I follow the label as a vegetarian. If it has a heart or a face I don't eat it! However, my mom became a vegetarian for a month to try it out and hasn't gone back to meat, but she doesn't label herself as a vegetarian and thinks she will be more of a flexitarian. Personally the label works for me, but I understand it doesn't work for everyone. I don't really get a craving for meat exactly, but sometimes when I am getting a lame dinner salad (because that is all I can eat at a restaurant) and everyone else is loving their dishes it sort of sucks. I just think about why I am doing this and how it makes me feel and I get over it.

Sorry, I wrote a book 🙂

Interesting post. No real need for any type of eating label if you just eat good food that's good for you, and makes you feel your best… meat, veggies, fish, or faceless. Whatever you please is YOUR diet 🙂

I don't like labels because I don't want to feel pinned down on what I eat. I am most closely a pescatarian, but there are times that I take a bite of Ben's food. I don't want to have to explain that most of the time I am "X", but today I did "Y".

I eat what I want – most of the time my body does not want meat.

But if it does I want to be free to eat it. I think this goes back to the challenge I've been having with Intuitive Eating too – if I say I "can't" or "don't" eat something it really sets off bad things in my head.

I labeled myself flexatarian for a long time, when in fact I was a pescatarian (I did eat fish). I slowly eliminated all meat from my diet and now I call myself 'vegetarian' but it took a long time to call myself that. I personally am not a huge fan of labels, just because I don't like restricting food and people into 'groups'.

That being said, being a vegetarian is important to me, and something I don't hesitate to tell people. I don't want to be faced with an awkward situation where I am offered meat and have to turn it down. That often comes across as rude or judgemental to some, when I don't mean it that way AT ALL! I usually just tell people flat out, hey I'm a vegetarian, I don't like to eat animals, but if you do, well I'm cool with it.

It all comes down to personal choice, which I find important, which is also why I hate labels. I feel like labels limit your choices.

I was actually wondering about this the other day–if vegetarians ever curb physiological reactions like salivating when they smell grilling meat and the like.

Another thing I don't really get–isn't a flexitarian the same thing as an omnivore?

I'm a vegetarian – nothing with a face but I do occasionally eat cheese and eggs. I've been a vegetarian for 13 years – on a rare occasion I will crave steak or bacon but only if it's right in front of my face because I can still remember how delicious it tastes! But that doesn't happen often and I've never actually given in and eaten it! 🙂 Good for you making it through 5 months so far. That is amazing!!

I was a vegetarian for nearly a decade before I started eating meat again. I wasn't one for ethical reasons, the idea of eating dead animals just seriously grossed me out. But as I grew older, I noticed the meat cravings intensified and that "gross-out factor" started to diminish. I started with fish a couple years ago, poultry last fall, and now red meat just over these past couple months. I'm a strong believer in not labeling your eating habits and just going with the flow.

To be honest, red meat still grosses me out a lot, but it's freeing to know it's not off-limits if I get a hankering for a burger 🙂

i'm definitely flexitarian. it started as a challenge to me to try not to eat meat for 1 week, then 2 weeks, then i pretty much just didn't cook meat for myself. and i noticed it lowered my cholesterol.

i'll eat fish every now and then, but not enough. when I go to my parents' they still cook meat, I have the option of not eating it and eating everything else, which is what i usually do.

I usually do just do veggies and a side of starch for my dinner, sometimes i cook up some of those veggie burgers or something other. or a fish.

it is easier to just call myself a flexitarian.

I'm on day 18 on my vegetarian challenge and so far I'm really enjoying it. However, it still feels a little weird to call myself "vegetarian" – this is the longest I've ever gone without eating meat!

Most of the time I don't crave meat, but this morning I was writing a post about running and nutrition and I realllyyyy started craving a turkey sandwich with hummus.

I like your comment about things "tasting good, but making us feel bad". Triple chocolate ice cream sundaes might taste good (and you might want to have them once in awhile), but probably won't make you feel your best. Obviously, meat is quite different, but it got me thinking about the connection 🙂

I love that you (and others) have said that "food is your choice." I feel like eating styles is a very personal decision and it's nice that we can talk openly about it.

I have noticed those "excuse me for eating meat" posts on other blogs as well and always wondered about it. I do think it falls into the "social comparison" cateogry.

