If you eat fish and chicken, I would say you are not a vegetarian.

[Pool Hall Ace]

I'm new to the whole vegetarian thing, and just recently went vegan. I have a dear friend, such a sweet lady, that I haven't known all that long. She invited me for lunch on Saturday. I reminded her that wherever we went had to have a vegetarian menu. She replied, "Oh, I'm a vegetarian, too! I eat chicken, tuna . . ."

Me: "Um . . . those aren't vegetables."

Friend: "Oh, I love vegetables! But you have to have animal protein, too."

Me: "Actually, you don't."

Then the conversation veered off course, I believe toward cholesterol.

Anyway, how did you handle situations like this when you first went veggie? Do you try to enlighten people? I don't want to repel anyone by coming off as an "activist," but . . . well, I don't know. What say you?

[LeftyMom]

1. I got somebody pissed at me for saying that in this forum.

That was years ago though. ;)

I still want to know what a fish tree looks like. :D

[Pool Hall Ace]

2. Oops! I don't want to piss people off. I like this forum!

Maybe I'll end up hiding my own thread! :hide:

[LeftyMom]

4. No problem, that poster no longer uses this group.

I like to think she's out searching the woods for a tuna sandwich tree. :D

[soleiri]

13. what are you talking about?

I planted caviar last week.
Come spring I should have some beautiful fish trees in my garden.

[Ignis]

14. "Caviar trees are made of fish! They're MADE OF FISH!"

:rofl:

Thanks for that one. :)

[flvegan]

3. First, congratulations on your veganism.

I know we've talked a couple times off-board, but I figured a nice, public congratulations was certainly in order. You've taken a number of fantastic steps, and I'm really thrilled for you. Now, about your question...

Seek to understand, before seeking to be understood.

Yeah, it's cliche. Hell, I think it's one of the rules of Highly Effective People or something (learned it in corporate-hell America). But, it's worth taking into consideration.

Personally, I do try to enlighten every chance I get, but I do so with a far softer touch than a lot of folks do. In this specific situation, rather than ask about the veg brand, I'd ask why she didn't eat red meat anymore. It's likely one (or a combination) of three things: the animals, the environment, her health. I'd go from there. Each of those three are easy topics to discuss from her personal point of view. "Well, do you know how they treat chickens?" will garner a response of either that she doesn't or she doesn't care. See what I mean? Find out where they are and why and work with that. Nobody likes getting beaten over the head, especially if they've already taken a few positive steps. More often than not, they'll just shut down and ignore anything about the topic. I liken it to yelling at a child for getting a D+ in History, even though he raised it from an F the semester before. But, if they're open to being told how chickens are treated, you've just opened a huge door.

Seriously, if educating others on veg*ism is something you may participate in now and again, my best advice is this: remember that the person you are talking to is currently in the same shoes you were in X days/weeks/months/years ago. Treat them how you'd have wanted to be treated at that point in your own life.

[Pool Hall Ace]

8. Thank you, I appreciate your outstanding advice.

I know this will come up again.

It just seemed almost comical to me that she stated she was a vegetarian, then in the next breath started ticking off animal products that she consumed! She has bought in to the notion that humans "must" consume some animal protein to maintain optimum health (just as I had for so long).

By telling her that I was now a vegetarian, I was not trying to come off as superior or special in any way. It's just that I don't dine out very often, so I'm not sure how my new diet effects restaurant selections. I'm assuming fast food places have no vegetarian options, other than a paltry side salad.

[CrispyQ]

5. I simply ask, very innocently, of course,

"Oh! When did fish/chicken get re-categorized into the plant kingdom?"

[Ignis]

6. We all draw a line in the sand somewhere.

I think it's best to encourage these people for giving up eating certain animals.

It's rare that any of us go from carnivore to level-5 vegan ;) overnight, so I just try to be empathetic and remember where I was in my own rationalization process when I started to eliminate meat from my diet.

But I would agree that "semi-" is not a type of vegetarianism. I think there's a lot of history in certain cultures around the inclusion of fish/seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet, so I'll buy the use of the term "pesce-vegetarian"--but that's where I draw the line. :)

[CrispyQ]

7. I once had a waiter tell me that he was a red meat vegetarian.

:eyes:

I'm not usually a spiteful person, but he didn't get much of a tip.

:hi:

[Pool Hall Ace]

9. I had to Google that phrase "red meat vegetarian"

Apparently, it's someone who abstains from red meat, but does consume fish, chicken, and pork. It would just be easier to say, "I don't eat red meat." Leave the word "vegetarian" out of it! :D

[Ignis]

10. Oh, that's a pretty odd term.

But the cows thank him. :)

[CrispyQ]

11. I didn't think to google the term & that's not at all what I thought it meant!

I agree - leave the word vegetarian out of it. It just confuses the issue.

[Ignis]

12. Agreed, I thought he was taking the piss. (nt)