What do you call some one who doesn't eat meat?

Question

What do you call a person who chooses not to eat meat?

I have a friend who does not eat meat – no chicken, no hamburgers, no fish, no seafood, no lamb chops, etc. She does this for ethical reasons – “animals are our friends not food.”

At a restaurant instead of buying a hamburger she will buy a veggie burger and fries. However, she does not inquire of the wait staff the composition of the cooking oil for the fries. It might be pure vegetable oil or it might be animal shorting – she does not ask, nor would will she inquire if a chicken nugget has been cooked in the same oil.

When shopping she will purchase the vegetarian baked beans instead of those with pork in them. At a family bbq she will insist on a veggie burger or tofu dog, but makes no inquiry into the possibility of pork being in the baked beans.

When buying soup at the grocery store she does not buy soup that has beef or chicken broth, but she does not have a comprehensive list of animal derived ingredients. She knows such list exist, but has absolutely no interest following one. And at a restaurant, she will not order chicken soup, but will buy cream of mushroom with no concern if it has a chicken broth base.

She is aware that lists exist of what candy has minute quantity of gelatin and which are purely vegetarian. She has no use for such a list – skittles are not meat, slim jims are meat – who needs a list? But she will not make jello.

What do you call someone who doesn’t eat meat?

Vegan Kitty and Mad Meatballs actually quite the opposite. I have absolutely no problem with her lifestyle.

I was just curious what all the folks who stress out over others call themselves a vegitrarian or the vegitarian candy would say.

She calls herself a vegertarian, if asked about the foods she does eat, she reponds "I said I was a vegetarain I did not say I was nurotic."

Answer 1

I just posted this as a side note in another question and I think it applies to this one as well...

"I don't understand why so many people here judge others so much! Even an omnivore that avoids eating meat just one day a week is still making a difference... that's better than nothing isn't it?! I don't know, I'm just saying no one is perfect so why preach and put thumbs down to people just because they aren't doing things the way you would. As long as you do things your way and are happy then live and let live!"

Instead of getting insulted by someone not being a 100% vegetarian, shouldn't we be happy that they're at least doing something! I'm not picking on you "me", I know you're not one of them... I'm speaking in general because of the feedback on this forum. I personally am more conservative than your friend but I'm also not "neurotic"... I just don't think I'd be happy as a TRUE vegan because then I'd be constantly obssessing over what foods I'm eating and not eating. So although I don't eat eggs nor drink milk I consider myself a vegetarian and not a vegan because I know there are times that I might be eating something that has been made with eggs or milk. The point is that no matter what anyone else thinks I feel that I'm making a difference and that's what makes me happy. :)

Answer 2

I would call her a lazy vegetarian ;-)

Seriously, everyone draws their own line. Some vegetarians just don't want to eat meat so as not to harm the animals, but they think it makes no difference to the animals if her veggie chicken nuggets were cooked with real chicken or not. Others are put of by meat so much they won't want their food to be cooked in the same pan that's been used for meat. I'm one of the latter, but I don't expect all veggies to be.

And maybe she just knows a little about how things are done: fries are never cooked in animal fat, because it's more expensive (except sometimes in Belgium, but then they will tell you and the price isn't the same). For example. Maybe she also knows which sweets have gelatine in them, specially since you say she stays away from jelly.

I've got to say, I don't quite get what your point is. If she were really strict about her diet, everyone would probably say what a pain she is. And yet when veggies are not, people try hold it against us, saying we are not logical.


Go vegan!


DJW:
There are proteins in so many things; cereals, legumes,... Did you know there are actually more proteins in soy than in meat? So tell me, why would we take pills? Why would we have health problems? 23 years of vegetarianism, never took proteins pills in my life, and wow, I'm still around to tell the story ;-)

Answer 3

Might as well call her a lacto-ovo vegetarian. If she is going to eat dairy and eggs, there is just as much cruelty(if not more) involved as eating meat anyways. So gelatin and broth aren't going to make much of a difference. I'm assuming that if she was actually aware of chicken broth or bacon in her food, she wouldn't eat it. Either way, the word "vegetarian" is so tired and abused to the point it doesn't mean anything close to its original meaning.

Veganism is where I give little room for interpretation.

Answer 4

Vegan Kitty took the words right out of my mouth, great answer !!!

I think this person is getting on your nerves for reasons you aren't or can't say, is she judging you, and yet you can't judge her, or something to that degree??
I understand, you know I see what goes on in vegy tales, it is such an ectreme way of thinking, all or nothing, kind of craziness, not for me. realistically, it doesn't matter what you label yourself, or what others label you, it doesn't make it any more real in the end. I say do what you can, without making yourself crazy, and the other people around you,,, balance, is key,, if you ate meat for 10 years, and tomorrow you changed your mind,, good. but life isn't quite that easy is it?
are there people who think it is,,,lol ???
I believe, you should eat to live, not live to eat.
if I was poor, and starving, you bet I would eat meat if a hunter offered to help feed my family. I am not ashamed to say that. I am not ashamed at all, over something that I eat, or don't eat. I just happened to be able to afford boca burgers this week, (very expensive) and you do need protein, tofu is a high source. it isn't just a meat alternative, I don't like that word, but it really is about protein from beans.
I think your friend is trying to do her best, thats all. without driving EVERYONE crazy. it doesn't mean she is a failure, yahoo vegy tales is one thing, but REAL LIFE is another, and in real life people make mistakes, try their best and just do what they can
Myself,I would worry more about the transfats in the oil that they cooked the vegy burger in. yukkkk, and the high fructrose corn syrup in the baked beans, nasty.

Answer 5

She's a lot like me, except I don't do it for eithcal reasons.

I don't like the taste of meat. If I can smell & taste meat in something I avoid it. The fries & the soups would be a no-go for me.

I don't eat jello, coloured sugared fat & bones? Gross & not very yum anyway.

Gelatin in pills doesn't bother me.

I dislike artificial flavourings, colours etc.
I think junk food is gross. If I can't tell what's in a dish, in my eyes it's not worthy of the term food. (pre-made/packaged sloppy joes, chicken nuggets, veg burgers, frozen dinners even..)

I'm anti-trans fat, even though if it's veg.

I'd say for the purpose of this very strict forum, she's a non-meat eater.

In real life, she'd be a vegetarian just like me.

Answer 6

Vegetarian

Answer 7

she's a vegetarian.. vegetarians are only concerned with actually consuming meat they don't care about the other animal by-products in food, etc. that's why there's a difference between veganism and vegetarianism.

Answer 8

She is a vegetarian. If she doesn't consume dairy and eggs as well, or anything derived from an animal, she is a vegan. A vegan is a strict vegetarian, one who not only abstains from eating flesh, but also from eating dairy and eggs as well.

Answer 9

i would say shes a vegetarian, maybe she doesnt always enquire about things like the beans at a bbq, but its quiete obvious to tell if they have pork in, and you wil find that alot of people just asume their chips are suitable, i do quiete alot, i dont know why i do, but hell, if mcdonalds dont use meat fats to do their chips then most resturants wont, mainly cos its cheaper and healthier.

so i would definatly call her a vegetarian

Answer 10

My personal opinion aside...

Your friend is a vegetarian. I see what you mean by her not worrying if the fries have been cooked in animal fat or not - there are people that refuse to eat anything associated coming from an animal IE, milk, eggs, animal fat (oil).

People who do not eat any animal product are called vegans. They have very restricted diets - just veggies, special bread and licorice - that's all i can think of!