To be sick of people thinking vegetarian eat fish

[Dearaugust]

Also, people who eat fish but not meat calling themselves vegetarian!

When people find out I’m vegetarian, a lot of people ask me if I eat fish. If I ate fish, then I wouldn’t be vegetarian! It wasn’t a big deal really, but an incident has happened recently where I was choosing a meal for a wedding and there was only meat options and a “none of these due to dietary preferences” option. So I ticked that. The person then contacted DH (it’s his friend who is getting married) and he explained I’m vegetarian. A few days later she said not to worry, they have sorted a fish meal for me. So he’s now had to go back to her again saying I don’t eat fish. What a faff!

I honestly thought it was common knowledge that vegetarians don’t eat fish. But apparently not because i get asked it a lot.

My DH has been a veggie for 25 years and still gets asked this.

some people even asks if he will eat chicken.

I still get asked this and being mainly vegetarian for 30 years.
I really don't get peed off about it, though.
🤷🏼‍♀️

Well that's probably because many people who claim to be vegetarian do eat fish! Yes, I know that they should be describing themselves as pescatarian but they don't, they call themselves vegetarian.

I have two friends who describe themselves as vegetarian- but eat fish. Yep, it’s not correct.
I wonder how/ why it makes them feel better? Fish farming can’t be that pleasant for fish, either.

Yes, my sister, life long veggie, still gets asked this. She's incredibly patient after 60 years of explaining what a vegetable it.

I wonder what these “fish-eating vegetarians” have against fish? I eat meat but not fish, and many times have been offered salmon or white fish in batter, because “it’s not like it’s proper fish, is it?” 🫤

Yes, people should know and the wedding caterers were in the wrong here. But you naturally group in pescatarians under a wider veggie umbrella. If I'm planning an event for example I will plan 'what are the veggies having?' and that will probably include the pescatarians. And veggies often find people don't understand what pescatarian means so find it easier to say they are vegetarian, or ask for a veggie menu etc.

Can she have wafer thin ham, Barbara?

I know a few pescatarians that call themselves vegetarian, so maybe that’s why.

I wouldn’t assume a vegetarian eats fish but I would ask, for the reason above.

It’s because so many people like to play at being vegetarian or vegan and it gets really confusing for people trying to figure out what people actually eat because everyone seems to love a label.

I was vegetarian for 20 years. I did start eating fish again after a point (I’m not vegetarian anymore), but I went to a friend’s for dinner and she was like, are you still vegetarian? And I said, yes, to be polite expecting she had gone out of her way to make me something and she was like, great, because we’re having salmon! 😂 Thankfully, I did eat fish so was fine with that, but it’s a pretty weird assumption. I didn’t have the energy to explain to her.

Maybe that’s why people get confused, but surely the easiest thing is just asking people what they can eat. I used to have a friend who was ‘vegetarian’ but she’d eat any sauces made from meat, so gravy, beef stew without the beef, chicken curry but would pick out the chicken. I guess it was a picky texture thing, but it used to really annoy me because people would be like, well, Anna is vegetarian and didn’t make a fuss about needing a special meal.

Absolutely agree with you. Been asked if I eat fish so many times. I don't understand the lack of understanding that fish are animals, too.

I'm guessing this comes from the people who don't like fish that tastes too fishy but can handle a white fillet in batter.

People don't fit into neat little buckets of what they will and won't eat, but we still use those buckets for simplicity. I know veggies who just don't really like the thought or taste of meat. But they aren't bothered about rennet or gelatine. It's in some ways more of a taste preference than someone who's properly against eating anything that is from a dead animal.

A pescatarian is a sub division of meat eaters though, not a kind of a vegetarian.

Annoys me too, worst is airlines so I find it's easier to buy a meal deal at the airport than rely on airlines either knowing what a vegetarian is, or having it on board.

Never knew this and most of my friends are vegetarian. They’ve all always eaten fish when we go out

Blame the Pescatarian's, they often refer to themselves as Vegetarians, so it has become somewhat of a grey area.

I'm a pescatarian, but sometimes it's easier to just say I'm vegetarian if asked for a dietary preference (I volunteer a lot and usually get fed)

I was just vegetarian until I was pregnant with my first child and the midwife was concerned I wasn't getting enough protein. She asked me to try some fish for the sake of me and my child as I'm not keen on pulses/tofu/beans which would be the protein substitute otherwise.

I don't have anything against the fishes- I promise

Because they are thick. Not helped by pescetarians passing themselves off as vegetarian.

The clue is in the word, which is vegetarian

The fish eaters will counter with fish isn't meat. TBH I'm just glad when it means I can put fish on the menu if I can't do meat. My main request is be clear to me about what you won't eat. It's a PITA planning around restrictions that turn out not to exist.

Then they aren't vegetarian. They are pescetarian.

They're not vegetarian....

I was once told that vegetarians get to pick one type of meat to eat, most choose fish. This bloke said he ate chicken but no other meat but he was vegetarian.

I was very confused and still laugh when I think about it

I've been vegetarian since 1984 - that's over 40 years of having to explain that I don't eat fish. Quite often when asked my preferences, I say, I am vegetarian and I don't eat meat or fish.

I don't think labels are needed. Eat whatever you choose. You can be mostly vegan but have an egg sandwich now and then if you want.

You'd have no trouble with me.

I'd go to great lengths to avoid ever hearing your stories about what you do and don't eat.

My DSis is a vegetarian and she describes her diet as “eating anything without a face”. However, our DM never understood this and one memorable meal, she offered my DSis a Sunday lunch with roast chicken. When my ever patient sister tried to remind her that she didn’t eat chicken, my DM’s response was that it was “corn fed” and therefore suitable for vegetarians!