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???

kiwilizzie - I hate mushrooms too, which isn't good as a vegan!

My ex-SIL was a "Vegetarian" who would regularly order chicken when we went out. It was one of many reasons to despise her!

Ooo, thanks for that, NoHun

Me three! Mushrooms are rank!

My friend does describe herself as piscetarian, having been veggie for many years. It annoys her too!

Lamorna, Lamorna - we are kindred spirits. I recently had to cater for a vegetarian for a whole weekend. Sorry no tomatoes, sorry no olives, sorry no peppers. Oh sorry, did I not mention,, not that keen on eggs.

Oh FFS.

I hate vege tarians tables.

Chipmonkey - only if it wasn't a cute face

AppleHEAD

DH has just informed me that Hitler was a vegetarian. So all you people who are surprised that vegetarians are a bit aggressive...

YANBU - whilst anyone is free to choose a veggie option, people who are "veggie except" whatever shouldn't describe themselves as veggie. It just confuses people.

I was a veggie hating veggie for 18 years. Back in 1991 it was tough eating out as it was always Cheese and Broccoli Bake and I hated broccoli (and tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, cauliflower, all pulses and nuts.....) No veggie burgers at McD's and nothing suitable at the chippy, esp as most used lard for the chips.

Also went dairy free when feeding DD.

Lamorna - why? I'm a vegan but it's not because I like vegetables - I don't like them that much, TBH

Do you get annoyed by meat-eaters that don't like every kind of meat? What a strange prejudice to have.

In other parts of this world people will eat anything and would find this debate ridiculous- I suppose is good to have a choice- but remember if you were starving you would eat anything x

I'm a pescatarian, however most of the people I know don't have any idea what that means so I just say I don't eat meat.Some people do seem to struggle with the idea that people can choose to eat fish but not meat, although plenty of people eat meat but not fish. I always either cook for myself or eat out [in a meat/fish serving restaurant] so I don't really care what other people think of my dietary choices or how I describe them.

trinity- back in 1991 you could get an excellent spicy bean burger at any Wimpy bar- no need for McD! Now available at Burger King. Yum. Might have to have one soon.

I don't get the outrage to be honest. I didn't touch meat or fish for the first thirty years of my life. These days I eat a slice of chicken at Christmas and some fish when I actually ask for it.

In the last twenty years I swear I have never been confronted with fish or chicken as the veggie option. You must be all going to the wrong restaurants or have really idiotic friends.

And saying you are a Pescatarian is wanky.

No hun intended -

NO, I don't accept that it is BECAUSE of us "wishy washy vegetarians" that there is confusion.

I feel I've as much right as anyone else to decide at any given moment what I will choose to eat.

Anyone who talks with me will find that I am reasonably consistent and have a good conscience. I may be more flexible than some others in my dietary preferences, but that is my choice. I completely respect those who take a stricter line on their dietary choices.

The reason caterers/ restraunters do not take vegetarianism fully on board is because they chose not to for some reason.

There's no reason that everyone can't be properly catered for.

But it may be necessary to politely ask people what they precisely include when they indicate that they are/ describe themselves as "vegetarian"

I usually choose my words carefully, and would generally use the word vegetarian to mean someone who didn't eat any meat or fish.

I tend to say something like "I'm almost a vegetarian" sometimes adding " but I do sometimes have fish when I'm out with friends" I'd often say that we are (or try to be) a vegetarian family.

"I feel I've as much right as anyone else to decide at any given moment what I will choose to eat."

No one's saying you can't do that, or that you have to be consistent in your eating habits, you can do whatever you like.

It's just not very helpful if you say 'I'm a vegetarian, I'll have the fish please' in restaurants etc :)

Actually, it could be argued that eating fish is worse than eating meat.

When you're eating pork or beef, you might wonder if the animal had a relatively humane death. You might hope that the stun gun did its job quickly, and the animal wasn't still alive when its throat was slit, or when they started to peel the skin off its head...horrifically, many cows are still alive at this stage of the slaughter.

With fish, it's easier. You don't need to wonder if your fish had a painful death. It did. It died either being ripped apart on the coral whilst being pulled along by the trawler ship which caught it;or it died gasping for breath on a bed of ice on the the trawler ship; or asphyxiating after its gills had been slit.

Fish you eat, unless you catch them yourself by tickling them onto shore then bashing them immediately over the head, always suffer.

Also agree that eating dairy products is as cruel. Whether its milk from a poor cow whose udders are painful and infected from being over milked, or eggs from a beakless hen thats male chicks are tossed in an incinerator alive as they serve no purpose, it's cruel.

Sorry if that's gruesome reading - the meat and dairy industries are gruesome!

Hi Ephiny - Personally I wouldn't do that.

I'd either decide I was going to be vegetarian that evening (as usual) and go with that.

OR decide I was going for fish ( as an occasional bit of variation when out with friends - we are all veggie at home) and then I wouldn't mention anything to the waiters about being veggie ( even though I mainly am )

I can't bothered reading the whole thread, the word so what and chillax springs to mind. I've been a vegetarian/piscetarian for over 20 years, I started eating fish when I fell pregnant. I sometimes call myself a vegetarian and sometimes call myself a piscetarian, I just don't want to be fed meat - you can call me what you want - I just don't eat meat and fish is ok to me. What a bunch of judgeypants! :) Seriously life is too short to care!

Who says "the fish" though? Nobody says "I'm not a vegetarian so I'll have the meat please".

Wherever I go out to eat there are always a couple of fish options so "the fish" would be meaningless in the same way that ordering "the meat" would be.

In most places the veggie option is usually a vegan one. Now that does grate sometimes. I don't eat most meat but I do like eggs and cheese. I'm glad for vegans but I'm not starting a thread complaining about the fact that non-meat eaters have no choice but to eat vegan at some restaurants.

I always liked the thing in Viz magazine years ago when someone said they were vegetarian apart from animals whose heads were smaller than their bodies like chicken and fish! When I was vegetarian I was proper - no fish/white meat etc. People enjoy the label without having a particular dietary commitment. At my daughters birthday party one of the parents stated that her daughter was vegetarian but ate chicken so we weren't over fussy with the food she ate. Fair enough if the child eats only Halal or something but not just for a statement or to be different.

Veganette, excellent post. I'm glad to see someone else sticking up for the little fishes!

Been a proper veggie for yonks myself.

Never get upset about other people's veggie oddities, though my friend who still ate chicken "because they are ugly" always made me chuckle.

Feeb... that made me laugh out loud.

Oh good grief, could the vegans on here be any more sanctimonious?

We all make our choices and do the best we can. Don't you dare judge my (admittedly imperfect) choices to avoid animal cruelty as being insignificant because they're not as perfect as yours. Who died and made you the vegetarian police. Oh yes, the poor male calves and baby chicks. Aren't I a monster.

FFS, smug much?

Annie, sorry but I do judge you. I can and I do!