to think that if you eat fish or chicken you are not a vegetarian?

[knowitallstrikesagain]

So vegetarian seems to mean different things to different people. But the common definition is flesh from an animan, including fish and birds, used as food.

If you don't eat meat, you are a vegetarian. If you eat meat, you are not a vegetarian. If poultry and fish are types of meat and you eat them, then you do eat meat and are therefore not a vegetarian.

Didn't the powers that be come up with a new word to describe people who eat fish but no other type of meat? (I know what it is but can't spell it )

I understand saying you are veggie to make life easier, eg when RSVPing a wedding for food, or a staff meal out, but if you are having dinner with a friend, surely you could specify that you like some meats more than others?

AIBU to think that if you eat ANY animals, you are not a vegetarian?

YANBU
you are right.

a vegetarian is someone who eats NO fish, flesh or foul (or by-products of the slaughter industry)

It really does drive me mad, because I'm veggie, and people go "do you eat fish?" and I go "no, I'm a vegetarian". "well such-and-such's daughter's niece is veggie and she eats fish" "well, she's not a veggie then is she!"

BTW, my in-laws are all veggie and are at people describing themselves as vegetarian when they eat eggs!

My friend used to be a vegetarian but thought it okay to eat wafer thin ham from a packet.

YANBU. It only confuses people when twerps people say this, leading to actual vegetarians being offered fish and/or chicken everywhere.

I'm a vegetarian.

That means I don't eat meat - from any animal, or any animal derivatives in any guise.

It's not really very difficult for people to understand surely!

BelieveInPink - your friend was probably safe enough - is that wafer thin ham actually meat?

YANBU and it annoys me when people call themselves veggie and then eat meat. I have been to a restaurant when the veggie option was tuna

Actually, I do eat eggs (but local free range ones - I know the chickens they come from) and I do drink milk but I don't like the alternatives.

YANBU.

I can understand someone asking for the vegetarian option when eating out in situations like those described in the original post, but there's surely no need to claim you're a vegetarian when you're not.

I eat red meat, and have ordered the vegetarian option (in advance, so not stealing it off anyone) at weddings and work functions and so on, and I've never had to pretend I'm a vegetarian to get it.

plus, the definition becomes very important in certain cuisines - like in chinese where they use Oyster sauce for things - if you say you're veggie, but they assume you eat fish, you might end up being served oyster sauce.

or fish sauce is used often in the same cuisine.

nickel absolutely. I went out for a Chinese meal recently and one of the 2 vegetarian options was "mixed vegetables in oyster sauce" and they asked if I wanted prawn crackers after I'd said I was vegetarian.

I mean, I'm fairly sure the prawn crackers don't look like prawns and are fairly low in prawn content but unless they are prawn free (in which case they might want to rethink the name) they are not vegetarian!

There are lots of 'vegetarian' recipes that use fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

YANBU.

However, I tell you what is nearly as annoying, and that is someone I used to know who claimed to eat 'everything' but in fact refused to eat red meat. If there was red meat and a veggie option, she would complain. If there was red meat and a fish option, she would complain. If you pointed out she only really seemed to want to eat chicken, she would look shocked and reply, 'but I eat everything. She used to tick off our (genuine) veggie friend for being 'fussy'.

yanbu to think it but yabu to care. Really, who cares what words someone else uses to describe their eating habits?

I was (my own interpretation of) vegetarian for 16 years, for my own interpretation of environmental reasons, & it still confuddles me how seriously the British take it. Making it into a grand lifestyle philosophical dogmatic thing. I don't get any of that.

I remember back in the days of living in student halls of residence, the staff used to check your ID card to see whether it said 'vegetarian' before they let you take food from the veggie section. It started out relaxed but then because the 'normal' food was often nasty variable in quality, people started choosing the salad or omelette or whatever if the meat offering looked a bit dodgy, and presumably that threw out their catering calculations.

I was told by a family member, when planning my wedding, that I should pick chicken because 'even the vegetarians could eat it'. This turned into 'well X eats chicken and she's a vegetarian'. Erm, I think other vegetarians may see it differently?'

