# Poll for vegetarians and people of quasi-vegetarian persuasions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501 "2012-07-17T07:43:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/21 "2012-07-17T23:18:04Z")
I’m lacto-vegetarian in that I don’t eat eggs straight up, but I can’t be bothered if they’re hidden away in my cookies and cakes. I don’t avoid onions and garlic, though (my mother’s side of the family does (Vaishnava), but I was raised with plenty of onions), and don’t care about above vs. below-groundness. So I’ve selected “lacto-vegetarian/Vaishnava/Jaina-type”, but it seems to lump together things which you might as well have split apart, given the plenitude of fine-grained options. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/22 "2012-07-17T23:28:47Z")
I guess I’m a flexitarian, but in a way even stricter than that. I’ll eat meat, but only from farmers I meet. So, from the farmer’s market is OK, and a couple restaurants nearby use farms I know so I’ll eat meat at those places, but nowhere else. I also will only eat dairy from as local and/or organic as possible, so cheese from the farmer’s market, or I’ll buy half and half from Organic Valley - it’s the only “retail” dairy cooperative I trust enough. So, I pretty much only eat meat or dairy/eggs at home, and am otherwise fairly strict vegan - pantry products, convenience foods, going out to any other restaurants - vegan. ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/23 "2012-07-17T23:36:51Z")
Im the founding member of PETA People Eating Tasty Animals ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/24 "2012-07-18T02:56:34Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > Im the founding member of PETA > > People Eating Tasty Animals Hardy Har Har Har. Never heard that one before. mmm ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/25 "2012-07-18T03:22:25Z")
I rarely eat meat and when I do, it’s more of a condiment rather than the main dish. It’s not due to dietary restrictions or moral issues; I just happen to certain food which doesn’t happen to include meat. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/26 "2012-07-18T05:42:12Z")
I like Flexitarian. Contrarian is probably more like it, though. After I was diagnosed with Diabetes in 2002, I became Vegan shortly thereafter. Many things came into play, and this was eventually modified to what I call Vegetarian with a Fish Endorsement. A couple of months ago, I “took a sabbatical.” I’ve always, ALWAYS loved pork, and I’m enjoying it again. My reasons for Vegetarianism have been strictly for MY health. I don’t care what YOU eat, and I don’t need the Food Police telling ME what I am or am not. I don’t get hyper or frantic if the food I eat is “contaminated” in some way with meat broth or bacon, or anything like that. I probably will return to Vegetarian eating soon. Here’s why: I’ve managed to cruise through Menopause with very, very few hot flashes. Overnight it seems I’ve been drenched. It finally occurred to me that during my “sabbatical,” I’m NOT eating the soy products that I normally consume. The difference, as far as I’m concerned, is absolutely amazing, and it’s reason enough, IMHO, to forgo meat! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/27 "2012-07-18T12:18:49Z")
Pescetarian, though I very rarely eat fish that’s not shellfish. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/28 "2012-07-18T12:21:41Z")
**drew** -“chickentarian”=pollotarian. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/29 "2012-07-18T12:55:36Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > Because harvesting them requires the death of the plant. But it doesn’t, no more than potatoes do. Any of them is planted by taking a piece of the edible root (in the case of garlic it can be one of the ready-made ones) and putting it in soil. Does the “ban” apply to all edible roots and bulbs? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/30 "2012-07-18T16:38:01Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > But it doesn’t, no more than potatoes do. Any of them is planted by taking a piece of the edible root (in the case of garlic it can be one of the ready-made ones) and putting it in soil. > > Does the “ban” apply to all edible roots and bulbs? Your example is showing how the next generation is created. But that argument doesn’t work for strict fruititarians. If you dig up the plant, you’ve killed it. No roots or bulbs, no stems (celery, kohlrabi). To quote Yogi Bear: nuts and berries, no pick-a-nick baskets. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/31 "2012-07-18T17:43:27Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Why are certain vegetarians against onion or garlic? IIRC, because certain religions believe that the strong flavors of onion and garlic make you “hot-blooded” (angry and horny! ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/32 "2012-07-18T18:04:16Z")
In answer to the OP, I don’t eat meat and eggs at home, simply because I don’t like them very much. However, if I’m eating out, I might choose something that happens to contain a small amount of meat. I don’t avoid eggs in cake, or gelatine in sweets. I cut milk out of my diet a few months ago for health reasons. But now I’m hooked on soya chocolate milk and chocolate pudding, so I don’t think there’s been any benefit! So, I don’t know what I would be classed as. Probably just a fussy eater! ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/33 "2012-07-18T20:11:56Z")
