Ask Lemmy

Vegan. Anything else and you're just doing mental gymnastics.

I eat eggs and cheese. I'm not vegan. But if it walked, flew or swam, I don't eat it.

Do not let people gate keep who you are. Their opinions are their and sometimes an opinion sucks. You are your own person and are allowed to define and identify as you like. Are they then going to tell you that you're not a real straight/gay/trans person because you do or do not do something?

I am a strict vegetarian that trends towards vegan. Cheese and yogurt are really the only things that keep me from being strictly vegan.

I do not cook with eggs and generally avoid using cheese at home. I will have egg incidentally (i.e. bread, etc.) but will occasionally have eggs in a diner or such when traveling. Cheese I will have fairly commonly.

I avoid anything with gelatin--that's a hard line for me. I will, however, have honey.

im not a vegetarian but I would like to be a lacto/ovo one. Thats basically as far as I can see going.

I can only speak for myself.

For me, it's about harm reduction so not being perfect is OK with me as long as I'm trying. Now personally, that means if my cousin gives me eggs from her spoiled hens, that's probably OK, but I don't eat egg dishes when i go out (but paradoxically, I will eat a bun that has egg in it if there is not an alternative).

I eat cheese occasionally, but not if it has animal rennet in it. I rarely drink, but avoid clarified wines since they use isenglass in the processing.
I don't eat gelatin or meat stocks or bullion. I also avoid leather in my clothing and prefer plant-based clothes over wools.

I limit my dairy, not just for moral and environmental reasons but also since my tolerance for it has diminished with age. Before I went veggie I would drink a gallon of whole milk every week. When I stopped I felt so much better, my acne cleared up, my hair got less oily and my intestines were way happier with me.

I also take B12 supplements because I will often go long periods without having any animal products in my food.

Lacto-ovo veg for some 30+ years. I don't do gelatin, animal based broths, leather, etc.

In my experience the loudest preachiest vegs that gatekeep are also the ones that'll talk a big game for a year or two, then completely flip.

I think it doesn't have to be a gatekept cult. And fk the people who are trying to make it one. Don't listen to them. Reducing meat is a purported way to fight climate change, anything you're doing in meat reduction is good. If you don't eat meat but do eat eggs, absolutely no problem. If you eat meat once in a while, whatever. Perfect should never be the enemy of good. And trying to tick every box exactly right could become so large a focus it takes up so much space and time in your life that could be spent enjoying the brief existence we get. Every time you feel like people are policing what you're eating, remind you're they're probably super no fun at parties.

My three rules:

• I make exceptions for holidays and special occasions.
• If the meat is going to get wasted, I try to eat it. Example: my friend ordered a meat dish, didn’t finish and doesn’t want to take it home. I’ll eat the meat out of their plate before it hits the trash.
• if I kill the animal, I’ll eat it. I’m not a hunter so haven’t had to use this one before. Roadkill counts but again, I’m not a butcher and I don’t own a car.

In summary, make your own rules aligned with your own values. If a conversation with a friend makes you change your values then maybe it’s time to reassess your rules. If not then stay true to yourself.

Just as long as you're not egalitarian.

Eagles are endangered. You should not eat them.

If any ingredient is a part of a dead animal, I don't eat it.

Traditionally, vegetarian meant what we often call vegan or plant based today. If you consume eggs and dairy you’re a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I usually just use vegetarian as short hand, even though I on occasion have eggs or cheese.

As a life long lacto-ovo vegetarian, if it came from something that shits, it’s inedible to me.

Your example tomatoes aren’t a problem, but I don’t for example eat gelatin.

I’m also really against faux-meat, like the incredibly burger or whatever. If it’s too much like meat it grosses me out.

Personally, I just try to minimize things. Cutting things out wholesale is far too much effort for me. If I can, I'll get the veggi option, unless I'm craving something specific, then I won't stress about it too much. As long as I'm trying, thats still better than most people do

If humanitarians are saving the lives of people and easing their suffering, then vegetarians should be stopping the consumption of and destruction of vegetables. I don't see how eating all these plants is helping them!

/j

Why stop there. Why not bring in the morality of blood donations (and people who have been forced into selling their blood and plasma for money) and organ donations (for which the person didn’t explicitly declare that they wanted their organs donated before they died). But that would be more of an exploration of consent.

I avoid eating humans when possible, but have no other limitations.