Fish eating vegetarians?

If a person were to eat fish once every other month but otherwise stick to a very strict vegetarian diet (like soy products instead of dairy and absolutely no animal flesh or eggs) would you still consider them a vegetarian?

Well a person that will not eat any animal except fish is called a pescetarian (also called pesco-vegetarian).

I am a pescetarian also :] The only fish I eat are tuna and salmon.

No I wouldn't, because like perfectpanda said, that person would be a pescetarian.

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

Original Post by sunkissedbliss:

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

 I'd be ashamed of any vegetarian who doesn't respect others' diet choices! Yes, it irks me when pescetarians call themselves vegetarians, but half the time they don't even know the term for a fish-eating vegetarian, so I correct them and move on. Not at all a loss of respect-- unless they sit there insisting "Oh well fish don't count. I'm a vegetarian." Then I'd be a bit upset.

Original Post by sunkissedbliss:

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

As a pescetarian that knows several vegetarians and vegans, I am actually quite amused by this statement.  You might consider rephrasing to say that *you* don't respect pescetarians, rather than making an assumption about every veg*an out there.  :)

Interesting question... after eating a vegan diet for 7 months, I've though about going back to eating fish now and then.

I think if a person feels happiest and healthiest eating a mostly plant-based diet and having fish occasionally, they should be able to do so regardless of what other people will call them. However, the fact that I would no longer be able to refer to myself as a vegan does factor somewhat into my decision. 

Haven't we had enough threads about this?  Why are some of you so concerned about labeling others?  Does it really matter?!

I went to a nutritionist who was adamant that I should eat fish, so I added it back in. I eat tuna that is troll caught and canned by a company in Seattle "Fishing Vessel St. Jude" I eat salmon and occasionally other fish.

I agree that we should not be griping at each other for food choices! Being a vegan or vegetarian or pescatarian, we're all doing what we think is right!

If you decide to become a vegetarian, why would you even want to eat fish?

People like that baffle me. Fish is not vegetation.

I recently gave up meat, with the exception of seafood. I know that because I eat seafood I am not a vegetarian however my boyfriend keeps calling me one now and telling friends I've become one.  When I let people know that's not the case, that I eat seafood (as well as dairy and things made with eggs)  people seem to shrug and think those things don't count.

 

 

well, i would consider myself a vegetarian even though i do eat tuna and salmon from time to time. this is because i have really heavy periods and though i do take vitamins to make up for what im missing from meat, for my body it isnt enough. at that time of the month i can get really weak if i dont at least eat fish. fish does ahve protein and iron in it. i am a vegetarian because i hate meat, i think it's absolutely gross - it's appearance, and where it came from. though i could feel the same about fish, at the same time i dont want to put my body in danger. i dont think we should say that people arent vegetarians just because they eat fish. it's their prerogative, and it may have to do with their health.

peace

Health is irrelevant. Vegetarians do not eat meat. Period. "Fish eating vegetarians" are pescetarians. Sure, people can eat what they want, but calling themselves something they are not IMO, is ridiculous. That would be like me saying, "Hi, I'm a vegan but I still eat eggs." Doesn't work like that.

lhtrahan, yes. If someone like that wants to call him or herself a vegetarian, I'd be okay with that. Hope that helps. :-)

I'm a pescetarian too, but call myself veggie most of the time. Why? Because many people don't know what "pescetarian" means, and while I explain it to my friends and family I don't necessarily want to try to teach new vocabulary to waiters, coworkers, random strangers, etc. If I say I'm a vegetarian no one will try to slip me a big chunk of beef or something, and I care about that more than using perfectly correct terminology all the time. Not ridiculous, just a cautionary measure.

Exactly how I feel.

I've been a pescaterian since I was nine years old (I'm now 18), and have had a lot of experience dealing with people who don't understand alternative food choices.  In fact, I originally had no problem eating free range chicken, but this isn't something  my 10-year-old friends' parents usually understood. 

I now eat no red or white meat, but I do eat fish, eggs and minimal dairy.  I similarly try to limit my soy consumption.

Still, 'pescaterian" doesn't usually get its own check box, so excuse me if my "vegetarian" diet ID doesn't fit your standards.

Even then- you'd be surprised how many people still think that chicken broth isn't worth mentioning.

the only time i've ever gotten annoyed about this subject is when a friend of mine (who called herself vegetarian but was, in fact, a pescaterian) constantly talked about how much being a vegetarian meant to her and how she was tired of people not understanding her diet. and i said "but...you do eat fish" and she said "but fish aren't meat...you're just a really strict vegetarian." which...what are they? grains?

aside from that, whatever you want to eat is fine...the other small annoyance is that i have occasionally gotten served fish as a "vegetarian" choice at dinners, because some well-intentioned host always knows someone who is a "vegetarian" but loves salmon. so really, if you follow a veggie diet except for the fish, please take five seconds and explain it...the only way it's going to stop being confusing is if people start explaining it.

Original Post by le_tigre:

Original Post by sunkissedbliss:

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

 I'd be ashamed of any vegetarian who doesn't respect others' diet choices! Yes, it irks me when pescetarians call themselves vegetarians, but half the time they don't even know the term for a fish-eating vegetarian, so I correct them and move on. Not at all a loss of respect-- unless they sit there insisting "Oh well fish don't count. I'm a vegetarian." Then I'd be a bit upset.

I am a pescatarian and I know what it is, but non-veggies usually don't so to avoid having to explain myself a hundred times a day I say "vegetarian".  I think if you corrected me i would look at you like you were crazy for correcting me!

Serious question: why do people eat fish and still call themselves vegetarians? why is fish not a meat?

Original Post by sunkissedbliss:

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

 So you only respect other vegetarians?

Original Post by karen20061979:

Original Post by le_tigre:

Original Post by sunkissedbliss:

No, they'd be a pescatarian and there's nothing wrong with that except they wouldn't get respect from actual vegetarians.

I'd be ashamed of any vegetarian who doesn't respect others' diet choices! Yes, it irks me when pescetarians call themselves vegetarians, but half the time they don't even know the term for a fish-eating vegetarian, so I correct them and move on. Not at all a loss of respect-- unless they sit there insisting "Oh well fish don't count. I'm a vegetarian." Then I'd be a bit upset.

I am a pescatarian and I know what it is, but non-veggies usually don't so to avoid having to explain myself a hundred times a day I say "vegetarian". I think if you corrected me i would look at you like you were crazy for correcting me!

 /shrug.

This is the one thing that I'll admit I'm a wee bit of an annoying elitist about, but while I understand it's annoying to have to explain what pescatarian is, I still think a pescatarian shouldn't call themselves vegetarian. Believe me, I do understand the problem with having to explain this-- I was a pescatarian for about 6 months before I became an ovo-lacto-vegetarian, but I called myself a pescatarian because calling myself vegetarian felt fake. It's not so hard to say "I still eat seafood," is it? And just think, every time you explain to someone what pescatarian means, you're teaching them something that they didn't know before.

I don't know, it might be different to someone who doesn't eat meat for health reasons as opposed to moral reasons, but I personally feel that a vegetarian doesn't eat anything from the animal kingdom, period. Fish are not swimming vegetables. /: