To not tell DD

[Flippetydip]

DD is 6, nearly 7. She's been vegetarian since August and has been absolutely adamant about it, brilliant with what she eats and shows no sign of relenting. I'm all for this and have also pretty much gone veggie. DH and DS have not, therefore there is meat stuff in the fridge.

Fridays are our night when we rush from a to b and back again without time to turn round. I WFH so try and fit that in amidst everything else. This is me preparing my excuse for being such a fuckwit. I did oven chips and what I thought were fish fingers for DD tonight before she went out to Beavers (this is not an AIBU about crap parenting and crap food, it's Friday, we're busy, they eat well the rest of the time!) All good, I had one, thought weird consistency but nothing more of it. Got them out to put in for DS later and realised they were chicken fingers. We have never had these in the freezer before, I can only assume DH bought them as part of a Co-op meal deal or some such thing.

AIBU not to tell DD? I don't think it will do either of us any good.

[SaneAsABoxOfFrogs]

For what it's worth, I was desperate to go vegetarian when I was 9, but my parents weren't happy about it as they weren't convinced I'd have a balanced diet. Going pescatarian is a good compromise, and I gave up fish when I turned 16 and have been vegetarian ever since. Pp are right however that saying you're veggie when you do in fact eat fish makes it harder for true veggies who then get things like prawn cocktails pushed on them as the veggie option!

[BarbarianMum]

Ah yes, fish. That well known vegetable.

[TheWhyteRoseShallRiseAgain]

Clutching at straws that Op means Quorn fishless fingers?
If not I don’t agree people are being unnecessarily pious and preachy not all of us are veggie by choice (although it really shouldn’t matter what the reason is) so actually if fed fish or any other meat or poultry would be ill. Agree with pps weddings and events can be a nightmare.
In the case of op if not fishless fingers and with the accidental chicken I wouldn’t lie I think time to discuss what she actually wants to do and why then support properly from now on in

[EdmundCleverClogs]

Not really what the OP was asking, is it.

I’m not usually one for pedantry, but just because it’s not what she asked doesn’t mean it’s not what the whole thread is going to point out. That’s with good cause, a vegetarian doesn’t eat anything that lived, yet there are plenty of people who still think ‘but that doesn’t include fish’.

Since the op has yet to be back to clarify what she meant with her daughter’s being vegetarian, then other posters are right - it’s a non-issue because the daughter was never vegetarian to start with.

[MrsLupo]

She's asking for advice about how to handle the fact that her daughter ate something she will subsequently be upset about having eaten, if told. Why not give her some advice about that? You know, since she's asked and all...

[GabsAlot]

no dont tell her but also gt riled up by people calling themselves veggie but oh i eat fish

your not a vegetarian thn

[EdmundCleverClogs]

She's asking for advice about how to handle the fact that her daughter ate something she will subsequently be upset about having eaten, if told.

There has been plenty of advice given on that! I absolutely agree with others, no don’t mention the mix-up but if the OP’s daughter wants to be a ‘true’ vegetarian then she has to accept that includes fish as well. It’s highly relevant to the situation if you know, being a vegetarian .

If the op comes back and clarifies that she actually mean a ‘pescatarian‘ or that they were ‘vegetarian fish fingers’ obviously most of the answers about fish fingers are irrelevant (though can see where the confusion comes from). I still wouldn’t tell the daughter about the mix up, nothing to be done in hindsight.

[RavingRoo]

If she eats fish she isn’t vegetarian. It’s fine.

[DialsMavis]

Goodness me. My DD is 7 and pescatarian through choice (won't touch Haribo etc), we are meet eaters. She would like to be vegetarian but we have comprimised on pescetarian.

I am well aware of the distinction between the 2 as I am.sure the OP is, but tend to just say she is vegetarian as saying "my daughter is a pescetarian" sounds incredibly twatty so I would rather be inaccurate than accused of being pretentious.

[DialsMavis]

Posted too soon.
I defintely wouldn't tell her, what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

[DialsMavis]

Meet eaters

[HidingUnderARock]

Whilst agreeing with the fish isn't vegetarian fact, I have to take issue with people pointing out that OP's DD has eaten something that was once alive.
All vegetables were once alive, and many of them still are as you're eating them.
If you're going to make a point of being factual or even pedantic, don't stop half way like those pesky tarians.

[MikeUniformMike]

"my daughter is a pescatarian" does not sound twatty.
It's accurate, doesn't piss off the vegetarians and actually promotes the concept of pescatarianism.
Pescatarian sounds a good compromise for a family of omnivores with one meat-refuser.

[Emlou07]

Christ people, the child is 6!! I'm sure as she gets older, if she chooses to stay vegi, she will learn and do it 'properly'!

[ShovellerDuck]

Being vegetarian is so dated. It’s not nearly special, look-at-me enough.
Now you have to be vegan to be respected.
Try cooking, Day in, day out, for a family with one vegan, two vegetarians, three gluten-free and four dairy -free.

[Crunchymum]

I am about as far away from a vegetarian as you can be and even I know that vegetarians do not eat fish.

If I was a veggie, I would be making a very serious complaint about "fish" vegetarian option.

It seems very common on here (fish provided to vegetarians at restuarants and events) but oddly has never been encountered by any of my RL veggie friends / family?

[Brandbrandbrandy]

Hi OP. Don’t tell her

[NotAgainYoda]

tell her she's a pesky tarian

[wrenika]

You might as well tell her...she's not much of a vegetarian anyway!

[EdmundCleverClogs]

she will learn and do it 'properly'

My best friend at primary school was a vegetarian, only one in her family, from as long as I knew her. Definitely at age six, I never saw her eat anything meat like, in fact she’s the one who quite firmly told me ‘that means no fish as well’ (think I was trying to tell her the wonders of a tuna mayo sandwich).

If I wanted to be a vegetarian, a ‘proper’ one, I’d be rather cross to have found out I’d been eating something for months that made it I wasn’t. Nearly 7 is certainly old enough to understand the difference between vegetarian and other food choices.

[ButchyRestingFace]

tend to just say she is vegetarian as saying "my daughter is a pescetarian" sounds incredibly twatty so I would rather be inaccurate than accused of being pretentious

You’ll sound far twattier (and inconsiderate) when people find out you were 🤥 than you ever would using “pescatarian”.

[MrLovebucket]

Blimey Shoveller I couldn't imagine catering for 10 people on a daily basis let alone with the various dietary requirements.

I wouldn't tell her she's eaten chicken but I if she's not really vegetarian because she doesn't want to eat animals then I'd be honest with her about the fact that fish aren't plant-based.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

Surely vegetarians would applaud anyone cutting down on their meat consumption, regardless of whether they eat fish?

She's 6 so I'm sure has a very simplistic view of not wanting to eat sweet furry animals.
That said, of course she knows fish are animals? I think it's great she eats fish for the health benefits. It's difficult to meet the dietary requirements of a small child who wants to avoid meat, particularly if OP isn't cooking vegetarian for the whole family.

I don't think it's advisable to tell her not to eat fish. She can decide that for herself when she's older.

[twattymctwatterson]

Does she know fish isn't a vegetable?

[Redpriestandmozart]

No I wouldn't tell her, but I would seriously consider telling her that she is not a vegetarian but pescetarian, explain that because she eats fish she is a 'type' of vegetarian called a pescetarian. She is old enough to understand this. Better that you tell her than a stranger pulling her up on her definition of vegetarian which would embarrass her.