"Flexetarian" - oh dear oh dear oh dear!

[661-Pete]

So it seems.

Aren't we done with labels? "Pescetarian" which I suppose more or less describes my eating habits, was bad enough but tolerable. Actually I don't see why I need a label of any sort. Do those of you who scoff red flesh from dead mammals meat proclaim to the world at every occasion, that you are 'carnivores'? Wear it on your sleeve?

Why can't I say of myself "I don't like mammal and bird meat" and leave it at that, so anyone catering for me can figure it out? Everyone has something they don't eat, probably because they don't like it. I happen also not to like yoghurt (at least, not the fruity kind in a pot). So whatever else, at least I can't label myself a yoghurt-knitter.

Cue: 'interesting' debate with plenty of good-humoured ribaldry....

 

[marinyork]

Maybe you could be a yoghurt knitter as if you don't eat it and you got hold of the stuff you'd have to find other uses. Unless you really do not like yoghurt full stop...

Not sure I see the point of the article. Most vegetarians I've lived with/met aren't the purists. It was always the purists that were banging on about this that and 'tother. To me a vegetarian can eat fish and the purists are forever falling out like the PFJ/JPF/PFJ/PPFJ (oh dear oh dear oh dear ). I don't see an issue at all in terms of choices and outlook, as that is more important.

 

[mickle]

Animal, vegetable, mineral. A fish is deffo a animal marinyoik

 

[vernon]

Animal, vegetable, mineral. A fish is deffo a animal marinyoik

It's definitely not a vegetable and should be part of a vegetarians diet. The vegetarian society's definition is the one to follow.

Me? The only things with legs that I don't eat are tables and chairs.

 

[summerdays]

A label can help those who are having to cater for you... there have been times when I wished my friend had a label, as for health reasons she experimented (with medical help) with removing various things from her diet - at one stage it seemed like almost everything had been removed!!. At times it was very hard catering for her, but now we finally seem to got to the bottom of it, that it is wheat. Now we are getting to know lots of recipes for cake that don't involve wheat flour

 

[Globalti]

My vegetarian wife and I once ate in a restaurant in France and when we told the waiter she was veggie, he went into the kitchen and came back with the chef, who stood and stared at her like she was off another planet.

 

[Gromit]

I'm an omnivore.

We are all omnivores, with well developed teeth for eating almost everything.

 

[661-Pete]

To re-iterate my original point: I see no reason to 'label' myself upon setting foot in a restaurant. Especially in the UK, where you can always scrutinise the menu outside before crossing the threshold. So I go in, and when the waiter gets around to taking my order, I don't say "I'm choosing this dish because I'm a vegetarian". Why should I? I say "I'll have the goats-cheese-strudel-with-wild-mushroom-soufflé-and-tarragon-sauce-garnished-with-artichokes". How's the waiter to know whether I simply happen to like "goats-cheese-strudel-with-wild-mushroom-soufflé-and-tarragon-sauce-garnished-with-artichokes". (admittedly it'll usually turn out to be just a plain old cheese pie ).

For allergies, true, you have to be more explicit. I see not reason not to tell a waiter "I cannot eat anything containing wheat" or "I am allergic to wheat". After all your life may depend on it!

In other countries, France especially, you can end up with more than you bargained for when you order veggie. All too often that green salad will be garnished with lardons (diced bacon or ham). If that happens to me, I'm cool, I'll simply push them to one side. But others, especially if they have religious reasons, wouldn't accept that.

 

[rich p]

Pete, if you don't eat mammals and birds, do you still eat reptiles? Cheesy chameleon pie please. Certainly sir, which colour would you like?

 

[661-Pete]

Pete, if you don't eat mammals and birds, do you still eat reptiles? Cheesy chameleon pie please. Certainly sir, which colour would you like?

Good question. (*scratches few remaining brain cells, tries to remember*) No, I can't say if I have. Haven't thought about whether I would.

I do recall, years ago, a former colleague of mine, after chucking in the software business, went to open a small village shop in a corner of rural England. He had this weird idea of spicing it up a bit, so he bought a job lot of (farmed) alligator meat and started selling a line in 'alligator sandwiches'.

I'm afraid I never sampled his wares.

Apparently the villagers saw this as a huge joke, they used to walk into the shop just so they could say "Alligator sandwich, and MAKE IT SNAPPY!". And of course the obvious "See you later!" as they left the shop. My colleague got a bit hacked off, sadly, the shop wasn't making money so after a year or two he sold up and went to live in Oz. Don't know what sort of exotic foody things he's sampled down there...

 

[rich p]

Crocs would be readily available I suppose. Kangaroo too. The customers could say, " hop over there and get me a roo roll please, mate" I kid you not!

 

[XmisterIS]

If I see something and I like it, I will eat it. End of story! No label required.

 

[Mac66]

I'm a flexetarian. I eat what I like. What a rubbish label! Sounds like you eat electrical wire insulation or your perform bendy body tricks whilst eating.

I don't think its only the media that is responsible for these labels, although they are the major cause. I think for a number of people it is important that they are seen to be different and "special" and they revel in these pointless identities. IMO.

 

[jimboalee]

Before you eat the flex, be sure to unplug the kettle.

 

[summerdays]

For allergies, true, you have to be more explicit. I see not reason not to tell a waiter "I cannot eat anything containing wheat" or "I am allergic to wheat". After all your life may depend on it!

We (the friend with a wheat intolerance) were at a wedding together and the couple getting married had made sure she would have nice things to eat, so had an alternative dessert for her. She liked the look of the dessert containing wheat so sampled a small corner of her husbands to see what it tasted like. Within a moment or two, one of the waitresses was over to our table very concerned she had sampled it. We were impressed by their concern, and obviously explained that the small amount wouldn't provoke an extreme reaction in her.