If you are vegan/vegetarian, what are some misconceptions about your diet?

I have been both in the past. The main misconception was that it was anybody else’s business, especially those who wanted to tell me I was doing it wrong.

Eat the way you like and don’t take any crap from anybody.

I am a vegetarian. I absolutely love butter and cheese, so I will not be a vegan any time soon.

Every once in a while I eat fish. I give myself permission to eat turkey on the holidays, but I didn’t even do that last year.

The biggest misconception I’ve found is that friends think I need a meat substitute. I’m actually fine with just a variety of vegetables. I don’t need veggies disguised as meat. I do enjoy that, though. I like Impossible burgers when I eat at a burger place. I buy veggie burgers and eat them at home often (covered in fresh salsa).

There’s a brunch place I love. They often have a plate of local vegetables with poached eggs that I really like. The last time I went, they had vegetarian ramen that was superb.

I haven’t been a vegetarian long. Only about a year and a half. Maybe longer. It’s right for me for spiritual reasons. It keeps me clearer. Lighter in a way.

As an aside, I’ll add that I strictly limit the amount of processed sugar I eat. I try to keep it extremely low: less than 20mg/day. If I want something sweet, I eat fruit. I am convinced that processed sugar is akin to poison.

I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian from 1991 to 2000. It was a bit more unusual then, so people found it to be something to talk about. Some were honestly interested, and others felt threatened. The existence of a vegetarian could feel like an assault on someone’s ethics – even when I chose not to talk about it. I never judged peoples’ choices, but they certainly heaped their own judgments on me.

I believe things are far different now. When I go out to eat with people I am not too close with, the first thing they ask is if we eat meat. It’s not assumed.

Other than the misconception that people thought I was judging them, I think the big one was that people thought I ate healthy. I didn’t. I used to sometimes refer to myself as a desertarian or sugartarian.

I have had many people think that a vegetarian ONLY eats vegetables.
Also that since I am a vegetarian I should be skinny.

That it’s literally impossible for a vegan to gain weight.

Consider the following items:

Sugary soft drinks
Fruit juices
Alcoholic beverages
Popcorn, potato chips, pretzels
Bread (most types)
Candy (except for milk chocolate)
Pasta
Nut and nut butters
Hummus
Legumes
Rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes
Avocados
Vegetable oils

All of these foods and drinks are vegan, but they’re loaded with calories. Some of the choices are very nutritious, yet they’re nonetheless calorie-dense.

Anyone, even a committed vegan, can make poor choices, consume too many calories, and gain weight. This vegan is still working-off a bit of pudginess from the holiday season.

@Hawaii_Jake Yes! I’m so sick of everyone telling me about any place that has tofu or veggie burgers! I rarely eat “faux meat” as I call it. Some of those meat substitutes are really unhealthy so I try not eat them all the time.

I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. As far as the definition that I understand, salmon and tuna are not considered vegetarian (nor is any meat, fish, or fowl).

People who eat fish, are more accurately called peacatarians. The reason why, is because it causes less confusion. I can’t begin to count the times when I am at a restaurant or at someone’s home, when they find out that I am a vegetarian, then they ask, “But you eat fish, right?” No. Fish are live animals. They are not considered part of a vegetarian diet.

I don’t care what people eat, but claiming to be a vegetarian, while also eating fish, just causes a lot of confusion.

In general, vegetarians can and do eat eggs and dairy, in addition to vegetables, and fruits, and grains, and fungi. Basically, food that does not involve killing animals (including not killing fish, which are animals). I also forgo purchasing or wearing leather, or any other products that involve the killing of animals.

Vegans go a few steps further by shunning the eating of any “animal products” including eggs, dairy, and sometimes honey (made by bees) and some sugar (usually sugar made from sugar cane, as opposed to sugar beets, which is often filtered with animal bone char) and products containing gelatin (which is rendered connective tissue of animals).

The biggest misconception about vegetarians, is that they have a difficult time getting enough protein. That simply isn’t true (and most people, vegetarians or not) get way too much protein. It is also a misconception that vegetarians need to eat multiple types of “incomplete” proteins at the same time to get the correct amount of essential amino acids. That’s not quite correct. You can read all about that here: https://www.forksoverknives.com/the-myth-of-complementary-protein/

Another myth about vegetarians is that they are sickly. That just doesn’t seem to pan out. I’m one of the most healthy people I know, and vegetarians are less likely to develop obesity-related diseas such as certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes, as long as their diet is mostly whole foods.

Another myth is that most vegetarians are thin. Some are, but there are what I like to call “Cheetos Vegetarians”. Those are the folks that eat vegetarian food, but mostly of the highly processed variety, with too much salt, too much fat, too much sugar, and barely any fiber. Potato chips are vegetarian.

Another myth is that most vegetarians are patchouli wearing, unwashed hippy types of people. Neither me, or any of my vegetarian friends fit into that category. We are all quite different, but the main thing that binds us together (I’m speaking only of my friends) is a desire to take care of animals, and leave a smaller carbon footprint, and as a byproduct, be more healthy.

Another myth is that vegetarians make it their mission to shame non-vegetarians, or to act as though they are “holier than thou”. Some people do that, but I don’t, and neither do any of my friends. I love to cook, and I love to create recipes, and share recipes, and talk about food. If people are curious about what it’s like to be a vegetarian, but I don’t push it on anyone, and it is not a topic of every day conversation.

Another myth about vegetarian food, specifically, is that it is bland, boring, and unsubstantial. It can be, but so can meals that contain meat. Most of you guys already know that I love to cook, and that I am a very adventurous eater, and that I can show you a million delicious recipes.

Another myth is that eating vegetarian food is expensive. It can be if you go out to eat a lot, or shop exclusively at Whole Foods. I buy a lot of things, especially produce, and healthy snacks, and some frozen foods at The 99 Cent Only Store (me and out dearly departed Ibstubro used to compare delicious products we had found there, and at Big Lots). I also shop at our local grocery store, our local Farmers Market, and Trader Joes. Whole Foods is wonderful, but I only shop there, very rarely.

Also, when I eat out with family, or non-vegetarian friends, we almost never eat at Vegetarian or Vegan Restaurants (I save those for my outings with my veg friends). As long as there is something I can eat, I’ll eat at just about any restaurant anyone wants to go to. Two places that I avoid are McDonald’s and Applebees, which are not vegetarian friendly. McDonald’s has a lettuce salad, and French fries, not much of a meal. Applebees has virtually no vegetarian options, at least not the last time I went to one about 5 years ago. Even the salads all had chicken or bacon. The last time I went there, I requested that the bacon be left off of my salad. It came with bacon all over it : (

I do have to ask questions when I eat at “regular” restaurants, because there is often beef broth, or chicken broth, fish broth, fish sauce, or bacon, or chunks of meat, or gelatin lurking in soup, salads, salad dressings, sauces, rice dishes, pasta dishes, and desserts.

@Kardamom Ya, I just hate saying I’m pescetarian because I will eat like 1 oz of salmon or tuna a month – if that. I don’t’ get caught up on the terms too much. People don’t really know what that means usually in my experience.

If I tell anyone I eat fish, they will serve me something literally all fish. My in laws made me my own Thanksgiving meal which was orange roughy (after I said I don’t eat white fish) slathered in butter and msg seasonings, and a side of overly salted shrimp ( after I said I don’t eat shrimp due to over fishing.) It’s actually less confusing in my world to just not mention how I may eat a piece of tuna or salmon but probably not.

I also said I eat vegan on occasion not as a lifestyle choice but as a health choice. My rule for myself is to only eat vegan meals for breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday. This way I’m not eating too much cheese or dairy which is delicious but high in fat/ calories and it just doesn’t make me feel great if I have too much.

I guess no one has to stick to any terms 100% its just up to you what you believe and what you want to follow. I am closer to a vegetarian than anything so that’s the term I will use.

I’d be a millionaire if I had a dollar every time someone told me I won’t get enough protein being veg. But when I was a teen and I ate meat I had issues being anemic. Since I stopped eating meat I ate more vegetables and less empty foods like bread and pasta and I totally get more nutrients now. I haven’t been anemic in years and I feel great!

Luckily I live in a big city where there are lots of veg options other than French fries and mac n cheese. :D When I travel to smaller cities and I request no meat it usually shows up with meat anyway.

Yes, the broth and stock issue. Once Christmas every veggie casserole was made with cream of chicken. I couldn’t eat anything and everyone was like ‘but it doesn’t have actual meat in it!’ They just don’t understand!

We will have to share some recipes! My husband wasn’t sold on going meatless. Once he had several of my healthy veggie dishes he was sold. He said most of my recipes are so filling and hearty that you don’t miss the meat. That’s a great compliment!

That you don’t gain weight with a vegetarian diet! Unfortunately it has not been the case for me!

@Kardamom You wrote, “Another myth is that vegetarians make it their mission to shame non-vegetarians, or to act as though they are “holier than thou”.” And yet you went out of your way to shame people who eat fish on rare occasions but refer to themselves as vegetarians. Please stop being the vegetarian police. Live and let live.

