To ask why so many "vegetarians" eat fish?

[Housewife2010]

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!

My daughter is, strictly, a pescatarian but describes herself as vegetarian for weddings etc . It's just much easier
Her partner is a very strict vegetarian. DD will tolerate gelatine etc if used in error but he is really strict . She tries to balance principle with practically.

I was a vegetarian-who-ate-fish for years, but I'd generally describe myself as a vegetarian.

Was easier on the admin, than launching into an "I do eat this but not that" conversation. Simply couldn't be arsed.

So far, nobody has come up with a reason that explains why saying "I eat fish but not meat" is harder than saying "I'm vegetarian". Because it isn't.

I always ask my vegetarian friends if they eat fish. Some do, some don't. I've assumed it's easier to say 'vegetarian' because not everyone understands what pescatarian means. As I never remember which friends eat what, I find it easier to ask! No one's been offended to be asked before.

'Wafer-thin ham...'

My mum eats fish and always describes herself as vegetarian. Drives me mad. It makes life very hard for people who are really vegetarian, as others have said. I don't care if my mum does eat fish but she is very vocal and makes disgusted noises and faces when I have rare steak and says 'how CAN you...??' When I press her to explain why eating dead cow is bad but eating dead salmon is OK she can never really justify it....

rufus and work

I really can't see how my approach made life any harder for "real" vegetarians. Not my experience at all.

Following your logic vegetarians might make life harder for vegans... Again, I don't see how that could be. Meat eaters certainly didn't make life any harder for me when I was a "vegetarian", and this was in the 80s. Omlettes were often my lot as the veggie alternative in those days, bit dull, but not exactly a hardship.

tedandlola the only problem I've found with saying you eat fish but not meat is that sometimes a bit of meat is sneaked into a fish recipe. Or if you have fish and chips (which should be acceptable to a pescatarian) you find out that the chips have been cooked in beef dripping.

Can someone link to a restaurant menu which has fish as a vegetarian option? If the confusion created by fake vegetarians is as real as veggies are suggesting, it shouldn't be hard to find one or two!

So far, nobody has come up with a reason that explains why saying "I eat fish but not meat" is harder than saying "I'm vegetarian". Because it isn't.

I don't think anyone has said it's harder, just more accurate.

Crumpet, that would only be true if the vegetarians called themselves vegan. Which would confuse the issue for vegans, I imagine.

Arf at 'first world problem' yeah because the food choices we make I'm the developed world have no effect on the rest of it......

But what do I know, I'm clearly just a 'faddy' eater ;)

"Pork is vegetarian food in some parts of Europe."

In Germany pork served as fresh meat is classified as meat, but not preserved pork in the form of ham, salami or bacon - although things have got much better in the last 20 years. I was a vegetarian for a number of years in Germany and visited (what was then) Czechoslovakia in the 90s. I had several incidents where I had been assured that something was either vegetarian or meat-free (ohne Fleisch), and then it arrived adorned with bacon or bits of ham. I took to asking an elaborate question about 'Is it vegetarian, that means no meat, no ham, no bacon, has it been cooked in dripping?' Even that confused the waitresses sometimes, because it was beyond their comprehension why it might be important. In 1993 I landed in hospital in what had been East Germany and was apparently the hospital's first ever vegetarian patient - it took them 13 days to provide me with reliably vegetarian food (and then I was discharged the day after).

Once in a restaurant I had prawns turning up unheralded in a 'vegetarian' meal. They were covered in sauce and mixed with lots of different vegetables, so I didn't know they were there until one found its way between my teeth. Horrible.
Stupidly, I didn't say anything, as I didn't want to embarrass my hosts.

It definitely happens in real life. I've seen fishy things on menus with a V mark, but I steer clear of these places. I even saw a chicken sandwich labelled vegetarian the other day, but I was inclined to blame the printer at least in part for that one. I won't be going into that cafe, even so.

Because pescetarian is a bloody stupid poncy made up word which doesn't mean what it implies. ie that the person only eats fish.

Though to be fair vegetarians don't just eat vegetables, they eat animal products too.

So far, nobody has come up with a reason that explains why saying "I eat fish but not meat" is harder than saying "I'm vegetarian". Because it isn't.

Personally, it's because that is not my only dietary requirement, and I like to focus on the things that will kill me rather than my personal preferences. If I'm trying to fit in details about my diet onto a slip of paper for a wedding reception or a course application, then saying I am a vegetarian leaves room for the long list of things that will finish me off, whereas a more detailed description does not.

'But they're only lardons!' My aunt trilled at me, Lady Bracknell, style, when my BiL pointed out the pieces of meat in my vegetarian SiL's salad.

So yeah, lardons are okay for veggies. {grin}

fail

Ive acidently said Presbyterian a few times, not good.

I did once ask if there was a veggie option in France and was told that the Spag bol didnt have much meat in It.

Oh my god. I have never understood why so many people care so much about what others do or don't eat!

I have been a vegetarian since I was tiny and I have had to explain myself so many times to so many random people and I really do find it intensely dreary. 'Do you eat fish?' 'What about eggs?' 'Why are you wearing leather shoes then?' 'But what do you actually, you know, eat?' I'm not talking about nice people making conversation, asking my reasons, etc, but this need so many people seem to have to try and catch me out. Why do they care? I'm not stopping them gnawing a chicken carcass next to me, so just let me enjoy my sodding pasta with spinach and ricotta, mushroom risotto or [insert other predictably dull standard veggie option here] in peace.

Rant done. :)

For the record, I usually just say, 'I don't eat any meat or fish', except for when I was in Argentina when I said, 'I don't eat any meat, fish, ham or chicken' as otherwise you'd get chicken in your salad and ham in your cheese sandwich as a matter of course.

Tbh this isn't an only mn thing - it comes up that you are veggie often, usually when turning down meaty offerings or when eating out - and more often than not you get the questioning of why,how long, do I eat fish (my explaining pescetarianism) , is my son veggie (no, his choice blah blah) , how strict am I etc. I don't quiz others about their eating choices and I don't try and Talk about my veggie-ism, I just get asked about it at least a couple of times a month which I think is a lot considering my eating habits and choices are pretty mundane

And yy to the trying to trip you up with line of questioning thing - it is peculiar - if you were sitting there trying to convert or raising the subject of vegetarianism or criticising other people eating meat then yes your credentials can be questioned but just as you have said no to a sausage roll as you are veggie or asked about veggie choice at a restaurant etc or going to tea at a friends so having to state dietary requirements does not invite the Spanish Inquisition

Oh FGS, if you're going to follow a dietary fad at least get the name right! There is no such thing as a "pescetarian" (pronounced "peshetarian")! If you're a vegetarian who eats seafood your're a PESCATARIAN, At least educate yourself on the basics, please?