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.

I'm finding it beyond bizarre that in 2025 there are still people that don't know what 'vegetarian' means (no meat. Not just no meat from mammals, also no meat from birds or fish). It's an incredibly simple concept. Why on earth are so many posters arguing the toss?

As far as caterers go, they certainly should know what the word means. So long as the vegetarian option is actually vegetarian then people who do eat fish or chicken can still eat it.

None of my family is veggie but DD will often ask for the veggie option on flights, weddings etc because she can't eat fish.

I agree and it must be annoying, but I do know a number of pescatarians who refer to themselves as vegetarians. I'm not sure why.

My husband is a pescetarian and we usually just say that he doesn't eat meat but will eat fish. Has never been a problem really. Just annoying with food boxes etc that you can't choose that option as he loves his fish and seafood

I think you answered your own question with your first sentence.
If enough people who eat fish call themselves vegetarian then that will lead to confusion.

But I work in catering and we've had this issue when people order for other people.
They're vegetarian, they tell the host they're vegetarian, and can they have the vegetarian option, the host tells us they've chosen the fish dish. If we're told they're vegetarian we'll question it, but if the choice is just made on behalf of the guest and we're not clued in on it, then we serve what we're asked to, then bollocked for not knowing that vegetarians don't eat fish, when we do, but we weren't told they were vegetarian.
Also see people who ask for the vegetarian dishes and when you tell them, get annoyed that you haven't told them about the fish options because they eat fish. That makes them pescetarian not vegetarian, but pointing that out makes you rude apparently. But then when you start including the fish dishes when asked about vegetarian ones, you're stupid because you don't know vegetarians eat fish.
Just look at the bloody menu and order what you want and can eat within your belief system.

Yes my mother is like this albeit she only eats turkey at Christmas and fish on occasion.

I'm quite happy for people who call themselves vegetarians or vegans to eat meat. It's fine.

It’s annoying that most people don’t know what pescatarian is as I don’t think I should have to go into detail for a quick ‘dietary preferences’ question.

What I tend to do is put vegetarian for eg work catering but if anyone asks me about it I’ll say I’m pescatarian so can also eat fish.

I find my religious colleagues do the same eg if they only eat halal meat they will just ask for vegetarian food but then if asked they give the full story.

Laughing at being reminded of “Can she have wafer thin ham, Barbara?”
Also on offer, i think, was Dairylea.

But as other commenter have mentioned there are vegetarians who eat fish!
So vegetarians seem to have caused this problem for themselves.
Is there a lack of understanding in the world of vegetarianism of what it actually means?

He would be a pollo-vegetarian.

But as other commenter have mentioned there are vegetarians who eat fish!
So vegetarians seem to have caused this problem for themselves.

Vegetarians haven’t caused the problem because vegetarians do not eat fish. People who claim to be vegetarian but who eat fish and who are therefore are not actual vegetarians, have caused the problem.

It's logical problem - world wants small number of simple categories. Life is more complex, many people eat some meat, but not all meat - no red meat, religious meat, no fish, no poultry, no mince, reduced overall meat consumption.

If the choice is "do you want meet or vegetarian option?" without further specification, they all will choose the vegetarian option, because it wouldn't contain the meat they don't want.

Part of the confusion is, that choosing the vegetarian option doesn't mean one is vegetarian, it just means that vegetarian dish will work ok for them without a need to explain their preferences in more details.

Which is a good thing for proper vegetarians, because this extra numbers can help them survive as a separate category and not get swept under vegans.

But as other commenter have mentioned there are vegetarians who eat fish!

No, there aren't.

Yes there are!!

@Greyish2025 there are clearly people who claim to be vegetarian whilst also eating fish. They are wrong in their claim, and they are not, in actuality, vegetarian.

I used to work customer facing in a cafe that also did catering. The kitchen staff would call through to me often asking 'is egg vegan? is butter vegan? is tuna okay for vegetarians?' Etc, I was veggie with a vegan BF. I dread to think what they fed to people when I left.

They are not vegetarians though

they are just claiming to be

So many people have so many dietary/lifestyle choices these days, it's just best to ask specifically. I don't get why you're annoyed about people trying their best to cater for your choices?

Don’t be so fussy then?

While they're not actually vegetarian, because they eat fish, it's not a protected title or anything so anyone can call themselves vegetarian or vegan or pescetarian but not stick to the definition.
If more and more people are doing that, the lines get blurred, and confuse other people. Getting annoyed with those who seek clarification isn't going to change anything.

Vegetarians don't eat meat

Meat is the tissue of any animal

Fish and crustratians are a type of animal

Vegetarians dont eat fish

For those who are confused "pescatarian " is a word for people who eat fish but not other animals

Just because some people are wrong doesn't change the meaning of the words in the dictionary

Exactly, but can you not see where the confusion arises from ( with some people) when there are people out there that are using the title ‘vegetarian’ but then actually eat fish!

@Greyish2025 yes of course, that's what this whole thread is about! The Op described it in her opening post. That's what people are discussing is the problem. And the solution is that people should learn the (simple) definition of vegetarian and then use pescatarian if it applies to them.

Been a vegetarian my entire 43 years and can’t remember the last time I was asked if I eat fish.