surprising foods vegetarians don't eat

with meat out day coming this friday, i thought i might get a head start by listing some foods not thought of right off the bat as hands off for vegetarians such as myself. this is in no way meant to be a comprehensive list, more eye opening or a helpful guide:

• anything with gelatin in it. gelatin comes from boiled bones, tendons, and skin of animals usually hoofed animals such as cows, pigs, and horses . this list includes many commercially made yogurts, kellogg's frosted mini wheats, marshmallows but not fluff, jello, ice cream, and gummy candies. you really have to read packages on these items to see if gelatin is listed. agar-agar is made from seaweed and an alternative to gelatin.
• worcestershire sauce and food and beverages made with worcestershire sauce such as bloody marys. worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. vegetarian worcestershire sauce is available in stores. some commercial bloody mary mixes do not contain worcestershire sauce. i actually hand made an awesome bloody mary when i bartended without it.. you really have to ask the bartender or do what i did and asked to read the bottle.
• caesar dressing and hence caesar salads contain anchovies as well.
• red velvet cake, port wine cheese, maraschino cherries, the liquer campari, and many red foods especially meats, strawberry or raspberry flavored foods contain cochineal aka carminic acid or carmines natural red 4 which is made by grinding the scales of cochineal bugs.
• many frozen pie crusts contain lard
• utz's hand cooked potato chips which used to be faves of mine are cooked in lard.
• chewing gum often contains glycerine made from animals although wrigley's uses vegetable glycerine
• hostess snack cakes are made with beef suet

some links with lists of tricky foods and food additives

a list of tricky food additives

a list of tricky foods for vegetarians

a list of animal based ingredients