Pseudo-Vegetarianism
November 15, 2011 9 Comments
Everyone is going green. People are much more conscious of the impact their choices have on their health, the health of animals, and the health of our planet. Part of going green is changing one’s diet to a more sustainable one, which usually involves completely eliminating or at least diminishing the amount of animal products one consumes.
The new growing fad in the green scene seems to be what is known in the vegan community as “pseudo-vegetarianism”. Pseudo-vegetarians are unfortunately mistaken though well-meaning people who claim to be vegetarian, but really aren’t.
Here is the simplest and most accurate definition of the word “vegetarian”:
Vegetarian (n.): one who exclusively eats vegetation
Pretty simple, right? Vegetarian –> vegetation. Makes sense. However, many people have much more different definitions of the word that can include dairy, eggs, sea life, poultry, or even cows, pigs, and other animals as well.
While it may seem painfully obvious to many of us, the fact is that there are still a great number of people who believe themselves to be vegetarian when they are really just pseudo-vegetarians. This post is for them.
Flexitarianism
Flexitarians are self-described “flexible vegetarians” who eat meat occasionally (usually between one and three times per week). Flexible vegetarianism is no more a form of vegetarian diet than flexible celibacy is a form of abstinence.
Pollotarianism and Pescetarianism
Pollotarians eat no meat other than poultry and pescetarians eat no meat other than aquatic life. People following these diets are often mistaken as to the definition of meat. Meat is defined as follows:
Meat (n.): the flesh of an animal as food
Being that chicken, turkeys, ducks, fish, shrimp, squid, shellfish, and other animals in the poultry and sea life groups are scientifically classified under the Kingdom of Animalia and are therefore animals, eating their flesh is not vegetarian.
Others following a pollotarian or pescetarian diet are doing so in transition to a vegan diet. This is a great step forward in the right direction, but they should never lose sight of their goal. Too many find it too easy to rest on their laurels and become lazy.
Ovo-lacto Vegetarianism
Whether you are an ovo vegetarian (eggs only), lacto vegetarian (dairy only), or ovo-lacto vegetarian (eggs and dairy only), you are still a pseudo-vegetarian. Remember what I said about vegetarians only consuming vegetation? Let me ask a few questions…
What plant does milk come from?
What plant does cheese come from?
What plant do eggs come from?
Just because it’s not meat doesn’t mean it comes from a plant, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you aren’t still funding the meat industry by purchasing dairy and egg products.
In the end, all animals end up at the same place: the slaughterhouse. “Spent” (as they are called in the industry) mother cows are turned into hamburgers, “spent” hens are turned into pet food and broth, baby boy calves are turned into veal only months (or sometimes even hours) after birth, and baby boy chickens are ground up alive or suffocated in garbage bags often by their second day of life.
If an animal is not an asset, they become a liability. The people in charge of dairy and egg farms want to squeeze every bit of profit they can from these poor animals and unfortunately, putting them out to pasture isn’t very profitable. I strongly urge you to read my pages on why dairy and eggs are bad. If you are a cheese addict (as many ovo-lactos are) you could benefit greatly from reading my post on why cheese is bad.
Don’t buy into the humane myth. Open your eyes and see the effects your actions have. You vote with every dollar you spend. Please do not vote in support of animal exploitation.
If true vegetarians don’t eat eggs or dairy, what is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan?
The word “vegetarian” generally refers to one’s diet, while the word “vegan” generally refers to one’s lifestyle. Part of a vegan lifestyle includes eating a vegetarian diet. The reason vegetarians are not considered vegans is because they may still use other animal products in a non-dietary fashion, such as leather, wool, or pearls.
Why does it matter that I’m not technically a vegetarian? What would it hurt if I just keep calling myself one?
Two reasons:
One: Words are powerful because they represent ideas and convey meanings. Saying that you are a vegetarian when you are not a vegetarian cheapens the word itself. The meaning becomes degraded through repeated misuse. This has already happened with the word “vegetarian” to such an extent that now many people believe that true vegetarians eat egg and dairy products.
Two: Because you are clearly interested in helping animals, our planet, and/or your health (or any combination of the three) by being a pseudo-vegetarian, wouldn’t you like to learn about how much more you could help? You’re already so close, why not go all the way? Calling yourself a vegetarian when you know that you are not a vegetarian doesn’t magically mean that you are helping more. If anything, calling yourself a vegetarian and not caring to actually BE a vegetarian hurts your health, animals, and our planet more because you’re NOT doing more.
I’m a pseudo-vegetarian. Now what?
If you’ve read this and are able to admit that you are indeed a pseudo-vegetarian, where does that leave you? On the bright side, the little bit you’re doing is still most definitely helping animals, your health, and our planet, and on this I must applaud you. You are at least aware of and open to the information and you are certainly helping animals by decreasing your animal product consumption.
If your aim is to help animals, your own health and the health of the planet, veganism is the only solution you should be working toward.
I understand that many current pseudo-vegetarians are working on going vegan and are just easing into it. That is perfectly okay. Some people just need more time. However, while you are taking your time there are still billions of animals being tortured, raped, abused, psychologically and physically tormented, taken from their mothers, exploited, and murdered. Please don’t lose sight of that fact. I hope you think of what they must endure every time you eat cheese, salmon, sushi, buffalo wings, or mayonnaise, because until you stop trying to go vegan and actually go vegan, they’re going to keep dying — and the blood will be on your hands.
