Is CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKIES Vegetarian?


Ingredients
FLOUR (WHITE, ENRICHED, BLEACHED), VEGETABLE SHORTENING, SUGAR, BUTTER, EGGS, APRICOT, RASPBERRY, STRAWBERRY FRUIT FILLINGS (GLUCOSE, FRUIT PUREE, SUGAR, PECTIN, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, VEGETABLE GUM, SODIUM CITRATE), ALMOND EMULSION (WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, ACACIA GUM, XANTHAN GUM), COCOA POWDER, RED COLORING (WATER, FD&C RED #40, FD&C YELLOW #6, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE), BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BIOCARBONATE, CORN STARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CHOCOLATE DIP (VEGETABLE OIL {PALM KERNEL AND PALM OIL} COCOA, NONFAT MILK, SUNFLOWER LECHTHIN, VANILLA) WHITE GLOSS (SUGAR, WATER, CORN SYRUP), RAINBOW AND CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES (SUGAR, GLUCOSE, TAPIOCA STARCH, COCOA POWDER, PALM KERNEL FAT, SALT GLYCEROL, MAGNESIUM SILICATE, SHELLAC, SOY LECITIN, GUM ARABIC, FD&C COLORS : RED #40, RED #3, BLUE #1, YELLOW #5, AND YELLOW #6, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARNAUBA WAX), CHERRIES ( CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, FD&C RED 40, FD&C YELLOW 5, FD&C BLUE 1).
What is a Vegetarian diet?
A vegetarian diet eliminates meat, poultry, and fish but typically includes dairy, eggs, and plant-based foods. People adopt it for ethical, environmental, or health reasons. This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds as key nutrient sources. Vegetarians often get protein from eggs, tofu, beans, and lentils. It can offer health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease and improved weight management, though attention should be given to nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. With proper planning, a vegetarian diet can be both nutritionally complete and sustainable.


