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Original poster

To be sick of people thinking vegetarian eat fish

333 replies

Dearaugust · 20/01/2025 13:52

Also, people who eat fish but not meat calling themselves vegetarian!

When people find out I’m vegetarian, a lot of people ask me if I eat fish. If I ate fish, then I wouldn’t be vegetarian! It wasn’t a big deal really, but an incident has happened recently where I was choosing a meal for a wedding and there was only meat options and a “none of these due to dietary preferences” option. So I ticked that. The person then contacted DH (it’s his friend who is getting married) and he explained I’m vegetarian. A few days later she said not to worry, they have sorted a fish meal for me. So he’s now had to go back to her again saying I don’t eat fish. What a faff!

I honestly thought it was common knowledge that vegetarians don’t eat fish. But apparently not because i get asked it a lot.

OP posts:
denhaag · 20/01/2025 14:52

x2boys · 20/01/2025 14:51

That's what I don't understand I'm a meat and fish eater but if someone say.they are vegetarian on moral grounds but eat fish, why is thst different to meat ?

Show quote history

Free range?

denhaag · 20/01/2025 14:52

Marmunia10667 · 20/01/2025 14:36

Yes, it's annoying! I booked and paid for vegetarian meals for the family for our flights. On the return flight, they had 'run out' of vegetarian meals, and the cabin crew woman sighed and asked if we would eat fish or chicken.

This was a long haul flight and we were starving for nine hours!

Her question wasn't unreasonable. I always book an Asian vegetarian because it's what I prefer, but I am not vegetarian.

Did she say what happened to your booked meals? Normally the special meals get given out first.

x2boys · 20/01/2025 14:51

kaos2 · 20/01/2025 14:27

One could argue fishing is the cruelest of all .
In vegetarian and can't fathom why people ask if I eat fish ffs

Some people are just thick !

That's what I don't understand I'm a meat and fish eater but if someone say.they are vegetarian on moral grounds but eat fish, why is thst different to meat ?

littleburn · 20/01/2025 14:51

I haven't eaten meat in 35 years because I simply don't like it. I'll happily eat fish. If I say I don't eat meat, people assume I'm a vegetarian. If I say I don't eat meat, but I'll eat fish, people read that as vegetarian. If I say my dietary requirements are 'pescatarian' a lot of people don't know what that is. If I go to a wedding or a works event it's easier to just tick the vegetarian box ...

In none of this am I trying to hypocritically claim vegetarian status or pretend fish aren't animals.

denhaag · 20/01/2025 14:50

It's my late Mother in law's fault.
She was a vegetarian that ate fish, white meat and duck if she fancied it.
I think she just like the sound of being vegetarian.

She was a really lovely woman though.

Mittens67 · 20/01/2025 14:42

This is one of my regular annoyances. My ex husband would describe himself as practically vegetarian when what he actually meant was that he just didn’t eat red meat.
Then the number of times people have assumed I must eat fish, and sometimes chicken as well.
On occasion I have really had to spell it out as I don’t eat dead creatures of any sort.
Who knew vegetarianism was too complicated for so many people to understand!

soberfabulous · 20/01/2025 14:42

Veggie for 35 years, still get this assumption, massively annoying!

SnidelyWhiplash · 20/01/2025 14:37

My brother and sister in law call themselves vegetarians but they eat fish. It annoys me more than it needs to.

Nothatgingerpirate · 20/01/2025 14:37

MudpiesinEssex · 20/01/2025 14:10

You'd have no trouble with me.

I'd go to great lengths to avoid ever hearing your stories about what you do and don't eat.

Exactly.
OP is probably sick of people asking and irritable due to basically being undernourished.
😆

QuimCarrey · 20/01/2025 14:36

IamSmarticus · 20/01/2025 13:55

Well that's probably because many people who claim to be vegetarian do eat fish! Yes, I know that they should be describing themselves as pescatarian but they don't, they call themselves vegetarian.

Exactly this.

I don't think a vegetarian eats fish. But enough people do.

Marmunia10667 · 20/01/2025 14:36

Yes, it's annoying! I booked and paid for vegetarian meals for the family for our flights. On the return flight, they had 'run out' of vegetarian meals, and the cabin crew woman sighed and asked if we would eat fish or chicken.

This was a long haul flight and we were starving for nine hours!

EmmaMaria · 20/01/2025 14:35

MajorCarolDanvers · 20/01/2025 13:54

My DH has been a veggie for 25 years and still gets asked this.

some people even asks if he will eat chicken.

Please, please don't shoot me, but.... my best friend who declares herself a vegetarian won't eat fish, eats chicken, hates most vegetables except carrots (and despises anything green) and thinks Dorito's are a food group.