Just for a little foodie interlude here on this question here are some delicious vegetarian recipes : )

Cider Glazed Roasted Root Vegetable Stew: https://www.citymarket.coop/recipe/cider-glazed-roasted-root-vegetable-stew

Vegetarian Pho: https://www.loveandlemons.com/easy-vegetarian-pho/

Butternut Squash and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagne: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/butternut-squash-and-sun-dried-tomato-white-lasagna/

Whole Roasted Cauliflower: https://food52.com/recipes/76238-whole-roasted-cauliflower-with-turmeric-tahini-sauce-pistachios

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: https://happyhealthymama.com/southwest-stuffed-sweet-potatoes.html

Vegetarian Pot Pie: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/vegetarian-pot-pie-recipe-1945008.amp

Chana Masala (spicy chickpea curry): https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-chana-masala/

Tomato Tart: http://amp.timeinc.net/foodandwine/recipes/giant-summer-tomato-tart

Bon Appetit : )

@Love_my_doggie, plain popcorn only has 35 calories a cup. The rest of the stuff you listed is calorie crammed though.
Ha ha! I’m always after Rick to get just plain old popcorn. None of this kettle corn (sugar) stuff, and heaven forbid “Buttery butter butter” popcorn…just popcorn!
So one day while at the store he made the effort but came home empty handed.
He said, “Yeah, they had it but it said it was endorsed by Weight Watchers! Why would you want something endorsed by Weight Watchers? You’re not fat!” :/!

I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, but I would be just as happy with a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner, or a baked potato with cheese sauce, and that’s all.

Sorry…that didn’t answer the question. People always ask if I’m a vegetarian and I say no. They want to know why I eat “that way.”
They don’t understand “Because I want to.”

I have been a pescetarian for 32 years—but I, like @Hawaii_Jake do eat Turkey, Quail, or other birds on appropriate holidays. I’ve also tried keeping kosher but I DO also eat Shrimp which is not kosher.

I also eat pork rinds, which is not kosher but it is vegetarian—the misconseption here being that you do not have to kill a pig to eat its skin. It can grow new skin, so pork rinds are acceptable.

@HawaiiJake, I didn’t shame anyone. I pointed out that the term vegetarian does not include fish. Pescatarian is a more accurate term for people who eat fish.

It’s also easier for everyone, the vegetarians, and the non vegetarians, if people say something more like this, “I eat mostly vegetarian, but occasionally I eat chicken, or fish, or whatever, fill in the blank”.

The problem is with the terminology, not with the people.

Don’t get upset by things that are noy meant as insults.

@Yellowdog. They kill the pigs to get their skin off of them. Pork rinds are not considered vegetarian.

@Kardamom If the hearer is insulted, it’s an insult regardless of what the speaker thinks. That’s gaslighting.

Give it a rest.

@HawaiiJake, I didn’t gaslight anyone. You chose to be insulted. I was simply explaining the difference in terminology.

I’m sorry to see that you got upset.

@Kardamom Now you’re blaming the victim. I didn’t choose to have you tell me I’m an idiot because I’m not using terminology preapproved by you.

Give it a rest. Please.

@Hawaii_Jake – What are you doing? Where did @Kardamom shame anyone? What’s going on? I’m serious.

@hmmmmmm…..It’s complicated.

I might have missed it, or a response was edited?

@Hawaii_Jake – Are you sure this is not the case…

@hmmmmmm: “Some were honestly interested, and others felt threatened. The existence of a vegetarian could feel like an assault on someone’s ethics – even when I chose not to talk about it.”

@HawaiiJake, I have no idea why you are getting so upset.

I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. I have done my homework, for over thirty years. I have simply tried to clarify some terms and definitions for people who are not familar at all, or who are somewhat confused by what vegetarian means, and what vegan means.

I don’t know either @Kardamom. I can’t figure it out. If a person chooses to get upset over something they hear, it is always the speaker’s fault? That makes no sense.

@Kardamom You don’t have to kill a pig to eat its skin. Pork rinds ARE vegetarian, just not kosher.

Ok, so just torturing the pig is OK for vegetarians as long as it doesn’t kill it RIGHT away! I can’t stop laughing!!

It can GROW new SKIN.

Stop! Please! Stop!!!

This isn’t even funny. It’s horrible. I think most vegetarians go vegetarian for humanitarian reasons, so pork rinds are out of the question. But I wouldn’t know. I’m not, and never have been, a vegetarian.

@Yellowdog @Dutchess_III

I had never heard such a thing about pigs growing new skin so I looked it up… pork rinds come from slaughtered pigs. They don’t shave the skin off of live pigs and they keep living a happy life growing new skin.

