I want Vegetarian choices, not just Vegan!

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

For 25 years I have eaten a vegetarian diet. I am vegetarian because I don't enjoy meat or fish.
I like eggs, cheese and all other dairy products. So I am not vegan.
This summer has shown to me that increasingly restaurants and supermarkets are making their vegetarian dishes vegan. So using substitute milks, cheese etc. I do not want substitutes. I am not vegan. I do not like any of the substitutes (I have tried them as I had a dairy free son for 3 years).
What can be done to protect those who are vegetarian? I am actually genuinely concerned about how places are doing this. It's much more common than people probably even realise (unless you're a vegetarian!). I want food choices when I eat out.

Vegans love to say - ‘well I’m doing my best’, implying that other people aren’t.

Yes, isn’t it weird how all vegans think and say exactly the same things all the time? You’d have thought they’d be individuals with their own thoughts and opinions, wouldn’t you?

Yes, isn’t it weird how all vegans think and say exactly the same things all the time? You’d have thought they’d be individuals with their own thoughts and opinions, wouldn’t you?

It's true that generalisations are not useful, but many vegan posters feel that a 'relaxed vegan' is not a real vegan. You can see from this thread alone- the generalisation that vegans criticise others as being morally inferior has some basis.

FamilyOfAliens Yes it’s like a cult, they all come out with the same stock phrases and then try to force vegan oil cake in your gob 😂

many vegan posters feel that a 'relaxed vegan' is not a real vegan.

Wtf is a “relaxed vegan”?

To be fair, there is no such thing as a relaxed vegan. You are vegan or you eat a mainly plant based diet but are not vegan if you eat fish or meat or cheese even occasionally. It's a stupid phrase.

It's particularly irritating when these people do try to act morally superior. It's bad enough when actual vegans do it. At least they are practicing what they frequently preach.

Wiltshirelass, like I say, glad your nutritional information on veganism is superior to the NHS. If i ever do become vegan, I'll know where to come for advice

Idontlikethatship it was my NHS GP that told me that a vegan diet wasn’t for me.

“For you” being the key words.

it was my NHS GP that told me that a vegan diet wasn’t for me

An NHS GP told me if I didn't eat meat in pregancy I risked my babies being underdeveloped and malnourished at birth. Since the smallest of them was 9lb 12oz and the largest over 11lb its fair to assume he was one of many individuals in the medical profession whose nutrition and diet expertise owes more to cultural assumptions than actual science.

Advice issued on behalf of the NHS as an organisation is going to carry a lot more weight than one individual and especially on the subject of diet where every doctor I've asked complained they had near zero training on the subject.

Christ @C8H10N4O2, how big would they have been if you’d eaten meat? 😉

@donquixotedelamancha
Have I criticized anyone for being morally inferior?

@Wiltshirelass
It was my NHS gp who prescribed me medication that led to me being on a drip for a week (pre vegan before anyone starts). It was also my NHS gp whose response to teen acne (just veggie not vegan at this point) was "dont wear make up and heres a presciption for some really strong antibiotics that will do fuck all". No one told me my acne would virtually clear when i went vegan. But it did.

And to the person who "lifts" i do too. Im alright on the squat rack!

I havent preached at or attacked anyone here or implied i am bettter than ANYONE but ive had prejudice, sweeping statements and generalisations thrown at me left right & centre. I love how you have this crystal ball which tells you exactly how i think, act & speak. Send me one please i will pay P&P?

Absolute hypocrites.

I'm with you OP. As a lifelong vegetarian who happens to eat a diet which is approx 80-90% vegan I've certainly noticed the one or two vegetarian options on menus being replaced by a "one size fits all" vegan, gluten free, nut free, protein free, flavour free option usually composed of fake meat in some form.

If I wanted to eat meat I'd eat meat. I have no interest in over processed fake meat devoid of protein content. The message that menu sends out is "we only care about the meat eating majority, all you awkward buggers can have the same shitty option".

how big would they have been if you’d eaten meat?

God alone knows . Big babies run in my family though so it was a always on the card (I have a 12lb at birth sibling!)

I'm not a proper veggie but often opt for the veggie option because they sound delicious. Vegan food never appeals to me. I guess restaurants are being lazy, veggies can eat vegan but vegan can't eat veggie

Yanbu!! I have the same problem

Same here, C8.

Mine were 10lb 3 and 10lb 6 (DS - two weeks early ) and I’ve been vegetarian for 35 years.

Wtf is a “relaxed vegan”?

@FamilyOfAliens, the "relaxed vegan" in question was simply a vegetarian who only ate eggs and dairy in certain circumstances. She also kept insisting her husband was a vegetarian even though he ate fish. The whole thread was surreal.

As I said above, I don't think veganism is really on the increase in the UK. I think more people are just identifying as vegan. I think the number of people who are disciplined enough to cut out every meal or snack that contains meat eggs or dairy is probably tiny.

I love that more vegan options are available and labelled as 3 out of 4 of us are dairy free. It's made eating out a lot easier.

one size fits all" vegan, gluten free, nut free, protein free,

Yes, i hate the one size fits all approach. Vegan, nut and gluten free doesn't generally make for appetising meals.

Airplane meals often try and do this - I was served fruit salad for both meals on a recent transatlantic flight after requesting a gluten free meal. Not helped by the fact that the only food I'd been able to find for breakfast in the airport was...fruit salad!

@lolawasashowgirl that's exactly my experience.

Had the ridiculous situation of going to a vegan restaurant with a friend and not being able to eat anything as a veggie as the entire menu was meat substitute foods, which I utterly hate.

Just returned from turkey, which had it absolutely spot on - heaps of gorgeous fresh stuffed pitta breads, salads, marinated vegetables and dips which were equally vegan and veggie friendly. Indian and Thai tend to be vegan and veggie friendly too.

Honestly, give your heads a wobble. I'm vegan and everywhere I've been there's a huge array of choice for vegetarians with maybe one or two vegan options. Do you honestly think you'll get malnutrition from not eating dairy/eggs for a meal?

Anything that reduces the consumption of animal products is good to me.

There's all sorts of crazy misinformation in this thread.

Let me drop a widely known fact: EATING OUT IS ALMOST ALWAYS MORE UNHEALTHY.

If a place only sells highly processed vegan food as a cash grab, odds are good that their other food is also crap.

Also fun fact for all you "nutrition experts" about animal products. Most standards are made for white people, those of African and Asian descent can have issues processing dairy. These standards are usually pressured by industry as well.

If I see one more idiot posting about processed foods and GMOs I think my brain is gonna slip out of my ear.

Some ridiculous comments here.
Vegan food is vegetarian. It’s not as if you can’t eat it.
Veganism isn’t going to fizzle out. It’s going to help save our planet.
Being a mum, you’d think you’d not want dairy.
Cows carry their babies for 9 months just like us.
However they cannot feed their babies, they cannot take care of their babies because people just can’t live without dairy.
That is messed up.
Imagine someone impregnating you, taking your baby away hours after birth. This happens about 6 times in their life.
If they baby is female, she has the same fate.
If their baby is male, they more than likely are murdered days later because they are not profitable.
Mothers being treated as machines
Babies being treated as trash
It’s disgusting
With the majority of vegan dairy alternatives, you can’t even tell it’s not dairy
Why would you choose that fate for billions of mothers when it would be nothing short of a nightmare for you and your babies

So i went to the pub tonight for a drink or two and happened to glance at the veggie / vegan menu.... i will try and attach but out of the nine veg mains 6 were vegan 3 were veggie. Think thats only fair?!