What do vegitarians do when they accidently eat meat?

Question

Say a vegitarian, whether just not a meat eater, some combination of ovo or lactate vegitarian, or vegan, I don't think it really matters, bites into a hotdog or something, finds out it's not tofu after eating and swollowing 2 bites (hypothetical, since you'd think they could tell the difference after 1), and stops eating. What do they do? Cry? Purge? Feel guilty? Prey? And what about vegans who eat an orio only to find out later while meticulously pouring over the ingredients list that one of the ingredients is animal fat?

I'm just curious about how people put into practice a belief that's both utterly absurd yet completely natural (and probably a little quixotic).

(oops, pray, not prey)

Answer 1

i have a friend who's a serious vegan..last Friday,she accidentally ate a few spoons of salad with chopped chicken..she only realised it halfway through..up till today,she refused to eat anything as part of her way in cleansing her body..i tried to stop her,but she refused to stop..she'll stop when she thinks it's necessary..this is her second time..previous "cleansing session" lasted for 2 months..she only relying on fruit juice and multi vit for the whole 2 months and lost 15 lbs..we have to respects her choice even though i thought that she's overdoing it..

Answer 2

Let me start by saying that I certainly don't think my beliefs are "utterly absurd."

How people react will vary widely by why they're vegetarian/vegan, how long they have been so, and just their personality.

If a person hasn't eaten meat in a long time, they might become legitimately physically ill, due to the body becoming unused to it. This has been seen often in cases where the individual didn't even find out there was meat in what they'd eaten until after they became ill. Though some are a little nutty, for most it's not just a psychosomatic reaction.

As for reactions a person can control, it depends on the person. I, personally, would be grossed out and possibly ***** at whoever gave it to me. That'd be it. I wouldn't feel guilty for eating something I didn't know I was eating, and I certainly wouldn't pray. I'm sure there are plenty who would do those things, and even some who'd purge. There are definitely some who'd cry.

Hope that answers your question.

Answer 3

I've accidentally eaten meat a few times, usually at restaurants. I spit it out into the napkin, mention it to my significant other, and either send the food back if its prepared with lots of real meat, or just eat the rest of it if it looks like a tiny piece just fell in, or something like that.

It's not a big deal to me. Nobody can practice any belief perfectly 100% of the time, and it's not my fault that I ate it.

Edit: Though if I actually swallowed it, I'd be very unhappy and go buy some pepto bismol, since I get horrible stomach cramps now if I eat meat, since I've been off it so long.

Answer 4

Being a vegetarian myself, I have eaten meat by accident (a waiter gave me a meat version of a gyro over a vegetable version). I felt guilty for a while but I decided that it was a mistake and I got on with my life. There really isn't an overall view as to how to handle a situation like that, it's a personal view. So I felt guilty but got through it, I'm sure other vegetarians or vegans would have a different view.

Answer 5

I was once given Irish stew (I think) when I'd asked for vegetable soup in a cafe. I found a bone (it looked like the knee of a tiny lamb), and I saw the manager, who gave me the correct soup. At the time I wanted to spew. I didn't eat there again after that. I have drunk coffee there though, because I guessed no-one could give me Bovril by mistake.

Answer 6

After many years of not having this happen, I got the wrong burrito from Taco Bell this summer. I took a big bite, realized what it was, spit it out, rinsed my mouth out, tried not to throw up, coughed, sputtered, gagged, rinsed my mouth out again, then drove back to TB and let 'em have it.

If I'd eaten something less obvious (like finding animal fat or something in the ingredients after the fact) I'd curse, make a mental note for next time and move on. No need to bash yourself over the head with guilt, sometimes stuff just happens.

Answer 7

There are some people who feel nauseous over it, some get physically sick, some of us just move on. I don't feel guilty. I didn't choose to eat it. I didn't purposely buy it.

It's been years and years since I accidentally ate meat, but just recently someone put sour cream, and shortly before that cheese, on something I ordered without (dammit taco bell people!) and once I noticed, I just rolled my eyes & threw it away.

Answer 8

Nothing.
You can't go and punish yourself for doing something on accident. I once had sauce with my pasta that had tiny pieces of meat in it. I felt horrible and so guilty, but I realized that there was nothing I could do to change that and just moved on and knew next time to be more careful.
We all make mistakes and we can't put ourselves down for it.

Answer 9

The same thing a meat eater would do if he bit into a hunk of dog doo.

It's pretty obvious once I get it in my mouth and then I spit it out. Once used a napkin. Another time I excused myself to the bathroom and spit it out there.

That's about it.

"Utterly absurb yet completely natural?" I would say that statement doesn't make any sense.

Lots of people have beliefs I don't follow; I just leave them alone. It's not my concern.

Answer 10

I don't feel guilty, as it wasn't my fault but it makes me feel somewhat queasy (imagine a meat eater who has just discovered that his/her stew contained a species he/she would not usually eat, like minced Yorkie).
If I'm given meat, I can tell right away & it winds up in my napkin. If I find out that my meal contained lard or gelatine, I resolve to ask more questions before eating in a restaurant if it's been awhile since my last visit. If someone has deliberately given me meat, lard etc. I avoid the restaurant afterward & occasionally let management know why (yes this has happened, but rarely).
I'm pretty good about reading labels, asking questions & making sure that servers know I'm veg, but have been in this situation on occasion.