Is a person still a vegetarian even if they pick the meat out of their food?

Question

I always thought that once food touches meat then it is contaminated and a vegetarian shouldn't eat it. Like, I can't eat a pizza even though I picked the pepperoni out.
But I have a friend who is a vegetarian but she just eats whatever but picks the meat out of is. Does that still work? Is she still veg?

Answer 1

Calling that "vegetarian-in-training" is probably accurate.

I've never done it, never would, and sort of sigh at the occasional expectation that that might make something vegetarian 'enough' for me to find it palatable.

She is not eating vegetarian food per se, but it would be hard to call her much of a meat eater. Pepperoni pizza with the pepperoni picked off would still be covered in the grease and so on, but.

I have to ask why she doesn't manage to get a veggie pizza in the first place? If she's quite young and living with un-co-operative parents and that's the only way she can get through meals, or she does it twice a year, I'll give her a pass for now, but if she's older -- eh -- she's "a picky eater," not a vegetarian.

Answer 2

Every person approaches it differently. For example, I will generally avoid eating any food that has touched meat. That includes using separate utensils, bowls, pots, etc. On the other hand, if I am in a situation where I have no choice, I won't make a big deal over the meat (out of respect for whoever made the food and perhaps didn't realize I was vegetarian) and I will just pick it out. This is pretty rare, though.

In some dishes, the meat flavors and such tend ot blend with the rest of the food, so I am like you, in the sense that I could not eat a pizza even with the pepperoni picked out because the taste of the pepperonni tends to blend with the entire pizza, making it taste bad.

Answer 3

Technically speaking she isn't, because vegetarians do not eat meals cooked with meat, or animal-containing sauces, or animal stock, etc.

I guess she is just trying to convenience herself, but if she's strict she wouldn't do that. If there's a veg option and she chooses to but the meat option and pick the meat out, then she's definitely not a vegetarian. But if she does that only in dire circumstances, like she has been starving and theres no other option, I think it's more acceptable.

Answer 4

* There are many different forms of vegetarianism (which often causes confusion!) A general definition of vegetarianism is:

Vegetarianism is the practice of living on products of the plant kingdom, with or without the use of eggs and dairy products, but excluding entirely the consumption of any part of the body of an animal as food (including chicken, fish and seafood). The term "vegetarian" means a person who follows such practice, or describes such a person, creature, establishment or food pertaining to vegetarianism.

The term "vegetarian" comes from "vegetus", the Latin for "enlivened", and has no connection, apart from a linguistic one, with vegetables. This is a common misconception.

Answer 5

I agree with you! I will not eat something that has touched meat, meat juices, fat, meat blood, etc.
I don't know though, I became a vegetarian cause I love animals so I wouldn't want to eat something that was cooked with any meat at all, I guess its different for others.

Answer 6

That grease on the top of her pizza is essentially the blood and pus of the pig.

Also, by grabbing that slice, she has already participated in the death of the animal. What good is consistently choosing to take part in their deaths, but throwing their bodies away? Vegetarians use their wallets by not contributing to the meat industry. It is supply and demand. The less meat purchased, the fewer animals raised and killed later.

Whether she is or not, *could be up to debate,* but I would have to agree with vegan&proud.... we don't eat the blood, puss or fat of animals. And WOW, that is just kind of gross.

:)

Answer 7

I am pretty sure it depends on the person. For instance, I have a friend who will just pick meat out of everything, like your friend.

But my sister is also a vegetarian, and she won't even eat or eat from something meat has touched. Like when my mom makes noodles with meat for my family, then no meat for my sister, my mom has to use different wooden spoons to stir.

So I think it depends on what each vegetarian thinks, and what his/her beliefs are.

Answer 8

yes in her head and heart, but no if you ask me

the meat leaks meat juice fat oil into the food surrands it
if i make a veggtable pizza there is no fat floating on top of it
if I make a pepperiozoie pizza there is a huge pool of oil on top of it, as it cools it seeps back into the pizza, you dont see the fat but it's there, biting into a pepperionie pizza is like eating a piece of lard.

so even if you picks off the peperonine you're still eating the fat juice, that's meat enough to count

Answer 9

I'd refer to that as a vegetarian-in-training. I started out doing that then got increasingly more picky about what touched my food.

Answer 10

yes, but she probably doesnt feel very moved to be vegetarian otherwise she wouldnt want to eat things with meat touching them.