“Do you eat fish?” “Are you allowed to consume cheese?” “This has egg in it, so is that all right?” “A friend once told me that your kind can eat meat every once in a while – true or false?” Believe it or not, I am asked these very questions on a daily basis. Sure, there are definitely times when I feel like responding (more like screaming) that I am a VEGETARIAN, which is basically self-explanatory, but instead I try to take the high road and patiently explain what it is that I do.
I am what most people call just a regular “vegetarian,” meaning I do not eat any kind of meat, including fish, but I do eat eggs and dairy. The technical term for this is called a “lacto-ovo-vegetarian.” Even though I respect and admire those who are, I am not vegan. Veganism eliminates all animal products from one’s diet and is notorious for being an expensive lifestyle. Butter, milk, eggs, honey, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, yogurt, etc. will not be seen on a vegan menu. Then there are pescetarians, and they take the lacto-ovo-vegetarian route with the addition of seafood. Because there are people who exclude all meat but fish, there have to be people who exclude all meat but poultry, right? Correct! Those types of people are referred to as “pollo-vegetarians,” or “pollotarians.” Chicken, turkey, duck, goose, quail, what have you are all consumed by pollotarians. Aside from poultry-eaters, there are people known as “flexitarians,” and on the whole, they approach the food world with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian’s appetite. However, their diet is a bit more flexible since they have the freedom to occasionally eat meat if they so choose to. Overall, there are several more types of vegetarians that exist, but the aforementioned are the ones I most frequently run into.
To answer those everyday questions, I do not eat fish, I am allowed to consume cheese, it is all right if I chow down on a product that contains egg, and my specific kind (lacto-ovo) does not ingest meat. So my questions to you are what is one habit/lifestyle choice that people always question you about? And are you flattered by their inquisitiveness, or does it annoy you?
I think I already commented your post last week and said that I was a vegetarian, too. People question me all the time about my lifestyle. I get annoyed when they tell me I'm going to die from not eating protein (clearly misinformed, millions world wide are vegetarians). Other than that, I love when people ask questions because I feel like I might be able to teach them something they had not previously known.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you ended this in a question. This entry was really well done. A lot of my family members are vegetarian and I really admire how they have to face so much scrutiny/ignorance about their lifestyle but still remain patient and willing to explain every detail of their lifestyle, much like you are. My answer to your question is being Catholic. Though there are a lot of Catholics in the world, I still am asked a lot of questions that I find ignorant..."Can you like..party?" "Wait, will you ever be able to have sex?" It sounds hyperbolic but unfortunately I have gotten both questions. I admire your ability to explain your lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY. I AM ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME AND IT ANNOYS ME GREATLY.
ReplyDeleteI actually did not know all those terms for different types of vegetarians. I had certainly heard those terms before, but I never knew exactly what they meant. They certainly make sense, though. While I admire people who are able to cut any food group out of their diet as this certainly takes a good amount of discipline, I feel that our kind of vegetarian (lacto-ovo) makes the most sense ethically. Veganism surely is a lot more admirable, but I'm not even going to go there! I don't understand why certain animals should be allowed to live over others. If one animal is being saved, ALL animals should be saved. However, any type of vegetarian is a good life choice nonetheless.