What Am I?

pcuser

Hi Everyone.

In the last 3 weeks I have completely changed my diet as I wanted to lose a bit of weight and become healthier and climb Carrounthill. Im not too sure if I should class myself as a vegetarian, Pescatarian or anything for that matter. Il give an example of a average day of eating.

Breakfast
I usually have a bowl of bran flakes with some milk and a piece of fruit, usually pear or banana.

Lunch
Usually some fruit with some lettuce or cucumber

Dinner
Always fish with different vegetables, sometimes they are oven roasted with olive oil or stir fried with olive oil.

If I want a snack through out the day il have a piece of fruit or veg.Or sometime I have a handful of peanuts or pistachio nuts in the evening.
I have a cup of tea in the morning with a drop of milk but for the rest of they day I have boiled water with lemon slices.


After the climb I decided to stick with it as I felt much healthier and was losing some weight. I really taught I would miss eating meat but to be honest it hasnt bothered me at all. I would have had meat most days for the last 30 yrs (33 now) but strangely enough I dont miss it.

Do I class myslef as a vegetarian now a Pescatarian or do I just not class myself as anything and keep eating healthy.

actua11

pcuser wrote: »

Do I class myslef as a vegetarian now a Pescatarian or do I just not class myself as anything and keep eating healthy.

You can't really go wrong with the latter, just keep doing what works for you. Just to clear up the terminology, as you eat fish, you'd be a pescatarian but to class yourself with a label can be tricky. Just try going into a restaurant and asking for the "pescatarian" menu!

As an example, I am a vegetarian but don't like to frame myself as such. I just eat how I like to eat and it just so happens that it puts me as a vegetarian. Mainly this is as if I was to label it my food week, it would be a label fest of Mon-"Vegan", Tue- "Raw-Vegan", Wed-"Lacto-Vegetarian", Thur- "Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian" etc.... so I find it easier just not to worry about it!

Having said that, congrats on your change, cutting down on the meat and completing the climb, fair play to you

AndersLimpar

I'd be similar to you. I cut out meat completely last year and since then would eat fish (only hake - not farmed and supposed to have less amounts of mercury) once or twice a week as well as vegetables. I tried to remove dairy completely form my diet as well but I just cant abide by Soya or any other kind of non dairy milk so I still drink it. Only in cereal or tea and I only buy organic. I do use non dairy spreads now as well and the vegan cheese made me want to vomit so I had to revert back to dairy cheese too but I try organic whenever I can

Now, the summer has arrived and the smell of bbq's wafting in from the neighbours nearly drove me insane. I did my best with veggie burgers, veggie kebabs, fish etc on the bbq but it's just not the same. It's just not. So I caved. I did however buy organic steak and it cost way more than normal but eating organic makes me feel better about myself

I suppose once you eat as healthily as possible then you'll be grand. I'd still consider myself a part time veggie who occasionally dabbles in a little fish and maybe a steak or two on the bbq over the summer. My issue really is with "farmed produce" and the amount of sh1te thats put into them before the reach the plate and that includes fruit and veg as well. If I could I would only eat organic everything but unfortunately thats practically impossible so I do the best I can.

On a side note, I lost a stone in weight when I stopped eating meat (didn't do any extra exercise) over the space of a few months and I do have waay more energy now, I think!! The stone is back on again now though Best of luck with it.

pcuser

Thanks Everyone,

I was in Iceland today and spotted "Linda McCartneys Vegan Sausages", 6 of them for €1.50 which was pretty good value. To be honest I never taught "that type of food" could replace meat. I must say I was completely wrong, The texture and taste of the sausage were spot on, Its not exactly like a normal sausage but just as good if not better.

AndersLimpar have you tried any of the products veg meat alternatives? Those vegan sausage were pretty good. Although I dont think anything can replace spiced beef on Christmas Day.

Actua11 thats a lot of labels lol

Mancomb Seepgood

pcuser wrote: »

Thanks Everyone,

I was in Iceland today and spotted "Linda McCartneys Vegan Sausages", 6 of them for €1.50 which was pretty good value. To be honest I never taught "that type of food" could replace meat. I must say I was completely wrong, The texture and taste of the sausage were spot on, Its not exactly like a normal sausage but just as good if not better.

AndersLimpar have you tried any of the products veg meat alternatives? Those vegan sausage were pretty good. Although I dont think anything can replace spiced beef on Christmas Day.

Actua11 thats a lot of labels lol

I've found that while Linda McCartney sausages don't taste like a pork sausage, they taste pretty good (especially in a sandwich with lots of ketchup!).

