For the record, if you told me we were going to have pizza, and then served rice, I'D BE PISSED.

OMFG YESSSSS

i agree though hcm on that there are certian times vegan peeps just bicker over bs... i can plead gulity in that i just buy regular white sugar now that may/ may not be vegan... i was more of a stickler at first but now i let the iffy's slide... i think i'm prob level 4 or 3.5

I know you guys are annoyed when people use 'the wrong word.' I get it, I just don't think it matters. No offense.

Most of the time when this comes up, it's not someone saying 'i'm vegan but i love steak.' Mostly we're talking about the difference between 100% (effort-wise, of course; no true perfection to be found) and 99.5% planteating habits. I'm just saying this is a stupid thing for us to bicker about. I think it's more productive to tend our own gardens, and quit being all up in the tomato vines of the gardens of others.

Say, 'well that's not how I define it, thanks,' and move on.

I don't think your annoyance abatement is of equal value with unity of purpose and community among imperfect veg*ns. I will bow out, as we veer here over well-trampled ground, and potential for consensus seems negligible.

But that's surely how it looks to me.

Peace and love and such... Carry on.

So agree.  What's the point?  I don't post here often because I think this stuff is silly, but this is the "food fight" forum and I'm bored.

I stopped eating meat when I was 12 years old.  Now I'm 32.  So, I haven't eaten meat in 20 years.  I've been vegan on and off, but I don't feel well when I'm completely vegan.  I don't even call myself a vegetarian anymore, even though I don't eat meat.  Because really, it's not a big deal.

My question is, why does anyone care if someone has a "cheat" day?  Are people who spend the majority of their lives making informed decisions about their food doing nothing if they're not perfect? 

You can complain all you want that people think fish is vegetarian or that it will confuse your family or coworkers.  In the 20 years since I've stopped eating meat, my family has not become cool with it and still say stupid things.  When I moved to California from Pennsylvania, I thought everyone would be health food nuts who loved tofu.  Not so.  It's definitely better out here, but I've met people who have never known a vegetarian in their lives. 

I guess my point is to just live your life and let others live theirs.  There are more important things to worry about.

I really don't think there's an issue with a cadbury vegan who genuinely "cheats" on their own terms and is honest about it. 99.5% vegan is something I definitely want to endorse and alienating people who are primarily vegan sounds counterproductive to me. However, I think there are more 75% or 66% or 50% vegans than one would think.

Ever since before I was veg, my aunt mentioned occasionally that she had once been a vegetarian. I thought this was awesome and looked up to her for it as I became vegetarian, and ultimately vegan myself. Later on I found out (after her excessive harrassment of me - I was "protein deficient" and "emaciated" at 5'2"/105 lbs) that her bout of "vegetarianism" included occasional fish, chicken and even beef for protein-related reasons. What a load of BS!

Furthermore, a couple months ago, I was eating at a Thai restaurant and ordered from the 'Vegetarian' section of the menu. I ordered a dish with no eggs, dairy or honey in it and assumed, with good reason I thought, that it was vegan; after all, vegetarian means no freaking meat! The next time I went there, I happened to mention offhand to the waiter that I was a vegan and he warned me that the section of the menu clearly labeled "vegetarian" still uses fish sauce. Because, and I quote, "Most vegetarians don't really care about that." How frustrating!

It doesn't make sense to me that a vegan who wants a slice of cake once a year for his/her birthday would cause this. This is the kind of thing that happens because certain uninformed "veg*ns" who still regularly consume animal products cling to the terminology. IMO.

I know! Even assuming most vegetarians actually don't care about eating fish, what about the ones that DO? Are they just going to ignore them for the sake of convenience? Furthermore, people with a fish allergy may see 'vegetarian' and assume that the food is safe for them. What the heck are companies thinking, not even including a disclaimer?

hmm your are rigth. i agree with u. and thanks for sharing idea. 

This is the reason I hate most vegetarians and vegans. I can say that because I am one. Cheat days go for it. No cheat days go for it. Vegetarianism and veganism is a practice not a religion or a vow.  This is exactly why there isn't more vegetarians because some people can't vow to never eat meat again. So what. If someone eats meat once a month, once a year who cares and why can't they say their a practicing vegetarian? Why, because you people say they can't? If someone is going out of their way to eat less meat, be more healthy, help animals then way can't they be apart of your "cool kids" group? Ah I know why...because you people think you're so righteous. Well how would you feel if you are trying to do something but because you don't do it better than the next you have a group of "I'm better than you" foolish people pointing it out every moment they have. So how about instead of talking about how you "hate" when people call them theirselves vegitarians when they what you call cheat you help feed a homeless shealter, volunteer at an animal rescue, my goodness anything than what your doing now because your the soul reason that might have turned away a potential vegetarian. So if you're a person that is thinking about bettering yourself and reading this then don't listen to these people. Buy a book. Find a reason that matters to you of why you want to change your lifestyle and start practicing. Remember no one is 100% perfect, life is long and you can only take it one day at a time so if you ine day eat meat it's okay you will try harder not to the next.