Why are people so black and white about vegetarianism?

[GradeSeven]

I live with a vegetarian despite being an omnivore myself. I've got used to most of my meals not having any meat and have found it has virtually zero impact on my enjoyment of food - because generally great flavours are because of good seasoning, herbs & spices and deep rich sauces etc etc. You really don't "need" meat and I'd be happy enough if I never ate meat again.

I also increasingly think that eating less meat is better for my health and the planet - win win.

However it is very convenient if I go someplace where meat is one of the only decent options, or if vegetarian food is not done well. I can just pick a meat dish, no drama. And it's such a rare thing for me to eat meat, I know in the grand scheme of things it won't have a big impact.

Why can't vegetarians do the same as me and just accept that eating meat once in a blue moon for the sake of convenience and enjoyment will not "undo" all the good that many months of not eating any meat at all has done.

Instead they becoming obsessed with the label of "vegetarian' and having to live up to this ideal. And tying themselves up in knots in certain situations in order to avoid meat, especially if it is some tiny meat-derived ingredient that is causing the issue. It would just be easier all round to relent - just for one meal.

I understand if you are a hardcore ethical vegetarian who loves all animals you will never eat meat - but that isn't typical of most vegetarians these days is it?

I guess I'm just not such a black and white thinker about these things, and like to embrace the grey!

I'm vegetarian. And I kind of agree with you. But I won't be tucking into a steak any time soon.

Because they don’t want to? I think if you don’t eat meat, you don’t because you don’t want to. That’s not the same as eating it sometimes because you do want to. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m not a vegetarian btw. Though I do eat vegetarian food 80% of the time. I eat meat the other 20% because I want to. If I wanted to be a vegetarian, I wouldn’t want to eat meat (for whatever reason).

I don’t drink alcohol though. At all. Under any circumstances. Even if I go somewhere and there’s nothing else to drink. Because I don’t want to drink alcohol and it would have negative consequences if I do. I’m very happy being teetotal, so I think it’s weird when people are like but why don’t you just drink sometimes? Because I don’t want to drink at all, which is why I don’t.

But it's totally different because you do eat meat, you haven't made the decision not to, you just don't usually at home because your partner is vegetarian?

I don't really see how it's comparable.

Um, because they don't want to eat dead animals?

It would disgust a lot of vegetarians. Imagine your argument but the meat was human meat. Would you not mind it just for the odd meal? Or would you find it an outrageous suggestion to do something abominable? Part time cannibalism.

BTW I'm not vegetarian or vegan but respect people who are.

Well I don't call myself a vegetarian but Irarely eat meat. I don't buy it for myself but will cook it occasionally if I'm making a meal for someone else. Or very, very occasionally will eat meat when eating out.

But what i find is that I have a mental repugnance to meat. I have difficulty walking down the meat aisles in the supermarket. And it upsets me when I do eat meat thinking of the dead animals so it takes the pleasure out of eating it. I also have difficulty eating eggs and fish now for ethical reasons.

So I can understand how people who are Vegetarians find it impossible to be flexible.

My adult child has been vegetarian for over 40 years.
At the start of their vegetarianism it was a desire not to eat other animals or fish.

Now, it's more that they don't relish the thought of putting dead flesh into their mouths.

each to thher own is the best I've found

I assume that your body gets used to not processing meat and then if makes you feel unwell?

I've never understood things like Christmas dinner. Like the bird is dead, you won't buy more bird to feed one extra person, just eat the bird.

You're not a vegetarian. What a ridiculous post.

I would love to know why people claim and are vegetarian but there sausages shaped like meat ones, mince but veg mince yet has always been referred to as meat mince for decades. Lots of vegepackaging is packed so like meat it's like why surely you want no ideation of meats with your veggie looking foods...anyway nothing against them I'm not even tho I rarely eat meat lol but always puzzled over how vegetarian foods are packages and made to look like meat ones instead of something way opposite lol

I have been veggie since birth.
I tried meat and the texture and smell of it made me gag.
I eat all veggies and lentils so hardly inconvenient.

I have been vegetarian for around 43 years. I don't make a big deal of it. I have found over the years( in particular when I became vegetarian) that a fair few meat eaters would make a big drama out of it! Has improved over the decades. My dp and both sons eat meat and I do cook it. Ds2 eats more veggy stuff and chicken/ fish. I really would not want to eat meat. I do not think it is the same as meat eater being ok to eat vegetarian now and then!

As a vegetarian for 25+ years I'd find the prospect of eating meat disgusting. I don't want to eat dead animal flesh. Obviously I don't usually say that to non-vegetarians! It wouldn't be polite and I respect that everyone should make their own choices about food. But 'it's already dead'/'why don't you eat it when it's inconvenient not to?' and similar comments are missing something important about vegetarianism if they're genuine.

As for veggie burgers, sausages and so on - meat doesn't naturally occur in those shapes! They're made because they're convenient for people to eat. That convenience doesn't change because the burger is made of something other than meat.

Because really they are just shapes. I don't care if things look like meat as long as they aren't meat.

I don"t eat fake meat or veggie sausages, burgers etc.
I just eat vegetables.

I’m vegetarian because I find the taste, smell, and concept of meat repulsive. Always have.

I don’t come from a vegetarian family or anything either, it’s just how I’ve always been since I was a child.

I haven't eaten meat for decades. Around 25 years ago I tried to as I was in Spain and the restaurant didn't get vegetarians. I just couldn't eat it as felt quite ill at the thought. Also if somebody has been vegetarian a long while I think it may upset their digestion a bit as meat is just so heavy.

I'm veggie and kind of agree in principle, but not having eaten meat for 40 years I find the fatty/fleshy nature of a piece of meat really unappetising. Same for meaty sauces and gravy etc

"Why can't vegetarians eat meat occasionally" is a very odd question. It's like asking a Catholic why don't you occasionally pray at the local mosque or something.

Perhaps if the person is only vegetarian because their other half is and so it's convenience rather than a choice they've made then that's different, but I'm vegetarian originally because I don't like meat.

I don’t get his either. It’s not a medical diet. While a vegetarian who suddenly eats a 64 ounce porterhouse probably won’t feel great, in general, no one is going to get sick or die if they follow a philosophical diet to less than perfection.

if I get the wrong meal, I literally can’t eat it. For some ingredients, I could be starving to death in a survival situation and I still couldn’t eat it.

if I get cross contaminated it can absolutely ruin my day or even the next few days.

but someone who eats the rennet parmesan or chicken instead of vegetable stock is going to be just fine.

That’s a myth!

I agree with you to some extent OP- I quite rarely eat meat but like fish once or twice a week. But the no one needs to define themselves as minimal mean eater or veggie do they? It’s so labelly!

Because sometimes the veggie option tastes nice. I don’t want to eat animals.

Vegetarians do have different gut flora - or missing ones that digest meat anyway. I'm sure that can change but it does mean it might not be quite as simple as just eating it again.

ODFOD. For most people vegetarianism is an ethical decision and it’s idiotic to say ‘ oh why do you have to care about it’? Are you telling all the omnivores just not to bother with meat?
I find you supercilious, deliberately obtuse and irritating.

Your stomach is full of acid 😂 it’s not going to struggle with some animal flesh, even if you haven’t eaten it before.