Don’t live in denial. Realize the effects your choices have, admit to them, and do something about it. Only you are responsible for your own actions. It’s time to start practicing what you preach: live vegan.
My name is Kara Kapelnikova, the author of Vegan Rabbit, and I would like to thank you for visiting my blog. I am a passionate animal rights activist, die-hard animal lover and vegan food addict. I believe all sentient beings have innate worth and should have the basic right to a life free from exploitation and oppression. 
I know that we totally did not agree over your last post, but I’m really loving this one! Long-term ovo-lactos make me laugh! (If they’re transitioning to full on veganism then great, but I don’t understand why that would be your diet of choice long-term.) How is ovo-lacto any healthier than just being a meat-eater? I don’t get the reasoning there!
Excellent post, thanks for writing it. I hadn’t previously seen the particular quote from Gandhi that you used. That fellow belongs in the human animal hall of fame…for many reasons.
We would all do well to remember that included in the synonyms for pseudo are the terms…fake and false….as you said: “Don’t live in denial.”
One thing I find encouraging overall is that so many people are now trying to identify themselves as vegetarian. They may not literally be vegetarian but the fact that they are identifying themselves as such means they know it is the better way to go. That is progress. Maybe only a baby step but a step forward none the less. My hope is that posts like this will help those who are taking that baby step to take a few more.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Debbie.
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Eat healthy…i agree. But educate yourself about agriculture. Every part of it. Without farmers, ranchers, dairies, forestry, and much more, you would have no clothes, makeup, food, milk or plants. Support AG.
Without slaves, white men in the 1700′s wouldn’t have become as rich as they did selling cotton and tobacco. Of course, now that we have realized that slavery is wrong (because inflicting pain and suffering on someone who is capable of feeling pain and suffering is unethical) we don’t use slaves in those industries. The cotton and tobacco industries haven’t seemed to be in much trouble since the abolishment of human slavery in the United States, which is interesting because people back in the 1700′s were so sure that without slaves the entire infrastructure of this country would collapse. I guess the abolitionists were right after all.
I support agriculture, but I do not support slavery.
PS: I am aware that many agricultural operations currently employ immigrants as a form of cheap labor and treat them almost as if they are slaves. This is why I buy from my local farmers market and eat what grows in my backyard. Just know that many of these immigrants are employed as slaughterhouse workers, one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.
As a spiritual person, yes animal cruelty is never best. However protesting and moaning about what a “real vegetarian” is is abit silly. Yes your beliefs are yours and that’s fine.. But at least people are now becoming aware and are doing what they can to reduce their intake of animal consumption at their own pace. The way you’ve written this blog isn’t exactly encouraging or helpful. That can put a lot of people off, It can also cause people that are half way there to give up and go back to eating meat. Maybe focusing and noticing the fact that they have made some form of progress and appreciating that can give them the motivation they need towards removing meat and animal products from their lifestyle all together. There are a lot of research out there showing the amount of meat bought in supermarkets in western countries rapidly decreasing every year, an awareness is obviously spreading across the globe. Be grateful for that. Encourage with love and gratitude instead protesting and carelessly stating what is right and what is wrong.. There is no right or wrong and everyone is free to be who they want to be. Then again this is my opinion.
Of course I’m glad that people are becoming aware and are making steps toward being kinder to animals. I say this in the post itself. My point was to make people aware of the ways they could improve, if they truly care as much as they say they do. If a person wants to be pescetarian, flexitarian, ovo-lacto vegetarian etc. because they want to help animals, their health and/or the environment, the most beneficial thing they can do for all of these is to go vegan. I’ll post what I think you’ve missed from my post here:
“Why does it matter that I’m not technically a vegetarian? What would it hurt if I just keep calling myself one?
Two reasons:
One: Words are powerful because they represent ideas and convey meanings. Saying that you are a vegetarian when you are not a vegetarian cheapens the word itself. The meaning becomes degraded through repeated misuse. This has already happened with the word “vegetarian” to such an extent that now many people believe that true vegetarians eat egg and dairy products.
Two: Because you are clearly interested in helping animals, our planet, and/or your health (or any combination of the three) by being a pseudo-vegetarian, wouldn’t you like to learn about how much more you could help? You’re already so close, why not go all the way? Calling yourself a vegetarian when you know that you are not a vegetarian doesn’t magically mean that you are helping more. If anything, calling yourself a vegetarian and not caring to actually BE a vegetarian hurts your health, animals, and our planet more because you’re NOT doing more.”
I’m so glad that people are wanting to wear the vegan/vegetarian/etc badge with honor. That is a huge accomplishment for our movement. But we should always remind them that veganism should be the goal if they truly want to help animals, their health, and the environment. Yes, people will go at their own pace, and they are more than welcome to do so, but I have found too often in my own experience people who consider resting on their laurels as progress. Progress requires movement, not stagnation.
I must also state that there most certainly is right and wrong. Should we allow serial killers “be who they want to be”? We have to draw the line somewhere. Right and wrong does exist. Harming others for our own pleasure is always wrong. I do not believe it is a personal choice to exploit animals. The people who defend their choice of eating animals and animal products are forgetting someone: the animals. Animals have no desire to be killed and eaten, confined in cramped and filthy conditions, anally electrocuted or skinned alive for their fur, experimented on, or have their children stolen from them at birth. If those things were being done to you, would you still consider them a personal choice? Would you still believe in letting everyone “be who they want to be” if who they want to be is someone who subjects you to those cruelties?