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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask why so many "vegetarians" eat fish?

267 replies

Housewife2010 · 14/04/2015 08:06

I think I may now describe myself as a vegetarian who eats meat! I don't eat any shellfish or much fish so surely it all evens out!

OP posts:
scaevola · 14/04/2015 08:08

It's because the word pescetarian isn't as well known.

Which is a pity, as the practice seems to be fairly widespread, and it's damned confusing to misuse a perfectly good term that is concurrently in accurate use.

Marmaladedandelions · 14/04/2015 08:09

Yes, because if I say 'we are pescetarians' I get Hmm faces!

42andGaffaTape · 14/04/2015 08:09

Vegetarians don't eat fish.

Prescitarians do.

TheFirstOfHerName · 14/04/2015 08:10

Health reasons?
Pescatarians have an even lower incidence of bowel cancer than vegetarians.

42andGaffaTape · 14/04/2015 08:11

It would be much easier if people used the correct labels so restaurants would stop serving actual vegetarians fish and sometimes chicken.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 14/04/2015 08:11

Yep - because most people dont know the word Pescetarian.

Original poster
Housewife2010 · 14/04/2015 08:12

Why not just say that they don't eat meat if the term pescetarian isn't understood?

OP posts:
ethelb · 14/04/2015 08:13

Housewife because IMO that is even more confusing!

meditrina · 14/04/2015 08:13

I've thought it's like saying 'I'm vegan but I drink goat's milk'.

No you're not, and it's rather unfair on actual vegetarians (or vegans in my example) and those who feed them.

'Prawn salad?'
'Oh no! I thought you knew I was vegetarian?'
'but MsX is vegetarian and she loves this'

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 14/04/2015 08:13

It's because no-one was particularly pedantic about it until recently, and to be honest I know lots of people that class themselves as "vegetarians" and still eat fish.

It's one of those MN Issues that doesn't really happen often in the real world, but will get done to death on here....

Marmaladedandelions · 14/04/2015 08:14

Largely because in restaurants and cafes there tends to be the 'vegetarian option.' I can see its frustrating if you eat neither meat nor fish to be served fish, although I'm not sure on what planet chicken isn't meat!

Superexcited · 14/04/2015 08:15

I thought most people knew the word pescetarian.

TheMoa · 14/04/2015 08:15

It's just easy shorthand, no one wants to listen to the ins and outs of someone else's eating habbits.

It just ensures your roast potatoes aren't cooked in goose fat etc.

Why take it so personally? Just use common sense, and don't get so wound up.

ArgyMargy · 14/04/2015 08:17

Pescetarian is a daft word. It's not like they ONLY eat fish, is it? Fruitarian is a daft concept but at least it's a proper description.

thatwhichwecallarose · 14/04/2015 08:19

They don't. Vegetarians don't eat fish.

If you're wondering why people say they're vegetarian when they still eat fish then it's because sometimes it's easier to just say you're a vegetarian (I.e. Chances are when booking from a set menu or at a wedding for example you'll probably want the be vegetarian option). Or it describes 90% of your eating habits.

One thing that's always confused me though is if you describe your self as a vegetarian who eats fish then what's your stance on gelatine/leather etc.

EdithWeston · 14/04/2015 08:19

Oh, it happens in real life. That's one of the joys of big sites - you "meet" a greater range of people.

Out for a Chinese meal and one person in group announced she was veggie. So we chose an almost entirely veggie meal, so everyone could share, but did include one prawn dish. Which the 'vegetarian' helped herself to as her first choice.

If we'd known we needed more to go round, we could have ordered more. The omnivores had to do without as the 'vegetarian' ate the flesh.

Trills · 14/04/2015 08:21

One thing that's always confused me though is if you describe your self as a vegetarian who eats fish then what's your stance on gelatine/leather etc.

Vegetarian describes eating habits. No more.

You can be vegetarian but wear fur if you like.

It doesn't necessarily imply a refusal of all animal products - just that you don't want to put flesh into your mouth.

MrsMook · 14/04/2015 08:21

Pork is vegetarian food in some parts of Europe.

I think there needs to be a neat word to summarise those who don't eat red meat, but eat poultry.

thatwhichwecallarose · 14/04/2015 08:23

Well there you go then trills. You learn something new everyday.

Although it doesn't answer the gelatine (or goose fat as above) issue.

AlternativeTentacles · 14/04/2015 08:25

No vegetarians eat fish. If they say they do, then you need to point out that they are not vegetarian then.

Nospringflower · 14/04/2015 08:25

I don't eat meat but do eat fish and so when people say are you a vegetarian I usually just say I don't eat meat. I do sometimes say pescetarian but think it sounds a bit odd to lots of people!

I don't eat gelatine and eat veggie cheese etc but do wear leather. Reason is doing it on eating grounds rather than animal welfare although increasingly I hate the thought of the egg or milk industry. But ... Lots of hassle to go vegan ...

AlternativeTentacles · 14/04/2015 08:26

Vegetarians do not eat gelatine or goose fat either. Again, what you need to say is that they arent vegetarian then.

HSMMaCM · 14/04/2015 08:26

MrsMook it's a pollotarian

Nospringflower · 14/04/2015 08:27

Thatwhich - although it's not flesh don't want to eat meat products like goose fat etc