How many times does a person need to ask me why I don't eat fish??????


Seriously. I have decided to eat a vegan diet for health reasons...the animal reasons are just a bonus. But I had someone ask me probably 10 times this weekend why I don't want to eat fish anymore. I just kept saying, "Because I don't want to."

Why do people understand me not eating dairy but not fish???

Someone actually asked me this recently, only very politely.

My reasons for not eating meat are health-oriented, not AR, so my friend who knew this just questioned why I didn't include fish, since fish apparently is pretty healthy (or at least not as bad as poultry and red meat).

I just explained it like this: when I first became a vegetarian, it was still for health, but I was much more extreme. I just cut out ALL meat because I didn't understand how to eat meat healthily. Now, I'm at a point where I could incorporate seafood into my diet, but honestly, I haven't eaten animal flesh in years and I'm not sure I could tolerate it (taste-wise). Plus, I feel like I'm doing fine and have no real reason for forcing myself to eat something I have no desire to eat, even though it's not bad for me.

i am being completely serious when i tell u this. ok so i was talking to a friend of mine a few days ago about being a vegetarian(my reasons are for both my health and AR) and she asks me why i dont eat fish. i tould her because fish is an animal and vegetarians dont eat animals. then she says "but fish arent animals they are vegtebles". i almost choked on the sandwich i was eating. i dont rember how the rest of the conversation played out but i do rember that my friend was certain that fish were veggies. i still find it wicked funny!:D

lol.... nice friend. off topic- i have a brother who is a really smart guy, but totally missing some blatently obvious bits of knowledge like that, so i totally relate. for example, we live near stonehenge, in england, and he SWEARS its called 'stoneHEDGE' cos "its like a round hedge made of stone", and also insists that "enchilladas are those annoying little dogs that yip all the time" (chiwahwahs???).

back on topic.... firstly, i've heard that apparently eating fish isn't as healthy as previously thought, as the crud that the fish has absorbed from the ocean/water its been in through its life- like mercury, chemicals, and pesticides, or whatever etc, outweighs any benefits from the omega 3 and fatty acids they contain.

secondly, i think 'because i don't want to' is a perfectly valid reply. best reason for not doing something that i can think of, lol. you could get into the whole 'why don't you eat cats/brussel sprouts/styrofoam' arguement with people over your choices, but when it comes down to it, what's the point, lol? good enough answer for me...and i'd follow it with a reply of 'okshuttupnowplease' if they keep asking again, lmao.

"enchilladas are those annoying little dogs that yip all the time" (chiwahwahs???).That's just too funny! :lol:

My husband and I had a conversation about that once. And in a grocery store, no less. He kept insisting that fish wasn't really an animal. I said "All things are classified in 3 catagories: animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

"It's neither. Fish is just fish."

"All things are classified in 3 catagories, animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

"It's neither. Fish is just fish."

"All things are classified in 3 catagories, animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

This round and round conversation went on almost the whole of the shopping trip (good thing I have a knack for being able to repeat myself ad nauseam :D ). Finally, I took him to the fish section and showed him the fish laying there with their heads off. I said "Fish have a skeletal system. Fish have a digestive system. Fish can eat and sh*^. Fish can procreate. Now, one more time: what classification would fish be in? Animal? Vegetable? Or mineral?"

He stared at the fish for what seemed a long while and finally said "well, they're animal of course."

"Exactly right." I told him. :D

Turns out, he was just cureous because he'd had been asked "does she eat fish" when he told people I'm vegetarian. :stinkeye:

yeah... the fish thing can be a bit tricky... i think they screw you up by teaching the whole 'animal vegetable mineral' thing, which kinda makes sense, then they throw in this whole other set of catagories like 'mammal' 'bug' 'fish' 'arachnid' (brain hurting.... got up too early today....been online too long....can't remember proper terms...) when you are in school.

it gets way too confusing. like with minerals... calcium is a mineral.... there is calcium in cheese....but cheese isn't a type of rock, is it?.....very confusing. and then there are these elements that are metal... but you can cut them like they were made of cheese. its all a bit too much.
(....brain hurting......)