How is a chicketarian or pescetatarian any type of vegetarian? ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/34 "2012-07-18T23:39:06Z")
I voted loose vegan. I am vegan at home in terms of what I eat, I don’t wear leather or wool and I use cruelty free products. But if I’m out somewhere or a guest at someone’s house I won’t go apeshit if the only veggie option contains dairy or eggs. I also eat non-vegan freebies (cookies, candies) at work. I have some leather shoes and a silk scarf that belonged to my grandma, I figure items of sentimental value are fine. I will also accept a gift of a leather item graciously. I’m open to medication that has a small amount of gelatin or other animal product in it if there’s no other option- that would be dumb to sacrifice my health over this- I also realize that for some medications animal testing is mandated by the FDA. I never eat meat though and that includes chicken and fish. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/35 "2012-07-19T03:50:58Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > How is a chicketarian or pescetatarian any type of vegetarian? They’re not. Not at all, not nohow. That’s why I referred to “quasi-vegetarian” persuasions. Because any time there’s a discussion of vegetarianism, there will always be pescetarians etc. hovering and joining in. So I made allowance for that. ---
**Author:** ![SnakeBabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SnakeBabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeBabe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/36 "2012-07-19T04:03:24Z")
Not sure what you define as a Loose Vegan? I would think Vegan is one of those things you are or are not. Like, you can’t be a little dead or a little pregnant, you are or you are not. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/37 "2012-07-19T04:21:31Z")
Loose vegan defined in post #1. I broke out that category from vegan for those who might hesitate to call themselves really vegan if they don’t measure up to the strictest definitions, but they’re down with it, sort of. ETA, OK, myself 10 years ago. I was pretty much vegan, but I never gave up honey. So sue me. Before I went vegan about 12 years ago, I had been lacto-ovo going back to high school, and when I started on hormones 6 years ago I left veganism and went back to lacto-ovo where I’ve been ever since. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/38 "2012-07-20T17:14:04Z")
We’re seasonal vegetarians. We eat meat pretty much only in late autumn/winter/early spring, in those times we usually have one or two meals with meat or fish during the week. When there is enough green stuff growing around, we switch to that. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/39 "2012-07-20T17:50:12Z")
So how do you read this: > [@Johanna](#): > > Anybody that shuns animal flesh for any reason (apart from _kashrut_ or _halal_), please show us where you line up. And come up with responses like these: > [@aruvqan](#): > > I don’t insist on meat at every meal, and am happy with tofu and some other options like quorn and seitan - but I class myself as carnivore. > > I am equally likely to order a meat lovers pizza as a white pizza with artichoke hearts, onions and olives [or broccoli.] > [@Michael63129](#): > > I’m only a vegetarian in the sense that I eat fruits and vegetables - with meat of some sort - just about every day. 😕Neither of you shun meat at all - occasionally eating a vegetable or choosing oatmeal for breakfast instead of prime rib doesn’t fall anywhere on the ‘vegetarian’ realm. Were you both just desperate to answer a poll or something? Anyway, OP - I chose pescetarian, because I eat seafood, and occasionally tuna. Generally that’s about every two weeks, and the rest of the time I’m veg. Today I’m having tuna sashimi for lunch, actually, and kind of looking forward to it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501/40 "2012-07-20T19:08:59Z")
I voted other. I’m a humanitarian. I only eat humans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-vegetarians-and-people-of-quasi-vegetarian-persuasions/628501.md?page=3)