Is there such a thing as a laid back vegetarian?

Question

I am just wondering. My friend who is vegetarian is VERY, umm... Up tight about it. That probably isn't the right fraze. She is always checking the ingredients in food and stuff. So is it possible to be vegetarian without being paranoid about it? Er. that probably isn't the right word either. Anyways if you get what I'm asking, let me know! Thanks.

I'm not trying to be negative about vegetarians everyone. I am thinking about becoming one only I don't think that I would be able to be that strict about what I do and don't eat. So don't take it the wrong way. Thanks for all the answers so far.

Answer 1

The thing is that meat products and gelatin pop up everywhere in common foods. If you're strict about your vegetarianism, you will read the backs of your food to make sure no mystery animal products are in it. It's not being paranoid, just sticking to your ideals.

Answer 2

Vegetarians have to check labels because there is animal products in the most random stuff (like everyone else said). She's not being uptight or paranoid, she just doesn't want to consume animal products. People who are vege for health reasons probably don't check labels as much, but those who are vege for animal rights like to be sure they aren't accidently going against what they believe in. It only takes a few seconds to skim through the list, try not to let it bug you.

Answer 3

I think whatever a person is comfortable with is what's best. It's not all about labels and what rules you have to follow. For example, I (jokingly) call myself a semi-fake vegetarian. For a long time, I would eat around the meat in casseroles or on my dinner plate and push it aside. I almost always thought a meal was better without the meat. As I got older, I began to eat what I felt like eating.

I rarely eat red meat, but sometimes I am craving a good burger or filet mignon so I go ahead and have one. I eat chicken and fish occasionally as well. I refer to myself a "sides" gal, meaning I mostly eat the veggies, pasta, bread etc. I would say I usually go a few days at a time without eating any meat.

Mostly, I enjoy eating dishes that would normally be made with meat, but without the meat. Like today I made my no-chicken noodle soup. The broth is chicken-based but that doesn't bother me, it's the big chunks of chicken that do. Plus I think the soup is so much better this way and you get to enjoy the savory vegetables (carrots, celery, onion) and whole-wheat noodles without worrying about chewing on a piece of fat. A lot of the times I feel like the meat overpowers the rest of the dish.

So yeah, I could be considered a laidback vegetarian, I am obviously not very strict. But again, I think it all comes down to personal preference. Just eat by your own rules!

Answer 4

We don't read labels because we are uptight or paranoid. We read labels because we have decided not to partake of certain ingredients and that is the way we know what we're eating. There is chicken fat and powdered beef and gelatin (rendered hooves and bone marrow) and lard tucked away into a lot of foods and we don't eat that crap. I'm a fairly laid-back person overall and reading food labels doesn't make me uptight.

Answer 5

"Laid back vegetarians" that don't read labels aren't true vegetarians if they're consuming meat. I wouldn't really use that phrase though, it takes half a second to check labels. You start to know which products are vegetarian/vegan and which ones aren't out of experience. There are tons of only vegetarian and vegan brands so you don't have to do as much checking. I look for certain brands.

Answer 6

I do that if I've never had the food before, for example lets say it's a rice some rices do have chicken in it, or by-products so I just check that theres nothing in it that's all.

Answer 7

We absolutely have to check labels -- gelatin, chicken fat, beef fat, animal-based broths pop up in the weirdest places. My ovo-lacto boyfriend foolishly bought a snack cake from a vending machine. I read the ingredients out of morbid curiosity (I'm vegan, and I knew it would have stuff I can't eat) and was horrified to discover that it might contain beef fat (under the rubric of "contains one or more of the following").

Answer 8

Maybe your friend could just read the labels more casually, you know, like while wearing sunglasses or leaning against a motorcycle. Reading labels in itself is not paranoid or uptight, really I like to know what I'm putting in to my body, but some people do get kinda excited about it. I think if anyone read that "SnoBalls" have beef fat in them, they might stop eating SnoBalls.

Answer 9

Phrase you mean.

And if you were allergic to someone, wouldn't you be checking to see if it was in food. Its the same thing, we don't eat meat or meat products... so we have to check to see if its in things. Its not being uptight, its sticking to our morals.

I don't eat meat, so I check ingredients to make sure I'm not eating an animal product.

Answer 10

hum, must be just my part of the world.. cuz honey we are all laid back...

well, tell them to chill out.. life's too short to raise your blood pressure over much of anything.

no matter how important, just if it's priority in one's life.. get to work on it.. not frustrate yourself to death...

that makes one unhappy and everyone around ya uncomfortable and that's not cool.

laid back is the key... makes things better for all ... even for those who don't follow the lifestyle of a vegetarian...

i check ingredients.. read labels.. research additives... minerals.. vitamins.. foods... hell i even cook for meatatarians.... but i don't get all whacked out and hyperspazed about it.

don't mesh too well...

it's not paranoia that one checks labels.. because many processed foods do have chemicals in them that are not friendly to not just vegans, vegetarians but those with allergies.. and well all those chemicals just aren't good for anyone..

just look what all that processed garbage does to our bodies.. we are a very plump society.. that's not just calories and being lazy... that's chemistry packing up inside us.. all that inert material just sits in our systems longer than it should and sometimes can hurt us.. blockages.. hypertension.. GERD... things like that.

but one doesn't have to shorten their tempers over it... they must become one with life... and make peace with things.. doesn't mean they have to change... just relax a tad bit more.. they'll be happier.. you'll be happier...

the world will be a better place.. so on.