Not a vegetarian but I don't eat meat?

Question

Would that make sense? I don't actively avoid eating meat because I have an issue with it. I just don't really like the taste. So does being a vegetarian/vegan mean you have to believe that eating meat is wrong, or am I still a vegetarian because I don't eat it? I hope this isn't a stupid question... I just get asked if I'm a vegetarian when I turn down like a sausage pizza or something else with meat on it.... and I never know what to say besides I don't like meat.

Answer 1

The word 'vegetarian' applies to the diet itself only, not to the reasons one has for eating a certain way.



If you don't eat animals, you're a vegetarian. If you do eat animals in certain forms (for instance not pieces of meat, but still eating things than contain chicken broth, gelatin, rennet etc.) you're not a vegetarian.



People who are not vegetarians but still choose to rarely eat animals are sometimes called flexitarians. You can always use that word if you feel the need for a label.



But I would say there is nothing wrong with simply saying you don't like meat. After all that's the simple truth, right? You don't need an excuse or a label to not eat meat any more than you need an excuse or a label to not eat Brussels sprouts.

Answer 2

I found this post when searching the topic. I do not like the taste or texture of most meat either and often get called a "vegetarian.". I love animals but do not consider myself a vegetarian because I will occasionally eat a piece of steak or bacon if they are burnt to a crisp. I also love cheese. I have found that most people who call themselves vegetarians actually do like the taste and texture of meat so they come up with ways to imitate that in items such as the veggie burger. I don't think I could eat a veggie burger any more than I could eat a real hamburger. I prefer just a bun with all the veggies. Living in the Midwest, this concept is a little hard to grasp for many people, and I'm usually looked at like I'm from another planet. So often it is better just to say, "Yes, I'm a vegetarian." :)

Answer 3

You are not alone, I also do not eat much meat. I think you're already handling it well though, saying "I don't like meat". That seems to confuse people less than "I'm vegetarian", in the long run. (Like if they see you eat meat in the future. Are you a quitter, a liar, a hypocrite?? It's understandable they would wonder.) And I would feel weird saying I'm vegetarian, because I never made a decision to be that, and it seems like a misleading statement when all I really mean is "no thank you, I don't feel like eating that particular piece of meat you're offering me, I would rather eat this other thing".

Answer 4

I'm a vegetarian who do not like meat but doesn't see anything wrong with eating other animals (though the way we produce our food is debatable).



Vegetarianism is a diet, some people have ethical or political reasons to become vegetarian but not all of us do.



However, if you still eat meat occasionally, you're not exactly a vegetarian.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

If you eat no meat at all, you are a vegetarian. You can be a vegetarian because of animal rights, health, environment, or even because you just don't like the taste of meat.



If you rarely eat meat, then most people like that call themselves "flexitarians". They usually eat like a vegetarian, but will eat meat maybe once per week or less.

Answer 7

Wow, it's like "vegetarian" is a dirty word. If you don't eat meat, for whatever reason, you're a vegetarian. What's wrong with that?

Answer 8

There's nothing wrong with being vegetarian because you don't like the taste of meat. However, vegetarians also avoid meat stocks, gelatin, and cheese with rennet.



If someone offers you a sausage pizza, and someone asks if you're vegetarian if you turn it down, it's not dishonest to say you are.

Answer 9

Some people try to make a religion out of it, but I choose to eat vegan because it's healthy. I could not care less that an animal is confined in a cage. Think about the people that are confined in pretrial custody... innocent until proven guilty, yet treated guilty until proven innocent.

Yes, in my world, people come first. If there's a burning apartment building and there is a baby in the room on the left and a box of kittens in the room on the right, and I only have time to bust down one door, and the door to the kittens is unlocked, I'm gonna save the human baby first.

If a person is going to use their voice to draw attention to the plight of cows when there are still people suffering, then I think that person has some messed-up priorities. If no one ate beef, then it's likely no cows would exist in the U.S. At least the cow got to exist. All creatures grow spiritually from the pain they experience. Without pain there would be no joy.



Honestly, no one really likes meat. That's why they cook it and salt it... to change the flavor. A person was incarcerated and was fed bland food (no salt) because the Governor of that state wanted to make sure the incarcerated were being punished and did not enjoy any part of their stay. (It didn't seem to make a difference that most of the people in the jail were still awaiting trial and were not being punished; they got to experience the same treatment as the punished). But by adding salt to the food it tasted so much better that the person realized they had never really craved meat; it was the salt they had always craved. This was relayed to me, and I too realized that I only ever liked cheese, sausage, bacon, etc. because of the spices and the salt. I did some research and discovered that when protein and salt are heated together, they form monosodium glutamate, or MSG. MSG is a drug that is like a halucinogen for your tongue. It makes anything taste good.



Some people aren't as affected by certain drugs as others due to their genetics. So you possibly don't like meat because you don't like MSG. That's good. Neither meat nor MSG are any good for you anyway.



In any case, to directly answer your question, you are a vegetarian if you don't eat meat. You are a vegan if you don't eat any animal products, including milk, mild products, eggs, etc.

I saw a youtube video where someone claiming to be vegan used natural honey, but honey is made from bees, so I don't know if that's an exception or what.

Lots of people call themselves Christian but then they continue in sin, so basically you can call yourself whatever you want; it doesn't even have to be true.

Answer 10

That is how I became a "vegetarian" as a child... picking the hamburger out of the spaghetti or spitting out chewy chicken bits. Just didn't like how it tastes. SO yes, I would say you are vegetarian simply because you don't like how it tastes! It will save you being offered random party sausages and appetizer sized hotdogs so you're in luck!

Answer 11

I'm the same way, people always assume I'm vegetarian and I'm not? i just don't eat much meat.

Answer 12

yeah! it makes sense. Many people don't eat/like meat though they are not vegetarian.

Answer 13

Vegetarians don't eat meat, but also don't eat gelatin or rennet, or products like that. If you still eat those, then you are not a vegetarian.

Answer 14

A vegetarian IS someone who doesn't eat meat, genius, regardless of the reason.



And veganism is opposition to animal commodification and the resulting lifestyle, not a diet.

Answer 15

A vegetarian is a person who doesn't eat meat, but would still use animal products. A vegan is a person who doesn't eat meat and doesn't use any sort of animal products such as leather. So you are a vegan if you are concerned about animals, whereas you're a vegetarian if you don't necessarily care about animals.

Answer 16

If you avoid meat 100% of the time, you are a vegetarian.

If you eat meat sometimes, you are not.

Answer 17

I just tell people that I really don't care for it, then shrug it off. I'm in the same boat.

Answer 18

Don't worry, I'm a vegetarian and DO eat meat. I'm more confused than you are...

Answer 19

what i am saying is i eat both meat and i also eat morning star and quorn products i tired of eating it. i want something different and not pasta all the time. is there something else something that i can replace i need to have something different.

Answer 20

lol its perfectly fine to say you dont like meat