I am a pescetarian and have been so for about 20 yrs now. I was vegetarian for a while before that and feel so much better adding fish/seafood to my diet.

I don't think one needs to give up meat in order to be "green" or "humane". It is very possible to get humanely raised, non-commerical farmed meat.

I don't think labels work for everyone. Like you said, for you it shows your commitment to your ideals about food/environment issues. I was a vegetarian for 5 years (I stopped because my body wasn't absorbing plant protein that well and I had extreme headaches and rashes) and during that time the label always made me feel like an outsider. I know that for many however, the outsider label can be a badge of honor so that works for them. These days I'm all about eating what makes you feel at your best both mentally and physically, no labels for me.

Hey Caitlin, great post topic! Kyle and I debate our eating choices pretty often and I think a major factor of this is that people [errr, he] feel judged or condemned because they don't share the same life choices as others.

I am a vegan, but I suppose some people wouldn't consider me a vegan because I'm not as "die hard" as I could be. [honey, the occasional dairy product.] I do strive to make my vegan counterparts proud, but sometimes ingredients can slip in on you and your guard can be let down. When I first went vegetarian, I craved meat a few times. But weirdly, it was meat that I didn't normally eat.

The primary reason for being a vegan for me is my personal health. Very, very, very close behind is the welfare of animals.

Ultimately, I think that everyone should make a decision based on what works for them! And as imperfectly beautiful humans, we should embrace and accept any of those decisions.

Sorry, about the 15 chapters! haha. I think I'll have to expand on my vegan thoughts on my blog. lol. Have a great day!

I haven't eaten meat or anything with a "face" for about three months now, but I do have the cravings sometimes. Last night I dreamt I ate a hot roast beef sandwich! So strange … sometimes when I have "meat dreams" I feel like a recovering drug addict or something! Ha ha. Do you ever have those, or am I just crazy? 🙂

Sometimes I feel bad for eating yogurt, eggs, milk-based stuff … but I'm not ready to give that up yet. I've made the committement to myself to go six months eating nothing with "faces" and reassess my diet at the end of the year — I'll decide then if I'm going back to flexatarian, staying like I am now or going even deeper into vegetarianism or veganism …

The food we put into our bodies is a choice I think we all should consider instead of blindly eating what our "culture" might tell us to eat. There are certain issues I feel this way about: the clothes we wear (were they made in a sweat shop?), the religion we follow (do we really believe, or have we simply not experienced anything else), etc. Thanks for your honesty!

It's funny that you chose today to bring up this topic because I actually just sat down to read this while having a buffalo burger for lunch! I hadn't had red meat in I can't even remember how long, but I've decided to start having it about once a week again because I think I have an iron defficiency. I've been getting cracking on the sides of my mouth, and I thought it was just dryness from running more and sweating a lot and hot weather, but I looked it up online and interestingly, it's often caused by an iron defficiency, which would make sense since I don't eat meat, especially red meat, almost ever.

Anyway, that was a long winded way of saying that I agree with what Meghann and Run,Eat,Repeat said. I mostly do the pescatarian thing, but I like keeping my options open and don't like ruling things out, especially when at an awesome restaurant or tasting other people's food. I'm fine with labels and all that, and respect vegetarians and vegans (as long as they don't try to be all uppity about it and push it on others – I really hate that), but for me, I think keeping things flexible, while sticking mostly with the pescatarian style diet, is the way to go. Personal choice 🙂

Great post!

P.S. I never even liked roast beef anyway! Ha ha, I much would have preferred chicken or turkey or salmon over roast beef … silly dreams.

🙂

Something I didn't see mentioned was eating meat from organic, free range, local farms. There is a difference between eating that type of meat and meat from factory farms. I consider myself a flex-pesceterian because I usually eat fish but will eat meat once and awhile and am picky in regards to where my meat comes from. I only feel guilty and dwell on my guilt if I eat something from a fast food place or something. This is something that is such a rarity.. a drastic change from only a few years ago!

I just read my post and I perfectly illustrate my point of not judging for doing the best you can even if you are a hypocrite somewhat. I certainly sound like one lol.

