to be annoyed when "vegetarians" eat fish?

[purpleandpink]

It cannot just be me who finds this irritating?

Someone who eats no meat, but does eat fish is a pescetarian. As a fully fledged vegetarian it bugs the HELL out of me when people say "I'm a veggie, but I eat fish" Or even worse "but I eat fish AND CHICKEN".....

The problem is there are now so many of these "fish eating vegetarians" that people seem to assume all veggies eat fish, and when I eat out and ask what veggie choices there are, I get offered fish and the "true" veggie options are limited to perhaps 1 or 2 dishes.

I have no problem with people eating just fish but PLEASE do not call yourself a veggie when you clearly aren't one! I don't know why people do it, whether they think it's trendy or they are just lazy or confused about what they are.

I know this is a BIG rant but it really really annoys me. If I am a veggie and someone ask me "do you eat fish?" I practically rip their heads off (which I know is unreasonable but there you go )

But AIBU to ask that people only call themselves vegetarians if they actually are one???

Confuzzeled, it seems like you are the angry one! Maybe you should direct your anger towards the cruel practices behind the meat and dairy industries rather than those of us who choose not to eat their products.

Being vegetarian is defined by what you don't eat, rather than what you do or what you wear.

I have been vegetarian for a long time. I don't talk about it much - I bring food to other people's houses, I hate the fuss, I hate explaining my choice because it always ends up with meat eaters getting all sensitive about their choices. Mostly I just say I'd rather not talk about it - you can't convince people who don't wish to be convinced, it just ends up in a heated debate, where ideas become even more entrenched - this much I have learnt in my short life.

The fish thing while mildly annoying has not proved to be a big issue. When I stopped eating meat a few decades ago - choice was unknown, veggie food was awful (plate of boiled veg - known as a veggie platter, yuck) and hard to come by. We now have fantastic choices in most restaurants in the UK - abroad it's slightly more challenging but in general I'd say we've never had it so good!

I don't like talking about being veggie either, tend to just say I don't eat meat, and if asked why say 'I just prefer not to' - but still regularly get meat-eaters who 'challenge' me to justify why all meat-eating is wrong (I hadn't said it was) or try to provoke me into a debate, or react as though I've criticised or offended them. Which I think is rude when I've just said it's a personal preference and not made any comment on the morality of their behaviour, though they seem to hear some judgement all the same .

I agree actually with pinkcushion that vegetarian options in restaurants are generally not bad at all these days. It's much more difficult if you want a vegan option though (I always look as will choose this if available, or have veggie otherwise). Unless you go to a vegetarian restaurant where the 'V' symbol means vegan!

As an omnivore, I find it puzzling and perplexing if people say they're veggie but eat fish. We need a new word for this.

There's my point Veganette, I wasn't being angry, I was pointing out the arguement was flawed and frankly VU.
I'm a non-meat eater, I only buy organic dairy products, my family are vegetarians. Yet I get called angry because I don't like "getting my head ripped off" by vegetarians who think I'm doing the world a huge injustice because I eat fish occationally when I'm out.

Confuzzeled you are wrong - books are bound with synthetic glue since WW2 and the ink is vegan. Leather bound are obv not vegan.

I am a vegetarian in principle sadly i get massive iron deficiency and end up having blood transfusions if I don't eat some kind of protein. I prefer fish to meat due to the cold blooded argument and also the chewing side of things.

So yes I am a vegetarian and if I wasn't prone to illness I would not eat fish. ~Circumstances have meant I have to though

You're not a vegetarian - you eat fish.

Why are you not able get iron and protein from plant sources? Why are you linking iron deficiency with protein?

Fish contains iron, but also substances that affect your body's ability to absorb the iron. If you're in dire need of iron, fish is not the thing to eat.

you are not a vegetarian, it is not a state of mind.
Its really a very simple word to understand, it does not need interpreting or any nuance. You are a vegetarian if you do not eat anything that used to be alive. No meat, no fish, no sausages. Its that simple.

If you eat meat, even if you don't like it, you are not a vegetarian. If you eat fish occasionally you are not a vegetarian. If you eat bacon sandwiches when hungover you are not a vegetarian.

Sorry...I know I'm childish Buzz but your last post as left me with an image of live sausages grazing in fields

You mean they don't?

Only the Butchers own breed...the low value sausages are squashed together in crowded barns...bless 'em

Lovesdogsandcats, I'm not wrong. Synthetic gelatin Hypromellose is expensive to make and is used in some glues but it's not the norm. It's used in all photo papers and crepe paper. You can buy vegan inks but again they are expensive.

Gelatin is also used to refine most beers and wines, it's in loads of make up and make up removers. Matches, paintballs, some plastics....I could go on and on, unfortunately it's a cheap commodity, I don't like it but it's true.

Confuzzled, all Epson papers and most HP and Verbatim photo papers are vegan.Vegan ink is available too.

There are loads of vegan wines and beers these days, Tesco etc sell lots :)

And the make up etc, again they can be bought, as well as non vegan ones - these things are out there!

YANBU, I have a few buddhist friends who are total vegetarians... But they can find really tasty "meat" made from tofu, though.