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 a vegetarian for "non-ethical" reasons. Have been for about 25 years. I was always a picky child and would always find a bit of fat on the beef. I was so fussy even although my mum tried to make sure the beef was very lean.

If I was given chicken I would always find the sinew (shudder).

I enjoy fake meat substitutes and make great dishes with stuff like https://www.ocado.com/products/juicy-marbles-plant-based-thick-cut-filet/670880011?srsltid=AfmBOooelvA1h_r5w-QBA0di_MknGPGnkVObfELdh6q6oK6aUTTTonrX

Chicken don’t eat small amounts of meat . Chickens given the choice eat meat before anything else , they forage insects all day and if you actually feed them meat they will leave whatever they are eating to go for it first and as you say if they find mice they will even fight over them .
It’s funny the amount of people who go think chickens are natural vegetarians 🤣🤣🤣 . They are like little T rexes with no teeth

I don't think i understand the question, as it sounds like you're saying "I'm not a vegetarian and sometimes eat meat, why why vegetarians just eat some meat too?"...

If you think something is ethically wrong/disgusting, would you do it sometimes anyway? I don't mean "not my favourite", it mean you actively don't want do / eat something...?

Who died and appointed you the vegetarian police? Who gave you the authority to suggest vegetarians should relent and eat meat occasionally? What business is it of yours what we eat? How about you do you and eat what you want, and you leave alone those of us who wouldn’t touch meat with a barge pole? Deal?

What a stupid post! Do you think people are vegetarian because they don't like the taste of meat? While that may be true for some, the majority will be vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons. If there is a substitute that is similar to meat but doesn't involve killing animals then of course there will be a demand for it. I can't understand how you couldn't have worked that out with just a few seconds thought.

You’re saying you aren’t black & white about it. But I feel like you’re really linear in your thinking ‘it’s ok for me so why not them’ is the most black & white opinion 😂

Ive been veggie since I was 9. Id say I am pretty low key, don’t really need anyone else to facilitate my dietary choices etc. It’s so easy nowadays, no one bats an eye lid. We’ve come a long way from the early 00’s where we could eat out but only really the regular meals and ask to not have the meat included. At home would be Linda McCartney sausages or pies! So the angst you’re describing sounds to me like the struggles of someone newly veggie who’s learning about what is and isn’t ok for them to eat, within the boundaries of their own comfort.

I guess because if you don't eat meat, your stomach might find it hard to digest? It might make the person feel bloated. Or they may dislike the very distinct texture and flavour or they just generally are repulsed by eating dead flesh.

I wouldn't expect my veggie friends to sometimes eat meat. I wouldn't mind if they did but then I wouldn't class them as being veggie.

It makes no sense to ask why a vegetarian wouldn't eat meat "once in a blue moon for the sake of convenience and enjoyment" because the vast majority wouldn't enjoy it.

Sure, it might sometimes be convenient. It would be more convenient to eat the maggoty half pigeon that a peregrine left in our garden last week than to get in the car and go to Tesco. But I'm not going to do that because it's disgusting. Same in a restaurant - I'm not going eat something that revolts me simply because it's more convenient than asking the waiter for details of ingredients.

DH is vegetarian, I am not. He would never eat meat because of the ethics of killing a living thing for sustenance. He would rather go without than eat it. There’s nothing wrong with keeping to your principles.

I have been veggie for 40 years
i I don’t make a big deal of it (I hope) - but have often had meat eaters being almost aggressive about my reasons.

i don’t care what other people eat! If you want to eat meat, crack on. I do find it hard when there are eg threads on here about cruelty to animals by people who eat meat though.

i accidentally ate beef stock a few years ago and threw up lots so yes I think my gut has adapted . The smell and sight of meat turns my stomach. Gross.

Im surprised there are so many people that dont seem to understand the ethical side of vegetarianism!

The occasional fake sausage at BBQ or Christmas dinner I understand but not the everyday bog standard cooking.. lentils are good instead of mince.

(Eat vegetarian a lot but not vegetarian, vegetarian dd)

Because being a vegetarian is a binary thing.
If you eat animal flesh then you are by definition not a vegetarian.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t often eat meat and I never eat meat that I don’t know the provenance of. I realise that is weasel-ethics, but better than no ethics at all!

Do you understand what a vegan is? If you think vegans should be more flexible about occasionally chomping down on a burger and strawberry shake, I can only think you must have got them muddled up with some other group of people. Like Vicars. Or Vikings.

i think the whole idea of being vegan is nuts . No offense intended just a personal perspective . Most people cannot be healthy vegan without supplement

I think it's a perfectly reasonable position tbh.

Being vegetarian (and I am one) is equally "weasel-ethics" imo. If you are motivated by concerns about climate change and/or animal welfare etc, and you follow the arguments to their logical conclusion, then you'd really have to be a vegan.

The problem is, I love cheese! 🧀

Nuts are very important for vegans!
So much protein in peanut butter (yes I know peanuts are a legume and not a nut 😄)
I'm vegetarian but not vegan; cheese yoghurt and homemade kefir are too important to me!

The whole point of vegetarianism is that is black and white. By definition, vegetarians don't eat meat. That's what "vegetarian" means.

A person who occasionally eats meat isn't a "relaxed" or "flexible" vegetarian. A person who smokes a cigarette or two a month isn't a "relaxed" or "flexible" non-smoker; they're a smoker.

I've only drunk alcohol about three times this year, but that doesn't make me teetotal. I'd only be teetotal if I didn't drink at all. It's just common sense.

I don’t actually understand why anyone wants a vegetarian or a vegan to be “flexible”-or in other words-not be a vegetarian or vegan. Why would you want them to do that?

People can be highly weird about others' food choices.

I'm on a diet, meaning that I often forgo any drink but water, and choose a salad etc. I even sometimes choose literally a side salad then a massive fuck off pudding.

The comments I get about not drinking, being "good" etc are insane - people seem really offended when I won't make an exception and have a latte/order the lasagne etc.

Thing is, I'm perfectly happy with my choices, and the results. The idea that the naff supermarket cake they bought is worth me not hitting my goal doesn't seem to occur to them.

Why don't you just fuck someone else every now and then? It doesn't undo all those nights of fidelity.

Why not skip washing your hands after a shit every now and then? It doesn't undo all those times you did wash your hands.

That’s because you don’t have an understanding of all the different places you can get protein and all the vitamins and nutrients you need that don’t involve animals or fake sausages. It’s not an offensive opinion (to me, I’m obviously not speaking on behalf of anyone else) but it is an ill informed opinion.

I’m not vegan. I’m not even vegetarian. I gave it a go years ago and I couldn’t stick to it. But DH and I both have close vegan relatives and they are beyond healthy. One of them does long distance running; I couldn’t run for a bus.

Nobody can be a healthy vegan without B12 supplements. We don't see that as a reason not to do it though. Why do you think the idea is nuts? Surely you can understand, even if you don't agree, the concept of avoiding eating anything produced by farming animals?

I am vegetarian and I would rather eat my own arm than any poor animal who has died and most likely lived a miserable life.

On that note I will NEVER eat meat/fish again.