Yes, I know. I have tried pointing out that she is what the rest of the world call a fussy eater, but....

Glitterbiscuits · 20/01/2025 14:34

Hallelujah!
I thought it was just me that found this extremely irritating!

Devilsmommy · 20/01/2025 14:33

RedRosesPinkLilies · 20/01/2025 13:56

I have two friends who describe themselves as vegetarian- but eat fish. Yep, it’s not correct.
I wonder how/ why it makes them feel better? Fish farming can’t be that pleasant for fish, either.

I asked someone this before and they said that fish aren't the same as other animals as they don't feel the same apparently. Sounds like bullshit to me. Just call yourself pescetarian🤷

HaddyAbrams · 20/01/2025 14:33

RampantIvy · 20/01/2025 14:05

Because they are thick. Not helped by pescetarians passing themselves off as vegetarian.

The clue is in the word, which is vegetarian

To be fair it works both ways. Majority of the time, when telling someone DS is pescetarian, they give you a blank look and then say "oh, you mean veggie" when we explain. Hmm

As an aside I wish foods were labelled as 'pescetarian' if that's what they are.

mitogoshigg · 20/01/2025 14:31

I find it is odd that people think vegetarians eat fish, I know none that do, but the flip side is I know 2 vegetarians who complain they get lumped in with the vegans and gluten free guests and are fed up with mushroom risotto at every function.

SilenceInside · 20/01/2025 14:31

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 20/01/2025 14:27

My children refer to themselves as 'vegetarians' but they do eat fish. This is not to piss off the die-hard-do-you-know-what-a-vegetable-is vegetarians.. It's so people don't cook meat for them.
Hope that's ok?

No, it's not ok. This is the exact issue that the OP is annoyed about. You should get them to say they are pescetarians, and if people don't know what that means, then they can explain that it means the only meat they eat is fish.

It's not "die-hard-do-you-know-what-a-vegetable-is vegetarians", it's just vegetarians. The normal ones, who don't eat meat, of any kind in any form!

shweetshurprise · 20/01/2025 14:31

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 20/01/2025 14:27

My children refer to themselves as 'vegetarians' but they do eat fish. This is not to piss off the die-hard-do-you-know-what-a-vegetable-is vegetarians.. It's so people don't cook meat for them.
Hope that's ok?

No it's not ok, teach them how to say Pescatarian!

Original poster
Dearaugust · 20/01/2025 14:30

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 20/01/2025 14:27

My children refer to themselves as 'vegetarians' but they do eat fish. This is not to piss off the die-hard-do-you-know-what-a-vegetable-is vegetarians.. It's so people don't cook meat for them.
Hope that's ok?

But they are calling themsleves something they’re not. If someone is cooking them a meal instead of saying the words “I’m veggie” why not say the words “I don’t eat meat, but I eat fish” instead?? Because they’re literally not vegetarian..

OP posts:
shweetshurprise · 20/01/2025 14:29

Yeah i dont even know why they think this they wouldbt be people who know about special religious diets and fasts where they include fish but not land meat or something. Maybe they think fish dont have feelings and so counted like plants?! Its so bizarre.

Marylou2 · 20/01/2025 14:29

Renamed · 20/01/2025 13:58

Can she have wafer thin ham, Barbara?

That was my first though!

Original poster
Dearaugust · 20/01/2025 14:29

Yes I agree with a lot of people that it’s actually not the people who are asking that are at fault, it’s actually pescatarians calling themsleves vegetarians. Because then people get confused. If someone is pescatarian but don’t want to say the word because it isn’t widely used or known, they could just say “I don’t eat meat but I do eat fish” it’s not hard to say. People automatically assume I eat fish and then are shocked when I say I don’t and ask “so are you vegan then?” Like people genuinely don’t know the difference between everything

OP posts:
eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 20/01/2025 14:27

My children refer to themselves as 'vegetarians' but they do eat fish. This is not to piss off the die-hard-do-you-know-what-a-vegetable-is vegetarians.. It's so people don't cook meat for them.
Hope that's ok?

kaos2 · 20/01/2025 14:27

One could argue fishing is the cruelest of all .
In vegetarian and can't fathom why people ask if I eat fish ffs

Some people are just thick !

DownThePubWithStevieNicks · 20/01/2025 14:27

I probably confuse things even further because I say ‘I don’t eat meat’. This is true, if you think fish and meat are different things…

If people take that to mean I’m fully veggie, that’s absolutely fine. I try to be careful about what fish and where it comes from.

Equally, if it caused confusion and I got some meat broth or gelatine I wouldn’t be bothered on the odd occasion.