Vegetarians... who eat fish.

[ThatGhastlyWoman]

I suspect this has been done before but, here goes...

We probably all know people who are 'strict vegetarians' apart from the fact that they eat fish. And chicken. And the odd cat, if they're especially peckish and it doesn't move fast enough.

Personally, I don't especially lose any sleep over what other people eat or don't eat. I'm a vegetarian, and like most that I know, consider it my personal preference not to eat meat, just as it is that of others to eat the stuff.

It does, however, rankle slightly when people think you are unreasonable or unusual to not eat fish when you are vegetarian: I've seen more my fair share of eye-rolling and 'well, my strict vegetarian friend eats fish, so it must be okay, you utter loon' - type attitude. A lot of people just don't 'get' it.

Anyway, what has made me start a thread on this topic, even though I doubt it's the first time it'll have been aired on here?

Today, my childminder (otherwise a lovely, lovely woman who I trust absolutely with my child's care) gave my daughter fish fingers because they were out at a fast food place, and she thought they were ok for vegetarians. Now, she thought she was doing a nice thing, but not only has my daughter now been given meat when I really wanted to avoid that happening for as long as possible, I am upset because we have a seafood allergy in my family- so there's potential for serious consequences.

PS: before anyone asks, yes- I did fill in a form listing dietary requirements, and mentioned not only that we were ovo-lacto vegetarians, but that it was really important to avoid any nuts as we have serious allergies in my family. I don't expect her to carry this around with her: the fact is, this prevailing attitude that fish is fine for veggies led to her making an assumption.

Really more of a rant/pointing out of an 'ishoo' than an AIBU, I guess..!

Ha ha ha! I love a good joke!

Got any more Cote?

It's just that the last week one was so unutterably tedious and went on for about a billion years.

And I strongly object to suggesting anyone who points this out is a troll.

Your childminder is clearly incredibly stupid. In which case, I be less worried about the fish fingers and more worried about leaving a child in her care.

Not troll. Moldie. Search MN if you don't know what that refers to.

If a subject annoys you, hide the thread.

Thanks for the lesson, what a sillybilly I am

I can't see how a child can have a "well-balanced diet" if you are going to completely omit meat and fish from his diet. Or even all animal products like milk and eggs, as with the diets I know two friends inflict on their poor children

Hmmm, time for a for cote!

We are most uncomfortable with people who don't share our belief system, are we?

missmartha what a shame! Hugh Fearnley-wotsit has some lovely vegetarian recipes :(

I think it is very wrong to deliberately give a vegetarian child fish to prove a point and woefully ignorant to give it accidently. The parents have every right to bring their child up however they want (some people even allow crisps).
Just thinking about my husband's school where 60% of the kids are Hindu vegetarians, they all eat fish!
It is a ridiculous argument though because obviously people who eat fish are not vegetarians therefore they are wrong and unreasonable and there is no need to debate it.

No, just people who belittle others beliefs.

And who might those be?

Has anyone said that you are a fool to believe in God?

Backing out of thread, as it is getting very weird!

Cote - children and adults can have a very healthy vegan diet - we do not need to eat meat or fish or dairy.

OP - definitely a good example of how much damage the fuckwits are doing who say they are vegetarian and eat fish. They are not vegetarian and should stick to saying 'I don't eat meat'

This is one of the things that annoys me too, OP. I hate it when I say to people (if e.g. finding a restaurant to eat) "I'm vegetarian" and they say "Do you eat fish?" I always want to say "No, I fucking well do not, I'm a vegetarian." I never do, but honestly! And the misconception comes partly because there are so many annoying people out there who describe themselves as vegetarian when actually they eat fish.

Also, I'm always flummoxed by the question "Are you a strict vegetarian?" because I never know what it means. Sometimes it means "Do you abstain from eating all meat and fish?" (Yes, duh - that's what being a vegetarian means.) Sometimes it means, "Do you abstain from eggs and dairy?" (No, that's vegan) or sometimes it means - more reasonably - "Are you strict about not eating cheese with animal rennet or sweets with gelatine?"

OP YANBU.

A question for those who eat fish but not meat, what is the logic behind this decision?

From watching the HFW Fish progs it seems clear that fish production/farming and trawler catching especially causes way more suffering to the fish than good qualuty free range farming

Cote you are very patronising and also wrong - but don't let that hold you back.

Fish eating 'vegetarians' are irritating as they do muddy the waters for those people who are vegetarians. Meat eaters get understandably very confused and cook fish for veggies at dinner parties and it's not really their fault - it's fake veggies causing the issue.

Also people who happily eat crap like Haribo or other processed rubbish with animal derivatives irritate me but not as much. People do not check food labels enough in general and it is easy to be caught out by big business manufacturers and their complex ingredients lists.

Panda makes some very good points re egg and milk production and it is for these reasons that I am a vegan. But I would not want to make vegetarians feel bad/guilty over this as the more veggies there are in the world, the better a place it is as far as I am concerned.

And OP I would be very annoyed by what happened. As another poster pointed out, would you be seen as being 'prissy' if you were a Muslim and this was a (disgusting) pork sausage? Thought not - double standards rule it seems.

Gin my assumption about people who eat fish and not meat is that their reasons for not eating meat are not founded in any way in any concern for animals at all. It can be the only explanation.

A question for those who eat fish but not meat, what is the logic behind this decision?

This question highlights the fundamental issue. People limit their diets for all sorts of reasons. Animal welfare issues, religion, culture, never tried it before, I don't like to eat xxx... The Tesco horse meat incident is the same, no? Why eat one animal and not another? It's just personal choice. If vegans and true anything-goes types (insects, birds, fish, mammals...) are in the minority then surely most of us fit into the category of eating some living things but not others.

Also, I've known vegetarians who don't like vegetables.

Gin - I totally agree. My sister is a so-called veg who eats fish, but hasn't thought anything through really and is actually really dim when it comes to the subject (when she visited MIL made her a veggie option while we had Sunday lunch, DSis then proceeded to pour beef gravy over it)

She says she won't eat meat due to farming/environmental practices...well what about the seas being over-fished, and intensively reared seafood? When I mentioned free range meat she had no idea what it was and seemed to tie herself up in knots.

Basically it's an image she wants to associate with (her boyfriend is a "health nut" who eats nothing but crisps) and she hasn't got a clue - but makes everyone have to cater to her.

Really bugs me though as I have loads of genuine vegetarian friends, my MIL would probably serve them gravy now!

It's a UK thing my in laws served me fish before thinking it was vegetarian. It's a honest mistake but a great opportunity to exain to her your diet better.

I don't eat red meat or poultry because I don't like the taste or texture. People assume I must be vegetarian because of this. I have to admit that if it stops them giving me chicken it can be easier not to argue but agree that fish is not a vegetarian option.