That's just too funny! :lol:

My husband and I had a conversation about that once. And in a grocery store, no less. He kept insisting that fish wasn't really an animal. I said "All things are classified in 3 catagories: animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

"It's neither. Fish is just fish."

"All things are classified in 3 catagories, animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

"It's neither. Fish is just fish."

"All things are classified in 3 catagories, animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"

This round and round conversation went on almost the whole of the shopping trip (good thing I have a knack for being able to repeat myself ad nauseam :D ). Finally, I took him to the fish section and showed him the fish laying there with their heads off. I said "Fish have a skeletal system. Fish have a digestive system. Fish can eat and sh*^. Fish can procreate. Now, one more time: what classification would fish be in? Animal? Vegetable? Or mineral?"

He stared at the fish for what seemed a long while and finally said "well, they're animal of course."

"Exactly right." I told him. :D

Turns out, he was just cureous because he'd had been asked "does she eat fish" when he told people I'm vegetarian. :stinkeye:


:wayne:
you are awe-inspiring!!!

"All things are classified in 3 catagories, animal, vegetable or mineral. Which one is fish"
Okay, fishies are clearly animals, but which one is mushrooms and other fungi? And bacteria and viruses? Don't be so hard on your husband :)

mushrooms are definately minerals, right?

Okay, fishies are clearly animals, but which one is mushrooms and other fungi? And bacteria and viruses? Don't be so hard on your husband :)It was a simple conversation using a reference point he was familliar with, not a dissertation on the entire system of scientific taxonomy. :book:

Don't be so hard on the lay-people. :)

How many times does a person need to ask me why I don't eat fish??????


Seriously. I have decided to eat a vegan diet for health reasons...the animal reasons are just a bonus. But I had someone ask me probably 10 times this weekend why I don't want to eat fish anymore. I just kept saying, "Because I don't want to."

Why do people understand me not eating dairy but not fish???

if you do it for health reason than i'm not surprised at all that people ask you about fish. i know people with high cholesterol who eat a mostly vegan diet but with small amounts of dairy and good amounts of fish. fish isn't exactly unhealthy as far as i'm concerned (i don't support eating it, but i do see why they would ask)

I see your point, although they don't ask me why I choose my diet before they ask me about eating fish.

I explained to my MIL that I cut all animal products out of my diet (never said it was for health reasons) and she just kept asking at every meal why I don't eat fish. LOL I guess fish is not an animal.....ha ha

I rarely get asked this-- I'm fortunate enough to be around people who mostly seem to get it-- but my conversations might go something like this.

"So you're a vegetarian, eh?"
"Yep."
"Do you eat fish?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a vegetarian."
"But vegetarians eat fish!"
"No, they don't."
"Well, I know so-and-so and she's a vegetarian and she eats fish."
"Well, now you know me and I'm a vegetarian and I don't eat fish. I'm living proof that vegetarians don't eat fish."

I see your point, although they don't ask me why I choose my diet before they ask me about eating fish.

I explained to my MIL that I cut all animal products out of my diet (never said it was for health reasons) and she just kept asking at every meal why I don't eat fish. LOL I guess fish is not an animal.....ha ha

that's quite strange then, if they don't know if that's for health reasons

I have had the same thing happening to me!
Just yesterday we had a mini-debate in my office!

"yea, me and dh decided to go vegetarian. "
Cw1 "Do vegetarians eat fish?"
cw2 "yes!"
"No, they dont"
cw2 "yes, they do. fish is vegetarian"
"Uh.. Fish is an animal"
cw1 "fish are pretty healthy to eat right"
cw2 "no, fish are vegetarian, they are good for you"
"fish are animals. :|, I dont eat animals anymore"

I've never really liked much fish, to tell you the truth.

I have had the same thing happening to me!
Just yesterday we had a mini-debate in my office!

