your thoughts on pescetarianism?

[MIND POWER]

kjsakljalka

I just want to chime in my opinion as I am a vegan for almost 2 years and was a vegetarian 5 years before that. The way I see it is that a pescetarian diet should not be compared to a vegan or vegetarian diet. Vegans and Vegetarians choose this lifestyle to restrict meat of any kind from their diets, this includes fish.

I actually cannot stand that when some people find out I'm a vegan they ask if I still eat fish, as if fish are excluded from being a living, breathing animal. If you choose to eat fish but avoid chicken, turkey, pork or red meat than that is your choice and a healthy one, but it should not be compared to veganism or vegetarianism other than different human diets.

So to answer the original question involving the spirituality of eating only fish, you can say that eating fish comes from a lesser (not too much) inhumane way of raising it for food. If diet and spirituality ever come into play and such an individual is not affected by how cows, pigs, and chickens are raised to be processed and sold as food they should do more research. I'd rather feel responsible for eating soy beans that were slaughtered for food.

Originally Posted by spiritofjosh

I just want to chime in my opinion as I am a vegan for almost 2 years and was a vegetarian 5 years before that. The way I see it is that a pescetarian diet should not be compared to a vegan or vegetarian diet. Vegans and Vegetarians choose this lifestyle to restrict meat of any kind from their diets, this includes fish.

I actually cannot stand that when some people find out I'm a vegan they ask if I still eat fish, as if fish are excluded from being a living, breathing animal. If you choose to eat fish but avoid chicken, turkey, pork or red meat than that is your choice and a healthy one, but it should not be compared to veganism or vegetarianism other than different human diets.

So to answer the original question involving the spirituality of eating only fish, you can say that eating fish comes from a lesser (not too much) inhumane way of raising it for food. If diet and spirituality ever come into play and such an individual is not affected by how cows, pigs, and chickens are raised to be processed and sold as food they should do more research. I'd rather feel responsible for eating soy beans that were slaughtered for food.

I used to feel exactly the same way. I've been vegetarian all my life. I do not eat anything, or buy anything, that in any way harms an animal, never have. And I still get the, do you eat chicken, do you eat fish, questions, which kills me (it is stunning people don't know what vegetarian means, forget vegan!). I was in a store the other day, and someone offered me a sample of something with shrimp and I said we're vegetarian (meaning my son and myself, because when I said no thank you she offered it to my son!!), and she said, it's not meat, it's fish! I really wanted to lecture her, but refrained, which took great! willpower, believe me!

But, I have come to realize that anything is better than nothing. And a pescetarian diet will save so many animals over time, it is much preferable to a full meat eating diet.

Plus, as I've said before, it isn't my place, or, sorry, your's to judge. Would I make every human being on the planet veg if I could? In a heartbeat! But, sadly, I can't. So, when I can, IF someone asks why I'm veg, I let them know, in as well researched and cohesive a manner as I can, because I have learned, over many, many years, that most of the reasons I have for being veg will make no difference to them, so I need to make sure my arguments are meaningful to the general public, because most will only ask once. And, I'm very, very proud to say, I've actually converted some people to becoming veg in my life, without being pushy or seeking it out :). One of my proudest accomplishments.

[JOHNTY]

Greetings,

My daughter visited Rome with a group of catholics and nuns. Everyone one of them heartily ate meat or fish and couldn't care less that she was the only vegetarian - even the restaurants cooks or chefs thought she was crackers. One restaurant gave her plain pasta because everything that was supposed to be mixed with the pasta had some animal ingrediants. She ate the plain and bland pasta. When she came home she declaired never to go to Rome again and never to eat out with Catholics. So, for some people being vegetarian can be a hard choice or a mixed blessing - thankfully my daughter is still a determined vegetarian.

Originally Posted by JOHNTY

Greetings,

My daughter visited Rome with a group of catholics and nuns. Everyone one of them heartily ate meat or fish and couldn't care less that she was the only vegetarian - even the restaurants cooks or chefs thought she was crackers. One restaurant gave her plain pasta because everything that was supposed to be mixed with the pasta had some animal ingrediants. She ate the plain and bland pasta. When she came home she declaired never to go to Rome again and never to eat out with Catholics. So, for some people being vegetarian can be a hard choice or a mixed blessing - thankfully my daughter is still a determined vegetarian.

Johnty:

My husband (who ate meat) and I traveled extensively through Europe, and you can tell your daughter, Rome was one of the places where I had the most problems, strangely. I did not eat eggs while in Europe, because I could never be sure they were not fertilized, and I had become quite tired of pasta. One night, I asked if they could just make a plain salad for me in a restaurant. The chef actually came out to ask me why I was requesting something not on the menu, and when I told him I was vegetarian, he wanted to know why. I told him I was Hindu, and he immediately pulled a cross out from under his shirt, loudly proclaimed to the entire restaurant that he was Catholic and ate meat, and said I had to leave his restaurant, he would not serve me! One of the most stunning experiences of my life!! And I later lived in very meat heavy France (where I quickly learned that I had to tell them I did not eat meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, ham, lard or eggs to make sure I covered everything they considered acceptable for a vegetarian lol).

And, by the way, although my husband ate meat, and I had no problem with him doing that, his choice, he was completely in favor of us raising our son vegetarian. I never asked him not to, but he chose not to eat meat in front of him, which I greatly appreciated and respected him for (although we never hid it from our son, he just preferred not to eat meat in front of him).

And I've allowed my son to decide if he would remain vegetarian when he became old enough. He is now 16, and is as fanatical a veg as I am (and I'm soooo grateful! lol), but I felt that had to be his individual decision as well, and I would NEVER have let him know it would have disappointed me in any way if he had decided to eat meat. Again, I feel that has to be an individual choice, and one that has to be respected by everyone else. I'm sure there are people here who think I'm ridiculous for that, but just my opinion.

I've lived in Europe all of my life and have not found it difficult to be vegetarian.
Most restaurants have a few vegetarian options on their menus.
Veganism is a different matter.

I lived in Paris from 1989-1990. It may be much easier now (I've heard from friends it is); it was not very easy then. Italy was definitely not easy then, although most other countries were.

That being said, there are places in the US where it is definitely not easy to be vegetarian, at least not to eat out and be veg (I'm thinking of specific places in the south now, where they do not like to cook a vegetable without meat and fat lol).

[Tobi]

Pescetarians might be moved by this short video: (btw, nothing nasty happening to fish here...)

https://uk.screen.yahoo.com/funny-an...210000815.html

I very much used to like eating fish. I also knew it was 'healthy' food. But now....I can't. I worried about Omega 3, but there is a good supplement which is totally vegan, called "Opti-3."
It sounds expensive for a supplement, but I worked out the cost of this per week and it is cheaper, or about the same as what I used to spend on fresh/canned fish per week.

The affection of this fish in the video reminds me of a pet like a cat or dog....and how could we eat one of those?

Tobi:

I love this video! I wish everyone who ate fish could see this!