As a vegetarian for the last 3 years I've found the quorn mince to be just fine. Tesco do a very good range of vegetarian/vegan burgers (mushroom & risotto, cheese & broccoli) which are well worth trying too.

pcuser

Thanks Mancomb I must give them a try

Shenshen

I think the correct description would be pescetarian.
Personally, I think labels are pointless - people should not define themselves by what they do or don't eat. But I've recently been to a restaurant that had labelled all their fish dishes as vegetarian, and got strange looks of the waiter when I asked if they actually had any vegetarian dishes at all... people do get confused, I think, if there are people saying they're vegetarian but eat fish, and others who don't.

Hrududu

Shenshen wrote: »

I think the correct description would be pescetarian.
Personally, I think labels are pointless - people should not define themselves by what they do or don't eat. But I've recently been to a restaurant that had labelled all their fish dishes as vegetarian, and got strange looks of the waiter when I asked if they actually had any vegetarian dishes at all... people do get confused, I think, if there are people saying they're vegetarian but eat fish, and others who don't.

Yeah I'm not one for labels either, but pescatarians calling themselves vegetarians are causing confusion in some cases, like your example in a restaurant.

pcuser

To be honest I always taught vegetarians ate fish. I know now that is not the case. Strangely enough I asked a lot of people at work do vegetarians eat fish and the majority of them answered "Yes" as well as saying "they also eat eggs and poultry, milk and cheeses and dont wear leather"

Shenshen

pcuser wrote: »

To be honest I always taught vegetarians ate fish. I know now that is not the case. Strangely enough I asked a lot of people at work do vegetarians eat fish and the majority of them answered "Yes" as well as saying "they also eat eggs and poultry, milk and cheeses and dont wear leather"

:eek:

Poultry and fish?
Wow, and I thought that restaurant was confusing!
Just out of curiosity, how many of the people answering that called themselves vegetarian?

The simplest definitions I've come across so far is that vegetarians don't eat any part of any dead animal, whereas vegans don't eat anything at all that comes from animals at all.

pcuser

Shenshen wrote: »

:eek:


Just out of curiosity, how many of the people answering that called themselves vegetarian?
.

None Shenshen.

cosmic

pcuser wrote: »

To be honest I always taught vegetarians ate fish. I know now that is not the case. Strangely enough I asked a lot of people at work do vegetarians eat fish and the majority of them answered "Yes" as well as saying "they also eat eggs and poultry, milk and cheeses and dont wear leather"

Holy Jesus! Poultry?! I've been doing the veggie thing very wrong for the past 15 years, I guess!

Shenshen

I really wish people would stop this confusion somehow.
We had a work day out last week, with a BBQ at the end. The caterers had been told there would be 7 vegetarians present. And what did they bring for us?
Fish.

I would have loved to stay for the evening, but a bread roll and a few leaves of salad left me utterly starving, so I had to leave early and find something to eat for myself

man in a can

I'm a veggie 26 years so I might forget what meat tastes like but I do recommend Linda McCartneys mozzerella burgers. My OH says they are nicer than meat burgers and taste much the same. Just for those of you who want something on the bbq.

Taking a second shot at being Vegan this week. My last attempt was in 1991. Almost starved myself to death ha ha. Luckily there is a lot more on offer now:-)

pcuser

Ive tried a lot of Linda McCartneys range and I have to admit it tastes better than meat.

I

Jellybaby1

Shenshen wrote: »

I really wish people would stop this confusion somehow......

Yes, very confusing indeed. My vegetarian friend went out to a swanky hotel for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I asked what she'd had, and she said 'salmon, and lovely it was too'. Even though I am Coeliac, I honestly wonder how chefs can be expected to keep up with us all.

OldNotWIse

Linda McCartney sausage rolls are amazing. With some ketchup on the side and a can of coke - banish that hangover the cruelty free way!

Shenshen

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Linda McCartney sausage rolls are amazing. With some ketchup on the side and a can of coke - banish that hangover the cruelty free way!

I love the burgers (especially the mozzarella ones!) and until recently adored the sausages. But I think they changed the recipe a few months back, around the time they went for the new white packaging. Now the sausages are dperessingly bland.

Weyhey

Shenshen wrote: »

I love the burgers (especially the mozzarella ones!) and until recently adored the sausages. But I think they changed the recipe a few months back, around the time they went for the new white packaging. Now the sausages are dperessingly bland.

A few people have commented on the new LM sausage recipe. I find the new them inedible, rather than just bland. Please email them and they might bring back their old recipe! I emailed them at http://www.lindamccartneyfoods.co.uk/contact-us/ and this was their reply :

"We're sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the new recipe, which has been developed using soya to give a lower salt and sugar content, along with an increased level of fibre. We're constantly reviewing our products, and will take your comments on board with regards to this recipe. "