I hope i don't affend anyone by my comment and I am not going to make this anon.. I eat meat.. I actually really enjoy meat… That being said I do feel guilt when I have meat but at this point in my life I am not ready to give up meat. Last week I had meatloaf for dinner and I was contemplating whether I should post it or not because I dind't want to offend anyone. I ended up posting the meat because that is what I enjoyed that night for my dinner. I do not eat meat everyday and I don't center my meals around meat. Growing up everynight for dinner we would have a meat, veggie, potatoe and salad. I grew accustomed to that lifestyle. I don't think we should label people. Everyone is different and we all believe in different lifestyles. For me, I really enjoy cooking healthy meals whether they contain meat or they don't. I am sorry in advance if I offended anyone.

Megan – I think you really should not feel offended and remember that the vast majority of Americans (and blog readers) eat meat and probably really enjoyed hearing about your meat loaf. 🙂

I would call myself a Flexitarian. I eat a largely vegan diet. However, once in a while I'll have dairy, eggs or fish. I really admire the vegan lifestyle, however, at this point I don't think I could do it completely because I feel that there are important nutrients that you can only truly get from occasionally consuming animal based products. Hence, flexitarian!

I was a vegetarian for five years and I guess if I had to label myself now, it would be flexitarian. I never buy meat, but will eat salmon at a restuarant or at my boyfriends maybe once a week. Chicken or steak I rarely eat.

What's wierd though, is as a runner i've found after ever half marathon and marathon I run, I really, really crave steak and that's the only time I do. It makes me wonder if biologically, our body needs meat.

I love your granola bar idea by the way! What flavor do you get of the Kashi bars and how many calories are in each individual package? Thanks!

I was a vegetarian for 8 years and started eating meat in January. I had been dealing with a balance disorder for a year, coupled with extreme fatigue. I was craving meat all the time but never let myself have it because I had to be a "good vegetarian."
Now that I have made the switch, I have never felt better. I eat lean meat (turkey and sometimes chicken) and a lot of fish (tuna, salmon, cod, trout). I rarely eat red meat, but I love that now, when I crave a hamburger, I go eat one.
I am happy to no longer be living with a label, and to be able to eat what I want when I want it, all while trying to make the most ethical choices I can- cage free eggs, ethically raised meat, organic, etc. I still love vegetarian meals, and often just crave tofu or beans with veggies at lunch and dinner…. I think this is because I ate this way for so long.
I am so happy I made the switch to incorporating meat into my diet and listened to my body!

I would have to say I'm a flexitarian!
It's weird because I don't ever really crave meat and I don't eat it too often–I LOVE vegetables and fruit and anything meatless.
I've been thinking about trying to go a month without any meat and see how I feel!

Right now, I do eat meat. Since joining this blog community, I have learned a lot about eating organic food, and different reasons for people choosing to be vegetarian. While I don't want to give up meat, I would like to start eating more organic meat. This is more than likely more expensive, so I will have to cut down on how much meat I do eat, but I won't give it up completely. It will be a new challenge for me to find different sources of protein to add to my meals.

I don't label myself, mainly because I go through phases with what i WANT to eat.

So, I just eat.

I do think that what Erin said is how I feel:

"Support local farmers who practice humane and sustainable farming. Who raise animals in healthy conditions. Etc".

I try to buy as much local stuff as I can: produce, bread, meat, eggs, etc, to support the community around me that do farm and produce their goods in a humane way.

I'm okay with whatever label anyone else has for themselves; it's definitely a personal choice that everyone has to make.

and I don't think I'll ever apologize for posting pictures of my food 🙂 It is what it is!

I am a vegan. I have been vegan for a year and was vegetarian for about 6 months prior to that. It doesn't really matter what label we place on ourselves, but I do find it a little irritating when someone says they're a vegan and then goes and eats dairy. Or when someone calls themself a vegetarian, but they eat chicken or fish sometimes. People can eat whatever they choose, but it just doesn't make any sense that someone would label themselves one way and then act another way.

I agee with what you said about people feeling guilty about eating meat. I also think people apologize/make excuses for it because they feel like other people will judge them for it. A lot of vegans don't eat honey, but there are some that do. I've seen people apologize for eating something that has honey and I thik it's because they think that others will label them as a bad vegan.

I'm a flexatarian, hardly ever cook meat for myself but often choose it on sandwiches or when eating out.