"yea, me and dh decided to go vegetarian. "
Cw1 "Do vegetarians eat fish?"
cw2 "yes!"
"No, they dont"
cw2 "yes, they do. fish is vegetarian"
"Uh.. Fish is an animal"
cw1 "fish are pretty healthy to eat right"
cw2 "no, fish are vegetarian, they are good for you"
"fish are animals. :|, I dont eat animals anymore"

I've never really liked much fish, to tell you the truth.

:lol: , ok so it really is not all that funny having run into it before but people are confused on the issue because so many people call themselves vegetarians but they eat fish:cry: :junk: I HATE that.
It is like saying hey I'm on a no sugar diet as you shovel pecan pie into your mouth.

I see your point, although they don't ask me why I choose my diet before they ask me about eating fish.

I explained to my MIL that I cut all animal products out of my diet (never said it was for health reasons) and she just kept asking at every meal why I don't eat fish. LOL I guess fish is not an animal.....ha ha
It's not that people don't think of fish as animals. It's that a pescatarian diet is healthier than a vegetarian diet, so if you tell someone you stopped eating animals only for health reasons, it makes sense for them to ask why you don't eat fish. Mercury-free fish are a healthy source of protein and fatty acids.

So I guess you should just explain that you aren't doing it for your health, you're doing it because you don't want to eat any animals. There's nothing left to debate then.

Whenever I tell someone I'm a vegetarian, I always seem to get 'Do you eat fish?' to which I now reply 'I'm a vegetarian' and if they keep asking if I eat fish, I just keep saying that I'm a vegetarian. They get the point eventually...

I used to eat lot of fish. Fish that my family fished ourselves. I saw how they were treated - saw them gasping for air, still caught in those nets while we were off to get a new net. I saw my stepfather slice them up after cutting their heads off. I'm never going to eat another fish ever again.

When people ask me if I eat fish, I politely tell them I don't because I don't like to eat corpses. That usually shuts them up.... *laughs*

In Louisiana the confusion stems from the fact that during Lent we were served fish at school because Catholics did not eat meat during Lent. Mardi Gras being Fat Tuesday before Carnival (Carnival meaning something like goodbye meat) but Fish are not considered part of that meat catagory. I remember learning in La History that during the Spanish Inquisition (La was spanish occupied at the time) that inquisitors were shocked to find that priests had classified teal duck as fish because they both swam in the water and therefore could be eaten during Lent.

I also did a lot of fishing with my dad. I will never forget how sad I felt.

I also did a lot of fishing with my dad. I will never forget how sad I felt.

I fished with my grandfather and I always felt like the sad feelings I had were not "Manly". It is a shame our society brainwashes children so much.

Catholics eating fish during Lent is more synbolic ofn things Jesus did than instistent upon fish not being classified at meat. Though many Catholics say "we don't eat meat during Lent" and turn around and eat fish. My (Catholic) University cafereria serves fish on Fridays during Lent. I still Remember Ash Wednesday during Freshman year, the "vegetarian entree" (they usually have one every day and it is usually some incarnation of pasta) was spaghetti and clam sauce. ya. that was annoying.

Talking to my brother in law the other week. (Hadn't seen him in a long time)
Him: So you guys are doing the vegetarian thing now?
Me: Yep :)
Him: Do you eat chicken or fish?
Me: (death stare) No Drew.. (roll of the eyes)
Him: Well that's good. Cause some people call themselves vegetarian and then eat chicken and fish.. but they are animals right? Never understood that.
Me: (giant grin) Yes!

This came from a 40something typical aussie bloke. Totally surprised me that he got it straight up like that. There was more to the conversation and he and my sister went away knowing a lot more about the versatility of lentils (and also how cheap they are.)

On the otherhand, my sister who lives with me spent months after I decided to go veg trying to convince me that fish (they're not mean to fish :rolleyes:) and also free range chicken etc were things I should eat. She would bring it up nearly every day and It really peeved me off. I finally told her rudely that what I did or didn't put in my mouth did not affect her and was none of her business.

Blah.. sorry for the long post, guess what I'm trying to say is either people get it or they don't.

what about free-ranged fish? thats ok right?

what about free-ranged fish? thats ok right?

Yea, if they use those salt-water-soluble nets, so they can get out and not eaten? lol.