It’s not considered vegetarian as it is an animal product.

I never thought pork rinds were remotely vegetarian… Nor do I follow the logic that just because you don’t HAVE to kill the animal to eat something from it that makes it vegetarian… It’s animal product no matter what.

I could amputate your leg and grill up and eat it but I would still be a cannibal.

@Kardamom I have a lot of friends who say they are vegan but all of them seem to have different diets. I actually appreciate the correct terminology, it’s confusing for the rest of us who are trying to navigate the world with so many different things going on.

And I will be honest, I’ve flirted with trying it, and I have for a few weeks at a time, but it’s confusing and I always feel like I’m doing it wrong if I eat an egg, or want a glass of milk.

@Yellowdog Why do you try to keep kosher?

I know that @BackinBlack.

Well this thread sure went south.

@Dutchess_III I wasn’t saying you didn’t know you made it clear

I was replying to the sub convo you and yellow were having.

I only ate meat for the first five years of my life, so I remember being a vegetarian when it was considered quite exotic. These days, I barely ever run into people lecturing me about how I need meat to be healthy. I used to get a lot of that.

I think the one misconception I still encounter regularly is that I’m likely to be an adventurous eater, all about topinambur, parsnip, and artichokes. On the contrary. I have a very sensitive palate, and I need a long time to get used to new foods.

The discussion about pork rinds reminds me of a cartoon. Stereotypical vegan says to carnivore chowing down on drumsticks, “Any idea how many animals had to die for that?” Carnivore replies “Those are just their legs. Theoretically, they could still be alive.”

@KNOWITALL I love that you are willing to try some vegetarian and vegan foods and dishes.

You don’t need to be a vegetarian or a vegan to enjoy those delicious foods.

I hope you find something yummy on my list from further up in this thread : )

@Kardamom So do you need to take supplements, as a woman? Some of my family is vegan, the commitment to a cause-lifestyle scares me a little.

So I just have a question: do vegans have to take B12 supplements? If not, where do they get their B12 from?

I’m going to return this thread to its origins…

That I don’t know how to read a menu.

I’m not joking! This is a real thing. Some people feel a great need to inform me about every vegetarian or vegan item at a restaurant. “Oh, look! There’s a spinach salad without any meat or cheese!” “Did you see the pasta primavera?” “Check out the hummus appetizer!”

I’ve been reading since the age of 6, and I adopted this lifestyle 32 years ago. I’ve had plenty of practice at both disciplines!

But, I don’t get the least bit annoyed. People are just being kind, and they’re showing an interest in who and what I am. Those are all nice things.

Here is some more information (and definitions) from The Vegetarian Society: https://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=508

And here is the definition of vegetarian from the Merriam Webster Dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetarian

And here is some more useful information about vegetarianism: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/vegetarian-diet-consist-of-2568.html

I am not here to tell anyone what they can eat. I am a vegetarian, and that word actually has a definition, as does the word vegan.

Another good word, that people who mostly eat vegetarian (usually for health reasons) but occasionally eat meat, or fish, or fowl, is flexitarian.

Most people I know are neither vegetarians or vegans, and that is their choice. Everybody has to make their own choices for their own reasons.

@KNOWITALL The only thing that is difficult to come by in large enough quantities for vegans is Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Omega 3 Fatty Acids can be found in nuts and seeds, but you would have to eat nuts, especially walnuts, in such large quantities that it would be too fattening for most people. The most abundant source of Omega 3 (for vegans) is ground flaxseed meal. I eat it too, because I although I do eat a lot of nuts, the flaxseed meal is a better source. Whole flaxseed meal is a good source of fiber, but it needs to be in the ground form for the Omega 3 fatty acids to be accessed by the body. You can buy ground flaxseed meal (which needs to be kept in the fridge or freezer to keep it from going rancid) or you can buy whole flaxseed meal and use a dedicated coffee grinder to grind your own. The seeds still need to be kept in the fridge or freezer.

The other thing vegans need is Vitamin B12 which is abundant in animal products, including eggs and dairy, but because vegans do not eat eggs or dairy, they need to take a vegan supplement that is often derived from certain algaes. There are many foods, especially breakfast cereals, that are fortified with B12 that is suitable for vegans.

As a post-menopausal female, I take a Calcium plus vitamin D supplement that is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Vegans simply need to be avid label checkers, as some forms of Calcium are derived from dairy sources. I take Trader Joe’s brand of Calcium plus Vitamin D. The D makes the Calcium more available for absorption.

As a vegetarian who does eat eggs and dairy, and a variety of vegetables, nuts, and seeds, and fruits with all the other nutrients needed, I don’t take other supplements. I also live in an area that is sunny almost every day, so I also get vitamin D from the sun.