I don't eat beef because the thought of it sickens me for some reason – I don't know why, but it does.

I like to think that I only eat the animals I would kill myself if I had to – fish and birds, mostly. I would not kill a cow or a pig (though I do eat pork from time to time so I'm kinda breaking my own rule).

I think people should be able to be proud of their decisions about what to eat or not eat – I don't feel bad eating the meats I do eat, I just go with what feels right.

I have been a labeled vegetarian for over a year. I actually eat mostly vegan, but I am not so strict with things like honey, baked goods, and I do enjoy dairy products once in a while. Sometimes people take the label so seriously. I really don't like when others tell me, "Oh, you can't eat that." When really, I can eat whatever I want, I just choose to eat different things. And sometimes I do have those meat cravings and I don't see anything wrong with just having one bite. It's the same as not depriving yourself of sweets.

I am a vegetarian and have been for over 20 years, but sometimes I don't like telling people that. They always wonder what I eat and what I replace meat with. For me I don't really need a meat substitute although occasionally I like a naked cutlet "chicken" curry salad. I think you are doing great for five months into this and I am pretty sure that after a while even the smell won't tempt you much. It is very rare that I crave any sort of meat although it does happen every couple of years. 🙂 I also agree with you that if you eat seafood you are not a vegetarian. I really think people should just eat what they want. If that includes meat then so be it, but I do think we should all be more responsible eaters, know what the treatment of the animals has been, and know what we are putting into our bodies.

interesting post. i've been thinking about this a lot lately.

i think it goes both ways…sometimes, putting a label on your habits makes the commitment stronger. other times, however, the label just serves to confine/curtail freedom.

i've been vegetarian and labeled as such, and for those 2 years didn't eat meat, at all. then i went out of the country to a meat eating place for about a month, and after that just eschewed the label.

now, my views are like meghann's comments. i don't eat a meat centered diet, but i enjoy the flexibility to taste and experience food culture where ever i am.

good post 🙂

i work in a bakery/cafe at the moment and have always been vegan but the bacon or pasties cooking in the morning ALWAYS make my mouth water 🙂

I eat meat, but have never in my life been a big meat eater. There are times when I go days in a row without it and do not miss it. That being said, I do love fish, poulrty and pork tenderloin. Any other meat I could certainly do without. I've nver, ever labelled myself one way or the other, but my husband calls me a flexitarian. I guess he's probably right! Also, I've never apologized for posting meat related picture's on my blog before. My blog is a reflection of my life, not others belief's. Great topic!

I ama vegetarian but not really keen on labels. I just say i don't eat meat.

DOWN WITH LABELS!!

I say = Just do what is right for you, be well, enjoy life, and don't judge others!! 🙂

I'm not trying to be controversial here, but I truly consider flexitarians and meat-eaters one and the same. If you eat meat, you eat meat. Being more conscious of what you're putting into your body is a truly wonderful thing, but regardless of your intentions you either consume something or you don't!

I'm with Meghann on this one. I'm just a foodie! I eat what I want, when I want. I looove vegetarian meals but I also eat a lot of fish and ocassionally white meat. Red meat is a very rare thing but this is why I do not label myself, so that when I do want a hamburger, I can do so without the guilt.

I guess I am a flexitarian – I NEVER (10years) eat mammals but I do occasionally eat fish/fowl.

I think it's silly to label ones self only because some people get bent out of shape no matter which way you choose. Everyone should choose what they feel is best for them and that is most important.

Anyway, I would be labeled a meat eater however I have been very interested in testing out the vegetarian and vegan waters but really not sure if it's for me. I would hope it would help with weight loss but I don't even know where to begin.

Never knew there was such a thing as flexitarian, pescatarian, etc. See I have a long way to go ha ha

I consider myself a vegetarian, but when I go to the beach with my family in the summer, I become a pescetarian. It's difficult for me to be at the beach with all of the seafood restaurants and pretend not to crave the fish. So I eat it for a few days at the beach, and I don't again until the following year! People can criticize if they want, but I just can't be at the beach for a few days and avoid the seafood!!!