I do take veggie sandwiches if there's a mixture available (say, at a work event where lunch is provided) but I wouldn't if there were very few left, as I'm conscious that I can choose to also have meat sarnies whereas the veggies don't. I also have had the discussion about 'well the veggies can have tuna' several times when ordering lunch! I would always assume veggies don't eat fish unless I specifically know otherwise.

YANBU. I used to be vegan, then was vegetarian. Now I am a pescatarian and have been for 5 years. I tell people I am a pescatarian, and they get the confused look and then I explain, and then they are really pleased to know that there is a term for it. Rarely eat fish anyway, especially when I'm out as I had a horrid experience of tucking into some salmon to find it was sort of stuffed with bacon.

You shouldn't really judge a 'vegetarian' if you see them eating meat on occasion. There may be a reason for this. Let me explain.

After 40 years of eating meat I decided that I felt very uncomfortable with the slaughter industry and found myself feeling extremely guilty eating food with a face. The problems was that I love the taste of most meats, bacon sarnies etc.

Learning to adjust your diet and eat new things isn't very easy and from time to time I would lapse and eat a readymeal etc with meat in it. I would feel guilty afterwards. I found a vegetarian website a great support as they described becoming a Vegetarian as a Journey. They said there would be days where you could lapse and fall off the wagon so to speak but maintained it didn't make you a failure and you would become stronger willed as a result. I suppose it's like smokers quitting or dieters really.

It can be quite hard sometimes be because there really isn't a great choice of food in the supermarket as far as ready meals are concerned so until I've learnt a lot of quick and easy recipes I know it will continue to be a struggle.

i think, Crispy, if that's the case, then it would make more sense to only eat meats where the welfare and the slaughter process are fair.
it's easiest to choose meat that's been organically reared, and where the animals are killed quickly and humanely.

Def not BU'. And eating dairy products is really not consistent with concern for animal rights.

Nickel - I would actually prefer to give up eating meat full stop to be honest so will continue on my journey

I'm a pescatarian. However, people don't usually know what that means, so if someone asks me I just say 'I don't eat meat'. When responding to wedding invites and so on I usually write 'vegetarian' as it's simpler.

Crispy LunaticFringe is right. You just need to do it. And avoid ready meals - they're never going to inspire anyone!

There are some great easy recipes on here

I used to be a 'proper' veggie, then I went to South America for a year, and just got so sick of rice and a fried egg for every meal. There seemed to be lovely fresh fish available everywhere so I started eating it. And never stopped.

What's most annoying is people who describe themselves as veggie, talk passionately about animal welfare....but buy, cook, and eat battery-farmed chicken. I've a freind who does this, sane and lovely in all other regards, but wierdly inconsistent on that one.

All other cases, I kind of think it's nothing to do with me. And a veggie who falls off the wagon sometimes is just human, surely?

YANBU.
Vegetarians don't eat meat or fish.

Vegans don't eat any animal products at all (inc. eggs, milk & dairy produce from made with animal milk, or any food with ingredients derived from animals or fish).
Vegetarians who don't eat meat or fish for ideological reasons should avoid wearing leather too.
It's different if a person is a vegetarian because they don't like the TASTE of meat or fish - then it's not hypocritical if they wear leather.

I feel very guilty because i love live animals & fish - but i like eating fish, & prefer leather shoes.

I do care about animal welfare, & about farm animals not being fed on rubbish & given lots of unecessary antibiotics. I buy organic eggs & milk (taste better, more vitamins, happier cows & hens). I don't bother buying meat (can't be bothered to cook it & don't like cold meat that much).

I prefer fish that is farmed (doesn't reduce sea stocks); or fish that isn't endangered at all (eg. sardines); also line caught fish is a better choice environmentally.
I mainly eat vegetarian meals; fish or shellfish if i go to restaurants; although i do occasionally eat chicken or a small steak.

I would NEVER say i'm a vegetarian because i will eat fish or meat. I would say that i'm just fussy. ;)