Here is more info on nutrients, and supplements, that are necessary to maintain good health on a vegan diet: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-supplements-for-vegans

@Dutchess_III Plain popcorn? Really, Val?!?! A yummy bowlful of Styrofoam…

Bring on the fake-butter coating and extra salt!

So I was a vegan for over a year and the biggest misconception was…that it’s a healthy long-term diet. Four months in I can’t tell you how good I felt, clear thinking, weight loss, glowing skin. I was almost 30 and passed for a teenager. Seven to eight months in and I’m getting frail, lower energy and a little depressed. By a year I was just unhappy. I took B12 supplements and made sure I was getting the nutrition I thought I needed but it just did not work for me. I slowly worked animal protein back in and began to feel better again. All it takes is a little egg, fish or dairy. I did learn to avoid the meat substitutes, they tasted like ass anyway. Now at 42 I eat meat again regularly just not much red meat at all. I count fish and poultry as meat, you’re not a vegetarian if you eat that.

I love plain popcorn : )

@BackinBlack You don’t sound very vegan/vegetarian. At first you sounded pescatarian, then maybe lacto-ovo with a cheat of seafood now and then. You talk about pizza and lasagna, are you using non-dairy cheese? I try to be vegan-ish at home, but I know I fall far short too often.

My sister is vegan and when I tell people that they say, “so she only eats vegetables?” Or, they say, “she must be very skinny.” Some people ask, “what does she eat?” If they find out she wears leather shoes some of them obsess she isn’t really vegan. When she first became vegan she tried her best not to wear leather, but it was ridiculous, so she cheats on that a little. As far as food though, she has been vegan for over 20 years, and never cheats by her own hand, she’s very strict about it.

You call yourself a vegetarian, but then you say people accuse you of being one of those vegans. I’m confused.

I found out that you are right who said that pork rinds were not vegetarian
And evidently I was only half right when I said that they didn’t have to kill a pig to get its skin.

What it means is that no one kills a pig FOR its skin. They are harvested for the meat itself. But no one kills a pig just for the skin. It is killed for cuts of pork. So, no one kills a pig for pork rinds. But I was wrong when I said the pig could grow new skin.

^^Basically, almost all mammals are very similar regarding what would be painful, what can grow back, etc.

@BackinBlack I just saw your answer that you very rarely eat fish. I understand why you call yourself a vegetarian. It’s basically the same as Agnostics calling themselves atheists. It’s just easier. Plus, you want people to try to accommodate your food needs with actual vegetarian food rather than seafood if possible. That’s my guess anyway.

I’ll bet pork rinds from a wart hog would be REALLY disgusting.

Definition of vegetarian from the Vegeterian Society website, for any who are confused about what a vegetarian may or may not eat:

“A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs. A vegetarian does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal. This includes meat, poultry, fish, shellfish*, insects, by-products of slaughter** or any food made with processing aids created from these.”

Thank you @jca2.

I have said a million times why I call myself a vegetarian and not pescatarian.

Personal dietary constrictions are a loaded gun in this community.

My lifestyle isn’t a dictionary description and I clearly explained my diet several times. I’m not some member of the official vegetarians society. That’s not even what this post is about.

When I go out to eat I refuse to say “I’m lacto ovo pescatarian flexitarian semi omnivore semi whatever the ****. But I’ll have the salad and eggs are ok incase you didn’t get that from my dietary description.”

99% of the time I follow a strict vegetarian diet. The exceptions occur once a month at the most.

I’m abandoning this awful post.

I don’t think anyone is expecting you to announce your dietary preferences to anyone, unless it’s in a discussion like this. Why would you @BackinBlack?

My comment was referring to people above saying they eat turkey and pork rinds.

I think she was referring to @JLeslie‘s comment here.

But then she missed this, from the same user, saying she understood why she called herself a vegetarian for the most part.

I guess it’s just want we want to pick up on. I think we all do it.

Here’s what I call someone who often or occasionally eats meat and fish—“a person who eats meat and fish.”

LOL! Them’s fighten words @Love_my_doggie!

I hate it when vegetarians/vegans call non-vegetarians “carnivores”. I’m not a cat.

We is omnivores.

^^^ Yes, you is. So are my lawfully-wedded husband.

LOL! Even your unlawfully wedded husband are!

Both my husbands is…the one who pays the bills, and that cute lil’ boy toy.

THEY ALL IS!!

@Demosthenes I apologize. I didn’t realize that term might offend people. Around here, many use it as a jokey word to describe themselves. There’s no need to use it if it offends anyone, so I’ll stop.