A Jewish term describing food made without animal or dairy ingredients. According to Kosher dietary laws, animal food (meat or chicken) cannot be consumed at the same meal with dairy food, but a pareve food may be combined or eaten with either. In order to be pareve, breads and cakes must be made with vegetable oils and not with butter or other animal fat. Look at the Kosher designations on many packaged foods -- anything marked "Parve" or "Pareve" is dairy-free.