It's quiet in work this morning, so you get a proper split-quote response! Hurrah!
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Originally Posted by qprogeny79
don't you hate the incessant questions about what you do for protein?
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It depends - if it's people just being a pain (and usually it is) then yes. If it's people who are considering vegetarianism or worrying about their child becoming vegetarian then I'm happy to help, as I'm sure you are.
The people who irritate me the most in fact, are the veggiefascists, the vegetairans who check you out with questions to see if you're a proper veggie, like they are. They assume that you don't actually understand what the word 'vegetarian' means. They give vegetarianism a bad reputation, when it in fact deserves to have the best reputation.
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Originally Posted by qprogeny79
it drives me insane when things that look perfectly innocent have something non-vegetarian 7/8 of the way down the ingredient list. i dread finding out something like that when someone is cooking for me.
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The main one where I have to be very careful is oriental chutneys and the like - there was a very nice looking Thai coconut and chilli paste recently, but it contained fish oil. I've learned to look at everything in advance.
And Walkers crisps. I can understand chicken flavour crisps containing somethig derived from chicken, but quite why
sour cream and sweet pepper flavour has to be unsuitable for vegetarians is a mystery to me. Especially when the offending ingredient is available in animal and vegetable form. And especially when other crisp manufacturers manage quite happily. But to be honest I don't like Walkers much anyway, they're kind of on my boycott list.
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Originally Posted by qprogeny79
i've been doing it for almost 3 years now, though i continued eating fish until about a year ago, when it occured to me that if you eat fish you're NOT vegetarian. (that's another one of my pet peeves . . . i tell people i'm vegetarian and their immediate question is "do you eat fish?" uuh . . . last i checked fish were animals.)
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'I'm vegetarian'
'Right. Do you eat fish?'
'No - I'm vegetarian'
'Oh. I know some vegetarians who eat fish'
'No, you don't'
'Yes I do'
'No you don't'
'What do you mean?'
'THe're not vegetarians'
'Why not?'
'BECAUSE THEY EAT FISH!'
Then I usually have to explain why fish count as animals. Which seems strange, given that it's fairly obvious.
It used to annoy me when cafes and the like would have fish as a vegetarian option! But things are much better nowadays - I very rarely hve any problem anywhere. Vegetarian food is more widespread, accessible, tasty and cheaper too.
I sometimes wonder why people think veggie food has to be bland. Changing the meat in a curry to soya or tofu or vegetables doesn't ruin the enjoyment. In fact the knowledge that you're making the right choice should enhance the enjoyment. I know a few people who aren't vegetarian, but who choose more and more vegetarian options because they've tried and preferred them in the past. The taste of exotic vegetables and fruit is just as interesting as meat, and once you stop eating meat, I think you actually start to taste the other things more.