I currently only eat meat at dinner unless I go out to eat for lunch- in which case I sometimes get meat and sometimes don't. I also don't eat red meat unless I really crave it, which happens maybe once a year.
I guess that makes me a flex, but I don't really think about it in terms of labels b/c I don't want to say "this is how I HAVE to be."
The reason I eat meat at dinner is basically because I don't want to make a separate meal for my boyfriend, but he's going out of town during the month of Dec. and I'm toying with the idea of going veg. (or at least pescatarian) for the duration of that month to see how it goes.
My one worry is that I'm running a half marathon in Dec. (my first) and I don't know if it would be problematic to change up my eating so close to a race. Do you have any thoughts on that?

I really appreciate and enjoy discussions where people can be honest and not judge! I eat meat, I like it and I have no intention of stopping.

I choose to purchase meat that I know what is in it and where it came from. I also have no qualms about posting a meat dish on my blog. This is my life and how I live.

I was actually brought up a vegetarian and have never eaten meat (except by accident). To be honest, I really dont care what other people eat. I do care about the environmental impacts and the way the animals are treated. (Plus I think it's just gross to eat something dead.) I do mind when people who claim to be vegetarian eat meat and act like it's no big deal. If you want to eat meat occasionally dont label yourself a vegetarian! It makes people think less of the true vegetarians.

I appreciate your honesty!

I hadn't even thought about the label yet. I've been a vegetarian for just under 2 months – most of that actually vegan. At this point, I feel like nothing in me is ever going to want meat again. I have not missed it at all and it hasn't even been tempting. But I'm really new to this and I hadn't intended to become a vegetarian at all until I saw Earthlings. Then it was all over!! I don't really have an ethical issue with eating meat in general. I have an ethical issue with the meat industry.

On the one hand, I hesitate to call myself a vegetarian because I'm so new to it and I toy with eating wild salmon again one of these days (although nothing in me wants it right now -just leaving it open as an option). On the other hand, I think it would be easier to don the label because it would make the decision stick and I wouldn't have to worry about people feeling offended that I haven't eaten there food.

I just eat what is healthy, natural, tastes good and what my body is telling me it needs — if that happens to be meat than so be it. But that, of course, is just my own personal choice 🙂 My sis is a vegetarian and I am fully supportive!

Wow, Great discussion going on over here!

I am an omnivore and have tried cutting out meat over several occasions in my life and my health suffers. So, now, I only buy humanely raised meat from local farmers and sources that I trust. I have a couple of sources for grass fed organic beef, free range chicken and eggs and pasture raised pork. Making these choices and knowing that I am honoring my health take the guilt away for me.

I don't believe in labels, per say, though I do have to go through the rest of my life with the gluten free label because of health reasons. I also avoid dairy but I try not to call myself "dairy free" because I do not avoid it 100% of the time (hello chocolate!)

I think that each person has to make their own choices and listen to their bodies. I do not believe that all bodies function well on a vegan diet just as all bodies do not function well on a meat based diet. For me, when I had to give up gluten, I felt a bit lost and started to consume a really high amount of meat and could really feel in my body that meat wasn't my answer. I am still playing trial and error but I have faith that by listening to my body, my food choices will be clear to me. It is not hard for me to pass cakes, pies and bread because I know what the reaction of my body will be.

I struggled with this for a long time and got really wise advice from my yoga guru. She told me that ahimsa is self care first and those are the words that I live by.

Honestly, I live in a very rural area in a very small town. People don't understand what vegetarian means, let alone pescatarian. I get asked if I eat chicken all the time. If I attempted to use the label you claim is correct for my eating habits: fish/seafood, dairy, eggs and all plant products, then I would have to define it every time. So I call myself a vegetarian. It is a little frustrating when other vegetarians say "You aren't a real vegetarian. I am because I don't eat fish or seafood." Thus, I don't like labels at all, but it has helped define limits for my family and co-workers. They know my preferences because of the vegetarian label.

I would label myself a 'flexitarian'. Eating less meat makes me feel much healthier, and I actually PREFER vegetarian meals over meat containing meals. I've recently begun to consider going vegetarian, but if I'm going to go that route I want to be 100% commited to it and I don't feel ready for that yet. I've considered becoming a vegetarian mostly because eating meat-free meals just makes me feel better physically/healthwise, not necessarily due to animal mistreatment, etc.

