If you are a vegetarian, and you don't have the quick access or the money to spend on a "veg friendly" store like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, there are is a quick way to spot vegetarian items using the kosher key printed on the outside of most foods at your local supermarket. Learning this tip can save you the time and hassle of endlessly reading labels. Especially great if you are trying to wrestle shopping and controlling toddlers at the same time!

A quick lesson on what kosher actually means, if you are not Jewish (which I'm not, but I have a basic understanding, if I forgot something, please let me know!) it may seem a little complicated. Basically put, meat and milk cannot mix. Food cannot contain both products simultaneously.

On the package, you will find either the symbols, "K" or "U", these are the universal symbols for a "kosher" product. Next to each symbol you will see words like "parve" or "dairy". "Parve" means neither meat or dairy products were used in the production of the product. It is free of eggs, milk, meat by products, etc. If you are vegan, "parve" is probably the quickest way to navigate the supermarket. "Dairy" only implies dairy products being used, without any meat. Great if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

So as you navigate the grocery store, keep an eye out for those indicators. It's a great way to spot what you are looking for quickly!