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.

Agree vegetarian should be an option too tho, not just vegan.

The vegan option will (by definition) be vegetarian as well.

I have to admit that I am baffled as well @MsJaneAusten. I have wondered if it is a regional thing because the only places I have seen that serve vegan cheese are chain pizza places.

Other chains still offer vegetarian options and a couple of them just happen to be suitable for vegans as well IYSWIM.

Eat well, eat little, eat lots of veg, lots of legumes, eat a bit of dairy, a little bit of good meat, and the whole eco system of the world will be ok.

Anything else is being a twat.

Some people seem to be missing the point. Cater for vegans. But don't give your vegan option as the veggie option! Both are needed.

But don't give your vegan option as the veggie option! Both are needed.
Merge vegan option IS vegetarian.

I’ve noticed this too. Plenty of excellent vegetarian options ruined by vegan “cheese” 🤢 if I ask to sub normal feta/halloumi/ whatever they never have it and the dish is generally bland without!

"at least its real ingredients if homemade... vegan cakes are full of shite"

The vegan cake I made recently was homemade and didn't contain any shit.

at least its real ingredients if homemade... vegan cakes are full of shite

Whatever you say dear .

Vegan cakes are nasty.

MaMaMaMySharona it’s a fad because it’s not healthy long term. I speak from Experience, veganism made me so sick and deficient in iron, vit D and b12 despite ‘doing veganism right’ and taking my vitamins. Yes we need to drastically reduce our meat and dairy consumption but we are omnivores and veganism isn’t a healthy sustainable diet for lots of people. Also eating dairy isn’t the only thing that’s destroying the plant. I bet you drive, fly etc.. that’s not great either - Are you giving that up?

I had this exact conversation the other day!

I think it’s great they are increasing the vegan options- but why at the expense of the vegetarian option? Why not replace one of the meat dishes?

In the average place, say they serve 8 dishes. If you’re lucky, it’s 6:2 meat to veggie.
Why split that veggie 2? Why not make it 4:2:2?

I’m veggie. I like cheese, eggs, milk.
There are meat eaters that only like certain meats. We don’t tell them to eat every meat going because they’re a carnivore 🙄so why the inverse?

Just FYI, a lot of biscuits are actually accidentally vegan. I realise biscuits aren't the same as cake but a lot of you probably already eat vegan biscuits without realising it.

I hate beetroot and I hate having to pay more for a plate of glorified veggies. I miss the days of 'if I see goats cheese on the menu one more time!'

And it totally is a fad. I've been veggie for at least a hundred years and the number of times I've met people who say 'oh I was veggie for years but then I just missed bacon and I now eat meat' is way more than really longterm vegetarians. Haven't met a longterm vegan yet. Only ex vegans. Not to say there aren't any, but not eating cakes, ice cream, cheese, bacon and fish and chips is not sustainable for many.

So as a vegan you’re encouraging all vegetarians to eat meat?

I think that's what she means. All or nothing, either omnivore or vegan. But I like my happy middle ground!

@watchingthyme
Yes, and eat local. Vegans need to consider the animal welfare issues of honey against the food miles of avocados. The sheep cruelty involved in wool production as against the water use of the cotton industry. The non-biodegradability of vegan leathers.

And again, it's not the same as completely homemade cakes but a lot of cake mixes you can buy are also vegan. You just need to substitute the eggs for fizzy pop.

*HugsAreMyDrugs

Just FYI, a lot of biscuits are actually accidentally vegan. I realise biscuits aren't the same as cake but a lot of you probably already eat vegan biscuits without realising it.* Yes Oreos are vegan, they taste like shit and are made of shit

So picking a random restaurant near me, vegetarians couldn't eat the tandoori roasted vegetable banquet with pilau rice, saag aloo,onion bhajis, and curry sauce because that's labelled as vegan? Or the sweet potato, chickpea and pepper koftas with mango and chilli sauce and flatbread? Again vegan. That's not suitable for vegetarians?

Completely agree with you, OP, I’m also a veggie who loves dairy, and have definitely noticed this. At least there seems to be been less mushroom risotto, which is the usual (boring) veggie option.

The non-biodegradability of vegan leathers.

Most cheap footwear is made of pleather. The majority of which will be bought by non-vegans.

If you want decent environmentally friendly footwear then you need to spend £££, whether it's vegan or not.

YANBU. I love some dairy cheese on a veggie burger etc and I don’t like the synthetic vegan products everywhere seems to be rolling out. I’d far rather have a vegan meal of vegetables than fake meat etc.

It's to make it easier for them....here in Oz if it's vegan it's also gluten free. So whilst I'm not vegetarian I'll never choose a veggie dish because the gluten free vegan things are never to my taste.

I saw a vegan getting quite shirty in a restaurant with a waitress about the dish they were given. Reminded me of the rabid cyclist brigade. Now vegetarians are nice folk, maybe cutting out too many food groups make you cranky

For those saying vegan isn't healthy, NHS guidance says "With good planning and an understanding of whatmakes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs".

I am not vegan btw

There seems to be a lot of cranky vegetarians on here.