Maybe one day I'll commit to a vegetarian lifestyle or maybe I'll just stay a 'flexitarian'. We'll see which way the wind blows!

I'm a strict vegan – meaning I don't consume any animal products or byproducts (including leather, in cosmetics, vitamins, etc.) One reason I do stick to the label is for educational purposes. Most people reading your blog probably know the difference between pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan. But a large portion of the population doesn't understand the difference. When I was vegetarian, once in a while I would be in a situation where I would say something like "are there any vegetarian options?" and get told I could eat fish. Sometimes I will say I'm vegan (or if I'm wearing one of my herbivore shirts, or my motorcycle jacket which has a vegan patch on it) and people will be like "what does that mean?" and I just tell them.

I've been vegan for almost a year and I was vegetarian for about three years before that, and pescatarian for about a year before that. At first I craved meat once in a while but it totally went away. When I first stopped eating fish – about 6 months in – I was at a nice restaurant and found myself seriously lacking options. I ordered a salad with tuna and as soon as I tried it I was gagging! And I used to eat tuna a couple times a week. I definitely adapted to it. I don't even miss cheese anymore, and that is really something for me!

I eat meat, and I don't have problem with it. I LOVE tenderloin steaks, but then again, I also have researched where my meat comes from. I am a responsible consumer, and I know almost all of my groceries come from. My hubby and I eat mostly chicken and fish as the "meat" with our meals, and we have beef once in a while. I believe that humans are meant to eat meat because of our teeth. I respect my many vegetarian friends though!

I agree with you. People should not feel guilty for what they eat. If they get conflicting feelings, they should think about it, but no one should judge someone else.

I am a vegan now (went vegan over 3 months ago, been a vegetarian for over 8 years). I still think meat smells good (sometimes). I never crave it, and I don't care when people eat it, as long as they aren't shoving it in my face!

I certainly see why people like labels. They make it easier to stick to things, and a whole lot easier to explain your eating habits to someone!
That being said, labels do NOT work for me. I was a vegetarian for a few years, and then I started eating meat, and now I just eat in my own strange way.
I think labels are too strict. Our bodies needs grow and change all the time. I just like to go with the flow.

I've been a vegetarian for 2 1/2 years and while I had strong meat cravings at first (chicken tenders looked amazing) they don't really happen anymore. I feel that people should eat what they want to and found it odd that friends felt bad eating meat in front of me.

I'm anti-label … I eat what I like and don't really care what others eat. I am a foodie but my thought process doesn't go past "That looks good".

Thank you so much for such an honest post!
I love that you featured flexitarian as an option.
I currently label myself as a flexitarian. This allows me to eat some of favorite foods (like pad thai with chicken or sea food) and just fits with my current schedule and lifestyle. I am a law student with very limited time and money, and flexitarian works better for me right now than being strictly vegetarian which I think would end up leaving me feeling like a failure at times.

I've never labeled myself as anything, though I follow a mostly vegetarian diet. I eat meat once every few weeks. I don't drink milk, but eat a copious amount of cheese. For me it is simply a matter of preference and upbringing. I grew up on a veggie-based diet. To put it in perspective – my parents are 53 and still haven't eaten steak (I tried it for the first time at 21, during a corporate dinner event).

Personally, I don't like labels because I find them restrictive. I also find some people have this certain elitism about the whole thing – like a holier than thou attitude about what they don't eat vs. what you do eat.

I live with a hunter and we eat a lot of meat. The best kinds that are lean and chock full of iron and protein. We also catch salmon in the ocean. We also buy beef and pork from the store. So, I am typical American. It is easier to have a complete diet and avoid anemia, etc. by eating meat.

Love that you mention the pescetarian thing. It is such a pet peeve of mine when people say they are vegetarians, but eat fish.
I label myself as vegan.

I'm not into labels, but I primarily follow a vegetarian diet. If I felt like it, I'd eat meat. I just don't really like it.

aitlin – great post, and one of the most well-written discussions on the vegetarian label I've read.

I struggle with the label, because although I eat a 70% vegan diet, my motivation is so across the board (environment, ethics, health) that what it comes down to is, I just eat what I want, when i want – and a lot of the time it does not involve animal products. That said, I don't want to have to defend myself when I choose to indulge in, say, brie cheese on a trip to France!