Why do people think vegetarians eat fish?

Question

I try not to be rude but I hate it when people insist that vegetarians eat fish; they either consider themselves vegetarian and eat fish or eat anything and consider people who don't eat any animal products or meat/fish malnurished.

I am looking for a polite and logical explanation to tell them that their views us vegetarians is wrong.

Answer 1

I have NO idea why people ask that but my response is that "A fish is an animal, and I don't eat any animals"

Answer 2

There is no single universally accepted definition of what constitutes/who is vegetarian. Many cultures all over the world accept fish/seafood and poultry as "non meat". For example, the Japanese consumed fish/seafood but do not consider them "meat". That term referred to land animals only. There is a restaurant in Shanghai whose owner is proud to announce that broth in her "vegetarian" noodles "does not contain meat, fish only". Business is good, no one seemed to mind, certainly no protesting outside her store, no Chinese "true" vegetarians telling her "you cannot call your soup vegetarian because...." The term "vegetarian" is a Western one but the concept of abstaining from certain foods like meat certainly isn't. Insistence of perfect adherence to the "rules" and th nit picking over what constitutes what, seem to be a Western affectation. For the rest of the world, culture and tradition play a bigger role, not biology nor "what you can and cannot eat" rules and certainly not the "I must fit or I cannot call myself a vegetarian" pettiness that Westerners obsess over.



For a long time, vegetarians have very little choices when it comes to food. There were hardly any restaurants that served "vegetarian food". And if there were, they were often limited to a few salads and vegetable casserole. Good nutrition information was not universally available. Certainly no Internet from where you can easily get good recipes and health tips. Even vegetarians who were in fact healthy did not exhibit the large, full body type people generally associate with "healthy looking". Such images have stuck. they may be false stereotypes but they have a basis in truth, subjective though that truth may be. In fact even today, what we see as perfectly fit, vegetarian or not, might be considered too thin 40-50 years ago. That's why even here, many questions ask "If I become a vegetarian, how many pounds will I lose?" Also people with eating disorders use the "Oh I'm thin because am vegetarian" to hide their condition and further perpetuate the "vegetarians are always thin" myth. It doesn't not help either that the most vocal and fanatical vegetarians (activists) insist that they are thinner than the general population falsely associating thinness with "good health"

Answer 3

I hate hate people like that... so contradicting. My friend used to somewhat of a "vegetarian" she would eat fish or chicken occasionally (she was definitely a closet meat eater, once we were at a diner and when to the bathroom and came back my bacon "magically" disappeared). But now shes said she stopped being one for some reason. We were at a party, she ate a TON of ham, which she justified eating because she had "less" than everyone else. When I told her jokingly about this steak house in town that she should go to because she crossed over to the dark side, She got extremely offended and she said she will never cross that "line". I know for a fact that she is not Hindu...shes an atheist. However i fail to see the difference between a cow or lets say a fish. They're both living breathing animals who feel pain the same way. She just has this holier than thou personality when it comes to what proteins she chooses to eat...I'm confused. They're are just faux vegetarians and morons

Answer 4

"Oh, you're thinking of pescatarian, I'm (lacto or ovo) vegetarian, which is vegan plus (milk or eggs)".



I've found that people think you're vegan (absolutely no animal products) or that you eat fish, but they have a hard time thinking of something in between this. So, I've found it easier to start my clarification with vegan and add on what you're allowed to eat. BTW, the reason fish isn't considered meat has something to do with the Bible, but I'm not Christian, so I can't quote passages for you.



But, if you're vegan, well, state you've vegan, so nothing that comes from an animal, ever. As for being malnourished, well, state that you've been able to get all your nutrients from plant sources, such as b12 from yeast, proteins from food combining, iron from green leafy veggies, etc., so you personally don't see the need for obtaining it from animal sources.

Answer 5

Because there are people who, to simplify things, will call themselves vegetarians even though they eat fish. One of my friends tells people she's a vegetarian all the time, and she eats chicken. It's pretty frustrating. I also think that for a while it was a fad to be a vegetarian, but because it was a fad, people half-assed it and still ate fish, chicken, etc.



This is just one of those things that no matter how many times you explain it, some one new will ask if you eat fish. Almost as frustrating as the, "Well, plants are living things too" conversation.

Answer 6

I was never sure about that. Personally, I never thought vegetarians eating fish or seafood was right. Fish and seafood are still considered animals. Vegetarians don't eat dead animals, therefore, they can't be vegetarians if they eat fish. I know another "vegetarian" and she eats fish. I just don't understand it.

Answer 7

Some people for whatever reason don't consider fish to be meat. Like Dion J said, it's usually not intentional.



Herbert Lom has outdone himself again: that is possibly the most idiotic, paranoid answer I have ever seen to a question on here.

Answer 8

fish are animals and vegetarians dont eat animals therefore they dont eat fish



people may think that vegetarians eat fish because many religions have dietary laws where they can't eat meat and are mostly vegetarian but they can eat fish

Answer 9

tell them that like religion some people are more lenient in their practicing and may eat fish but that does not mean that every single vegetarian does. Some take it more seriously.

Answer 10

A pescatarian is a person who doesn't eat red meat or poultry, but eats fish. Many people don't consider fish to be meat because it's different from beef, so they are confused.

Today my friend got "vegan" and "vegetarian" mixed up. I politely explained to her the differences, without getting rude.

Answer 11

I think that the majority of people who think vegetarians eat fish simply don't know any better.



I realize that most vegetarians are very offended by this mistake, but I don't think it's intentional. I don't think that they are purposely trying to soil the sacred "vegetarian" title.

Answer 12

Vegetarians can eat fish. Where is the rule book?

Answer 13

They are idiots, hate vegetarians and like to misrepresent them so that they can claim to have caught them being hypocritical. They go to a lot of effort for something they claim not to care about