Comments on: Ignorance is Bliss!

By: Geetha

Geetha — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Hi
Yes,animal products are sneaked in everywhere ..I used to think Kosher Gelatin is vegetarian until I heard from a jewish friend that it is also derived from cow bones..I only get Stonyfield organic yogurt(flavored) and I make my own plain yogurt.I knew about rennet too but like you said many of the convenience foods have animal rennet in them,even many breads have added ingredients which are animal derived,ofcourse they have unpronouncable names too..after reading your blog I have been inspired to bake .I am yet to muster up the courage to bake yeast breads-once I do,I guess I won’t buy bread from the store.Last yr I wanted to make Apple pie and bought pillsbury pie crust only to find that it has lard!I feel in the U.S food labelling is very poor and I spend so much time just reading labels!
Geetha

Thanks Geetha. I see some jelly crystals in Indian grocery stores, have to check out if it’s vegetarian.

By: Lekha

Lekha — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Hi Madhuram,

This information was very beneficial.I would like to add that Indian cottage cheese doesn’t contain rennet. Besides it low in fats & cholesterol.Other good option is Tofu which is derived from Soy.So truly Vegan Cheese.

I would also like to bring in notice the use of Green tea(without milk) as the best substitute for multivitamins. You don’t need to pop in multi-vitamins ….. having a cup of Green Tean is better.Have it with lemon and honey …… its quite refreshing.

Green tea acts as an antiviral agent. It contains fluoride, a mineral that helps prevents cavities and strengthens tooth enamel. A cup a day can help reduce plaque formation and bacterial infections in the mouth. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, maintains a healthy, active metabolism and circulatory system just to name a few. This proves that this drink is indeed a miracle in a cup!

Catechins are considered the most effective of all antioxidants and the amounts as well as the effects are far higher compared to black tea. The fact that green tea undergoes less internal changes from fresh leaf means that it contains the largest quantity of intact catechins.

So Stay Vegetarian…stay healthy…

Thanks Lekha. I too love green tea. I used to drink it like water, have to start drinking it again.

By: R Varalakshmi

R Varalakshmi — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:29:16 +0000

Hi Madhu, This is an eye opener and it is really sad to note that how manufactures are taking us on ride! I normally use home made ones and rarely use those containing preservatives ! Good job Madhu!

By: Niru

Niru — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:41:32 +0000

i love this site….whenever i want to try cakes, i always feel w/o egg, cakes/cookies/muffins cant be made…so i tried searching eggless cakes in Google, i found yours…your site is wonderful, which helps me a lot to make cakes, etc.. I came to know about gelatin 2.5 yrs back, when i 1st came to US..so before buying anything, i always check for ingredients..if i find any new name, i go home and Google it..[:)] pectin, agar-agar are alternatives for gelatin..i wont buy jello..anything that contains gelatin..but i dint know abt rennet, carmine..thanks a lot for useful info..i’ll be more careful..

Niru, I’m very glad that you like my site. Thank you very much.

By: Ruchi

Ruchi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:08:44 +0000

Oops – my bad.

Btw, I must thank you tons Madhuram coz you’ve been a godsend when it comes to eggless baking. I’ve tried numerous of your recipes and almost all have turned out to be lip-smacking delicious. Thank you for everything – I am sure it must be a lot of work.

Ruchi, thank you so much for your generous compliments.

By: Ruchi

Ruchi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:14:39 +0000

I just read this article. A good resource to find out which restaurants/foods are fit for vegetarians this site – http://cheese.joyousliving.com/ It names all kinds of brands, ingredients and their suitability and tons of other links for research. Hope it helps folks who are interested.

Thanks Ruchi. That’s the list I have provided too.

By: Meena

Meena — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:44:11 +0000

Hi Madhu!

This is a very informative post! Although we aren’t vegetarians ourselves and don’t mind animal byproducts in some of the processed foods we pick, I was shocked to find out about something as natural as yogurt. I immediately checked the list on my regular brand and was pleased to know that they use agar. It’s the BioBest brand, which I’ve found to be one of the healthy ones in the market.

It’s funny how almost everything we find on our grocery shelves these days contain a higher percentage of animal byproducts than natural ones, and you’ve defintely made me question and inspect the things I pick up on my grocery rounds. Thanks a ton!

PS: Welcome to Canada!

Welcome to my blog Meena. Yes, this was a wake up call for me too, to scan the labels more diligently.

By: sai

sai — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:29:31 +0000

also pectin is the vegetable alternative to gelatin. so natural yogurts use pectin.

By: sai

sai — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:27:54 +0000

Oh hmm its shocking if u come across it first time. I have known it luckily since we came to US and i keep advising my friends against danon and other yogurt (yoplait etc) with gelatin. I always use home made and if needed buy the old country home (which does not have gelatin). same with cheese. I always go for rennet free organic. I always go for organic in dairy as much as possible. donuts have lards. some kellogs bars have gelatin. all the fruit snacks have gelatin but for natural ones. just so u may know.

Sure, thanks Sai.

By: Rupa

Rupa — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:42:06 +0000

When I lived in Canada, I discovered that Cheese has rennet/pepsin
enzymes. But Yogourt one is new to me…I buy Organic Trader Joe’s brand,
will call/check what they put in that. As for Marshmallows,
that’s why I don’t buy them. By the way, even the Jello has
animal derived Gelatin in it. So buy the Gelatin free packets(powder)
from Desi store and make it. Or you can buy Gelatin free
mango/orange/peach flavored Jello cups in Trader Joe’s.
As for the growth hormones, Canada doesn’t use them on cows but
US does. That’s why when I moved from Canada to US, I switched to
organic milk. Thanks for an informative post!