to feel disgusted with myself :(

[WinterfellPrincess]

I've been vegetarian for 10 years. Partly for moral reasons, partly because I don't like the thought of eating meat - the thought always made me feel nauseous. But it's a personal choice, I don't judge others for what they chose to eat.

I went to an East Asian restaurant, and ordered a vegetarian dish. The dishes were not in English. The dishes arrived, and the waiter gave me what I thought was mine. It looked like it was, lots of vegetables etc.

I ate quite a bit of it, until I realised there was meat in it - it were prawns underneath the vegetables. I realised they had given me the wrong one. The worst thing is I'm pretty sure I ate chicken, as the veggie dish was supposed to have tofu in it, and I thought that's what it was. I don't remember what meat tastes like.

I feel awful - the worst thing is, someone at the dinner party made a huge deal about it and brought it to everyone's attention.

I've barely been able to eat since, and I feel a fraud to call myself a vegetarian. Some of the vegetarians at the table definitely judge me for not realising, saying 'I would have definitely realised if it were me'. I want to cleanse my whole body somehow, I tried to make myself vomit but failed.

I feel stupid and disgusted with myself for not realising.

In the nicest possible way you need to move on and get over it. It’s happened. It was a mistake. We all make them.

Meh. You didn’t realise what you were eating.Chalk it up to experience and make sure you check with the waiter in future. Or are you feeling guilty because you really, really enjoyed it?

Seriously you need to get a grip.

Wow. Chill out. You made a mistake. Don't be so hard on yourself.

The other veggies were acting morally superior, which is twattish.

You are a vegetarian who accidentally ate some meat. You are not a fraud.

Just put it behind you now.

I get this op. I do. I’d be horrified but no need to feel so awful.

It will soon be gone from your system and then it’s back to normal.
Won’t do you any harm and there’s nothing you can do to undo it is there.

Forgive yourself, it was s genuine accident.

I’m sorry you feel so upset about this, the emotions you’re feeling now must be hard to cope with.
I must say, it is a bit on the extreme side.
From a stranger in the kindest way, the sun will still rise in the morning and your health hasn’t been affected.
I think it’s the social aspect of your experience which is making you feel so bad. Forget the other dinner guests, you are a true and dedicated vegetarian and don’t listen to anyone say otherwise.
In regards to cleansing. It’ll be digested and excreted by tomorrow.
Take care

Really? I actually can't believe what I am reading. If this is all you have to worry about lucky you

I don't understand d how you didn't spot the prawns though, they are fairly easily identifiable?

It honestly doesn't matter. It's happened to me too, and with pork, which is extra bad for religious reasons!

Forget it and move on. Worse things happen.

I doubt they gave you the wrong order, and prawns are pretty easy to spot on every Indian I have ever eaten in, but as others have said, just move on, it was a mistake, maybe don't go back to that Indian, but don't make this some moral crusade issue.

It really is that simple.

I realised once I saw the prawns - they were underneath everything else

If you don't judge others for eating meat, why are you judging yourself?

It was an error. It's not like you ordered the death of the chicken/prawns.

Poultry/seafood is a very natural food, not some sort of taboo delicacy. It's packed with protein, iron, selenium, b vitamins etc. It won't harm you, so why the disgust? I could understand it if you'd eaten something that had gone off, or found a live parasite in the shellfish etc. But you didn't feel disgusted eating it when you thought it was tofu, so why keep reminding yourself it was chicken?

Be kind to yourself, there's no harm done.

Poor you

My daughter is vegetarian and occasionally she will end up eating something non-vegetarian because I've screwed up. I make a mental note to do better and I never ever tell her. Why would I? It's not her fault but she'd still feel bad.

This wasn't your fault and it's a shame you weren't treated with more consideration.

I'm sober. The AA approach is that if you drink accidentally then you don't have to start counting your days again because you didn't choose to drink. Same applies here. I understand you're upset, and I would feel the same with alcohol, but it's done and you have to move on. It was an accident.

What was the dish you mistakingly ate?

If you know the dish, you'll know if it had chicken in it or not?

Donate the cost of the meal to an animal charity if it makes you feel better. I would feel shit too op, remember it was not by choice you ate meat.

I dont know why people are giving the OP such a hard time and making such nasty comments.

I am with you OP, I am vegan and DD is veggie (I was veggie for ages before turning vegan) and I would feel awful about eating meat by mistake, and so would my DD. It would make me feel disgusted with myself as you do. But it isnt your fault so you need to try and move on from it. It was a genuine mistake and it doesnt make you a bad person.

You have odd friends. I’ve been veggie my entire life and recently ate s duck spring roll by accident thinking it was veggie. My friends found it hilarious, so did I actually. Honestly? Lighten up and make some new friends

I know how it feels to have this happen and be treated this way.

I also used the wrong Thai green curry sauce jar a good decade ago and it had traces of fish in it, my friend has been vegetarian a good twenty years before me, and we tried to make light of it because it wasn't like either of us has just gone down the steakhouse (I was embarrassed though).

But yes I've accidentally eaten a non vegetarian meal and been slated for it. There's no need. I'm glad I don't know those people anymore. I do still know the poor sod I accidentally spiked with fish essence though. He's a decent type

Don't be so hard on yourself op, it was a mistake and others were unreasonable to make a big point of your error. Start again tomorrow and forgive yourself.
Btw for those assuming the restaurant was an Indian restaurant, India is definitely not in East Asia

YANBU-Some of the response on hear are just vile-if people are so thick and insensitive that they can't see why this would be upsetting, it says more about them than it does about you. Don't beat yourself up OP, it was an accident, you didn't choose to eat meat. Forgive yourself and move on, the guilt isn't helping anyone (human or animal).

Even people whose religions forbid eating pork or drinking alcohol etc aren’t not held accountable if they accidentally or unknowingly consume something their ethical code forbids.

If you don’t judge others what makes you so special that you can’t forgive yourself?

This really is not a big deal. I can understand that you feel bad, but I think you should examine why your reaction has been so extreme. You really do need to get a grip, in the kindest possible way.

Trying to make yourself sick afterwards and not being able to eat properly since is a bit worrying.
Any issues eating previously?

I am veggie, 24 years, I would not judge you at all