistle (cardoon) rennet” or another coagulant such as lemon juice, acid or vinegar indicate a truly vegetarian cheese.
White or processed sugar
Certain types of white sugar are produced using bone char.
Yep, even something as basic as sugar might have nonvegetarian aspects to it. “There are sugars that are processed using bone char, which is made from charred animal bones,” said Maricel Gentile, cooking instructor, chef and owner of Maricel’s Kitchen. “Bone char whitens the sugar in the process.”
Fortunately, this doesn’t apply to all sugar, but certain brands or specific sugar processing plants may use bone char, which should rightfully give some vegetarians pause. “Not all white sugar is processed like this. Some use filtration methods that use carbon instead,” said Gentile. “Check the label, or look for organic or beet sugar, which typically don’t use bone char methods.”
Wine
If you’ve ever seen a label on a bottle of wine that indicates the wine is vegan and wondered why that even needed to be mentioned — surely all wine must be vegan, yes? — well, there’s a reason. “Although it may sound strange, not all wines are vegan-friendly,” said wine journalist Vicki Denig. “Some producers will use animal-derived products to ‘fine’ — which essentially means to clarify — wines.”
Depending on what method a producer chooses to fine its products, many wines would still be considered vegetarian, but not always. “During the fining process, these products basically bind and remove unwanted sediments or substances and are then filtered out,” Denig explained. “Such products include — but are not limited to — egg whites, casein, gelatin and more.” Isinglass, another element that’s sometimes used to filter wine, is actually a fish by-product.
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The surest way to know that a wine is vegan is to look for wines that are labeled accordingly. Otherwise, until there’s legislation requiring winemakers to include ingredient lists on bottles, you might need to go deep into a producer’s website to find out.
Tortillas
Traditional tortillas are often made using lard.
You don’t necessarily need to be overly cautious about tortillas that you bring home from the grocery store, but when dining out for Mexican food, it’s good to be aware that a staple component of many Mexican dishes isn’t automatically vegetarian. “Traditionally, Mexican tortillas, particularly flour tortillas, are made with lard, which adds a rich flavor and a desirable texture,” explained Wes Avila, chef of MXO in Los Angeles. Lard is rendered animal fat, and its use can vary by region.
“In contrast, most grocery store brands of tortillas, especially the mass-produced varieties, often use vegetable oils or no fat at all, to cater to a wider audience,” said Avila, “including those who prefer vegetarian or vegan options. Always check the ingredient list if you’re looking for a specific type of tortilla.”
Refried beans
Watch out for lard or bits of pork in this Mexican staple side dish.
Lots of preparations involving beans use noticeable bits of pork, but another element from Mexican cuisine that may seem vegetarian but isn’t, is refried beans. “With traditional Mexican recipes, refried beans will often be prepared using lard,” said Mexican-American chef and cookbook author Kristyn Merkley. Check labels when shopping for packaged refried beans, and don’t make assumptions when dining out — be sure to ask.
You might find that chefs adapt their refried beans to suit vegetarian clientele. “A shortening like Crisco also works,” said Merkley, and you can easily adapt a refried beans recipe that calls for lard. “Home cooks can use vegetable oil instead to make it vegetarian, or use plant-based milk or cheese,” she said, for a fully vegan version.
Pie crust
The reason pie crust is so good has a lot to do with lard.
Lard also happens to be a traditional ingredient in something you might find on the dessert menu. “Pie crust often uses lard,” said Gentile. “It makes a beautiful flakey texture.” Meat pies are one thing, but yes, lard is frequently preferred by pastry chefs even for sweet pies. Despite being meat-based, lard has a neutral flavor, so you wouldn’t be likely to tell the difference between a pie crust that used lard and one that used a different kind of fat.
Lard isn’t universal, however, either in restaurants and bakeries, or in prepared grocery store crusts. “Some use butter, and others use shortening,” Gentile explained. “If you are not making the crust yourself, check the label or ask your baker.”
Caesar dressing
Caesar dressing often has pureed anchovy in it.
There’s a particular element to Caesar dressing that gives it its rich flavor. If you’ve never witnessed Caesar dressing being made, then you might be tempted to believe it’s just cheese (which again, might not be entirely vegetarian either) that gives Caesar its distinctiveness. With no offense to cheese, the depth of Caesar dressing goes way beyond what cheese alone can achieve.
“Caesar dressing catches a lot of vegetarians off guard because it’s made with anchovies, which aren’t always obvious in the ingredient list,” said Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis. “Many people assume it’s just a creamy dressing made with parmesan, garlic and lemon, but traditional recipes rely on anchovies for that deep, savory umami flavor.”
Worcestershire sauce
Another common condiment that may be in your fridge right now is also a hidden source of anchovies. (Or not so hidden, so long as you’re reading the label closely.) “A lot of people don’t realize that Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies because it just adds a rich, savory depth to food rather than a fishy taste,” said Rena Awada, owner and head chef at Healthy Fitness Meals. “Since you don’t really taste the fishiness, it’s easy to overlook,” she said, “until you check the ingredients and realize it’s not vegetarian after all.”
What’s more, Worcestershire sauce is a common ingredient in other products — salad dressings, steak sauce, barbecue sauce or marinades — whose bold flavors may not make it obvious that they may also contain unexpected seafood.
Gelatin
Jell-O and similar products get their jiggle from gelatin.
You may already know that gelatin itself is an animal by-product, but if not, “gelatin is made from the collagen found in the cartilage, bones and skin of animals,” said Gentile. “Cows and pigs are the most common source. When these parts are simmered down, the collagen breaks down into gelatin.”
Avoiding gelatin means much more than just avoiding Jell-O, though, if you’re a strict vegetarian. “Things like marshmallows, gummy candies, and fruit snacks probably are what we all think of when we think of gelatin, but even yogurt, ice cream, sour cream and cream cheese can contain gelatin to stabilize it,” explained Gentile. “‘Diet,’ ‘light,’ or ‘low-fat’ foods will also often use additives like gelatin to make up for the lack of natural fat binders,” she said. Even the coating of some vitamin capsules can be made of gelatin.
Vegetable soup
You’d be surprised by how many vegetable soups use chicken stock as a base.
Soup can often be a source of hidden animal products, as many use an animal-based stock such as beef or chicken, which offers a deep flavor. Double-check soups like cream of broccoli, mushroom, carrot, and so on. They can all have a meaty base.
Even straightforward vegetable soup, which would seem to have a tomato base, can have animal stock as a foundation. Many brands that produce vegetable soup are vegetarian or vegan, but soup should always be a label-check situation.