... to not tell my militantly vegan friend she ate fish sauce?

[Snuffalo]

I am a relaxed vegan, as are one of my kids, the other kid and my partner are mostly vegetarian. Basically what that means for me is that I would never spend my own money on animal products, and I wouldn't use them in my own cooking, but if someone else prepares food for me or I'm a guest in someone's home I'll eat what's put in front of me, for the most part - I won't have a sausage or a burger at your barbecue, but I'll eat the pasta salad even if has cheese in it, and I'll have some of your birthday cake even if it's made with eggs.

Anyway, my friend Alice- who is a militant, rather than a relaxed, vegan

• was over and I heated up what I confidently thought to be vegan sweet potato and black bean chilli that my partner had made earlier in the week. I know the recipe backwards and forwards because one of us makes it at least once a month with zero animal products so I had no reason to suspect otherwise. I must say it was especially delicious this time - because, as it turns out, my partner added some fish sauce because he'd read somewhere that it's good in chilli. I didn't find out until today and now I'm wondering if I should tell Alice? I can't decide if, in her shoes, I would want to know or not. Would you?

I didn't realise you meant "coeliacs" as opposed to coeliacs, if you see what I mean.
I can understand that must be jolly annoying if you're in the restaurant business
I sympathise entirely with people in catering.
People who are coeliacs and know coeliacs wouldn't false claim it. It is not a synonym for 'bread makes me bloated but i want to be dramatic'. People who are actually vegetarian would not have bacon occasionally. People who are vegan don't eat eggs and non vegan cake and cows milk.
The fact that people pointing out words have meanings are being called the language police and called out for being so binary and exclusionary, it's not hard to feel a proportion of society has well and truly been on the koolaid.

You can identify yourself however you want to....as can other people.
And this is the problem. There is a growing belief that not only individuals can identify themselves as they like, the world is meant to play along with it and ignore that there is a reality out there.

I can identify as an vegan African-American man, but the world has every right to point out that words have meaning and I am indeed an omnivore, white British woman. They would not be the language police. The world doesn't have to play into people's delusions and desire to feel part of a club.

You can identify yourself however you want to....as can other people.

You really cant. You are either vegan or not vegan.

No, you actually can. Just because some people disagree with that right or with how you might want to do that doesn’t change it I’m afraid.

As this thread shows.

All This thread shows that people call themselves vegan.....when they are not.

OP, I am super impressed at how level-headed you've stayed in the face of the ridiculousness that's been thrown at you in this thread. Hats off to you.

Protein. And that most people aren’t bothered if they do....

And that most people aren’t bothered if they do...

See I dont believe that for a minute. If you tell people you are vegan, but then eat a piece of non vegan cake in front of them, most people wont say anything but internally roll their eyes.

Protein. You could have stopped after “if you tell people you’re vegan”...

People generally aren’t bothered whether you call yourself militant, relaxed, part time vegan, whatever. It’s mainly the fact that feel the need to tell them.

Thanks @nettie434 Funnily enough many years ago a friend of mine told me that when you're travelling if you're vegetarian it can be very hard to explain why you don't eat meat. Whereas if you just say "it's for religious reasons" people get it straight away and bring you a nice green salad.

As we're on the subject of terminology, I have always assumed that plant based diet = vegan diet. Is that not correct?

Also, I thought flexitarian and omnivore were the same thing? Are they not?

My understanding is
vegan (no animal derived products)
vegetarian = vegan + eggs and dairy
pescatarian = vegetarian + fish
omnivore = pescatarian + meat
carnivore = meat only

Where do flexitarian and plant based fit in there? This is a genuine question

Zonkin, to my mind the OP is flexitarian. Flexitarians follow vegan or vegetarian diets to a degree. They want to cut down on the consumption of animal products for moral reasons but don't stick rigidly to it so they might eat meat once a week, or they might have a vegan diet at home but eat different things when out. I think omnivores just don't worry too much where food comes from whereas flexitarians do worry and structure their diet around it but do eat omnivorously.

Not so sure about plant-based. I thought that referred to the vegan diet and lifestyle but I could be wrong.

Belenus that's interesting and a good tip. Zonkin Agree with Belenus about flexitarian. Plant based diets are becoming popular now - especially among celebritities. Apparently market research shows people prefer the term to vegan (and this thread shows why). Also, I think it only refers to diet so it would be quite ok for someone to say they only ate plant based food but they might or might not wear leather or wool.

A plant based diet is a diet. Veganism is a lifestyle. Vegans eat a plant based diet but also avoid consuming/using anything containing animal products and anything tested on animals etc (clothing, toiletries, cleaning stuff etc). A person can eat a plant based diet but may not be vegan for other reasons.

I'm just helping to differentiate, there's nothing more annoying than vegans arguing amongst themselves about what excludes someone from being vegan!

Thank you for the explanations! Appreciated.

Thanks Slookiroo that makes sense.

I used to be a relaxed vegan, with a militant vegan acquaintance. I wouldn't. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour.

ZOMBIE THREAD

It is a fucking DIET people, nothing more!

I'm afraid not.

From the cambridge dictionary
"the practice of not eating or using any animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or leather:

Strict veganism prohibits the use of all animal products, not just food, and is a lifestyle choice rather than a diet."

I'm not a vegan. And neither are you OP.

Argh! Cant believe I fell for the zombie thread. Why do people resurrect them

@NoMoreReluctantCustodians

Argh! Cant believe I fell for the zombie thread. Why do people resurrect them

I’ve fallen for one just now. It had a fair few new posts too. Grr...

@Snuffalo I’m a “militant vegan” and I think your arguments are totally sound and I also find you hilarious 😂

If you eat cheese and eggs, you aren’t vegan, just a mostly plant-based eater.

I wouldn't tell her. I think it happens fairly often to veggies & vegans, in honesty. It's so easy for people who don't understand the ins and outs to accidentally use the wrong spoon or ingredient and it's just a bit of sauce, not accidental meatiness.

It will only upset her and it was an honest mistake so what good will come of it?

That said, CAN I PLEASE HAVE THE RECIPE, IT SOUNDS LUSH!

Aaaaah bollox. Zombie thread.