As a vegetarian dinner was NOT easy!

Ye gods! I mention that I didn't have a very comfortable dinner and suddenly I'm complaining globally about meat eaters!! Where did all that come from? People are reading my words and putting their own (erroneous) spin on them. I stated a fact, I wasn't complaining, nor asking for parity with carnivores nor expecting anyone else to hold my views or give up eating meat. It was a fact, pure and simple. I did find it difficult and that's all I meant.

I'm not quite sure where the link to menstrual blood was going. There's a world of difference between a completely natural function and blood oozing out of a piece of some animal that's had a bolt through its brain. It's not blood per se that bothers me, but a plate of bloody sauce is off putting to many, not just vegetarians.

We veggies are, on the whole, very tolerant. There are a lot more of us now than there ever used to be, and still we're faced with glutinous mac/cheese or a heap of leaves masquerading as a salad as our only options when eating out.

Please do not put spurious agendas on to my statements. I can assure you that you will know as and when I have an agenda myself.

I agree with petallus. I thought the OP didn't seem to be complaining, just stating facts.
Suppose the OP had said that they took their MiL away for a day of pampering and had then found the smells of perfume, hairspray etc overpowering, wouldn't they get sympathetic posts saying "poor you" and "we all react differently" etc.
It'd be really unlikely that anyone would use the tone of "Well, you took her for pampering what did you expect? Get over it."

Good job I don't mind the sight of blood!
I eat very little meat myself these days. Darling daughter is vegetarian.

I found the tone of the OP rueful rather than complaining/critical.

BTW katek I think it was kind of you to take your fil away on holiday.

We make our eating choices on what we fancy to eat. Sometimes vegetarian, sometimes meat, sometimes fish.

When we have vegetarian friends to stay we always cook vegetarian meals. We also make sure that the oven is cleaned before the visit.

If we go out to eat then everyone makes their individual choice. It seems to work with no complaints on either side. x

Faye It is, as you say, unacceptable to make rude comments about other people's choices but the original post brought up the subject and it it's slightly disapproving tone was bound to attract comment.

My husband and I don't eat meat but we wouldn't raise the subject with other people unless there was a need (and this doesn't arise as our friends and family know we don't eat meat). My husband is a much more committed vegetarian than me but even he would cook meat for other people.

I do find it irritating, though, when some meat eaters feel it necessary to tell vegetarians that their diet is unnatural and unhealthy.

The first three words of this thread are "As a vegetarian" so it is definitely a vegetarian who is complaining about omnivorous eating. It's that (the complaining) that makes me feel 'queasy'. I think it is rude to complain about other people's food choices whatever they are. It's forgiveable, perhaps, if it is unexpected (though why an omnivorous animal eating anything that is edible should be unexpected is beyond me), but the situation described in the OP did not appear to be unexpected at all. No, my problem is not with vegetariansim at all.

In 1979 DD's teacher asked me if I was one of those crazy vegetarians. I had been a vegetarian for fifteen years at that stage and I knew only one other person who was also a vegetarian. Times have changed, we are growing. If she dared to say that now, I wouldn't just think she was an idiot, I would tell her.

Because I chose not to eat meat I had to listen to a lot of nonsense for many years. I wasn't criticising those who ate meat, I wonder why there was always someone who thought it necessary to carry on about it!

My friend is vegetarian but she will cook meat when she does a dinner party for guests.
I don't like handling raw meat (I wear a pair of vinyl gloves) and I don't like to see people eating a blue steak, but I do eat meat and fish.

For what it's worth, I don't think you're a hypocrite anno. I carried on eating fish on and off after giving up meat 45 years ago, but finally stopped about 25 years ago. I think unless someone is a strict vegan then they can't really adopt the moral high ground. The rest of us are all participating in the meat industry to some extent, and it's just a question of where we draw our own particular line that we won't cross.

I am not a vegetarian , but I find the sight of bloody steaks revolting and have changed seats with OH to remove myself from the smell and sight , raw carrots are much prettier

I hold my breath passing a butcher's shop as well anno. I didn't realise anyone else did it. That's not just about the smell because I've done it since I was a child (when I did eat meat). It started as a kind of superstition because even then I couldn't bear the thought of animals being killed for meat. I felt as though by holding my breath I was coming out in sympathy with them.

I did it when passing the dentist as well but that was a different story!

I am quite sure we have been over this ground before without resolving anything. And we never the twain shall meet. I am one of those hypocritical piscetarians. I loathe the smell of meat cooking and I hold my breath passing a butcher's shop. I eat fish but to be honest, I don't much like the smell of a fish shop either.

We were never expected to put it on a plate, though, bags. I sympathise with you, being queasy over the sight of a carrot. Must be really hard.

What I'm saying is that it wouldn't do for vegetarians to be more equal than omnivores. If vegetarians can complain about people eating things veggies don't eat, then omnivores can complain about veggies complaining. Fair's fair.

It's only a few veggies who do the complaining thing. I'm not talking about all veggies. Actually, I just talking about complainers. Yes, we know some veggies don't like to see this and that but that's just tough. Suck it up, as the saying goes. Life isn't a bowl of cherries.

It's not the blood for me. It's the sight of flesh and thoughts of where it's come from. And the smell as I said before, which is why something like steak is worse than strips of chicken or something in a sauce. It's easy to look away from someone else's plate, but impossible to avoid the smell. Carveries are my idea of hell which is a shame for the meat eaters in my family.

out where put should be again! Soz.

Hearing vegetarians complain about people eating meat makes me feel something akin to queasy, so we're quits on that one. Really. I'm not just saying that to get back at anyone.

I guess I'll just have to put up with it, just as some people will have to out up with the sight of others eating meat or of blood on a plate.

But egalitarianism of freedom of speech means I can mention my 'queasiness' too, right?

I can see it being an issue for women for the sight of blood to be a problem. I can sympathise about that. Must've been hellish at certain times all through one's productive years.

I have two son-in-laws (sons-in-law?) One likes his steaks just about raw, the other prefers them incinerated. I have given up cooking steak for either of them, I never get them right.

It's the sight of blood, Eloethan.

Why should it be more distressing seeing slabs of meat being eaten than seeing strips of chicken, pork, turkey, etc., being eaten? It is all mat after all, whichever way it's cooked.

I can't watch one of my son-in-laws eat his idea of a nice steak either, Katek and I am not vegetarian - and now my granddaughter (11) likes hers almost raw too - she says "I like it bloody" ! Yet she usually eats hardly any meat and loves vegetables - eats cherry tomatoes as though they are sweeties, and can consume half a cucumber at a go. Strange.

I do not have fits of the vapours bags, I have never forced my beliefs on anyone, including my family, in fact I am the most tolerant of vegetarians. I still find it uncomfortable however, not to say distressing, watching large slabs of very raw meat being eaten with relish.

Of course people are free to eat and drink what they want, but it does not stop a vegetarian feeling queasy seeing raw meat.

It's never occurred to me that my veggie friends or family members might be offended if I eat meat. When my DB and DSIL visit I cook the same veggie meals for everyone - we often have non meat meals anyway. I'm now wondering if I've ever eaten rare steak in the company of a vegetarian. I really can't remember so it can't have been all that big a deal.

Surely people are free to eat and drink what they want?