In recent years, vegetarianism has been growing rapidly, expanding its borders and attracting new people. There are many prerequisites for this, from social motives to ethnic ones. There are no established norms and rules in this way of life, therefore, this topic is currently causing considerable interest, raising, in turn, a huge number of questions. Many people are curious about what vegetarians can eat: do they eat fish, poultry, eggs, and other animal products. Therefore, the number of discussions on this topic is growing every day.
How did vegetarians come about?
This way of life originated many millennia ago in various eastern states. Therefore, before everyone began to call such a diet “vegetarianism”, it was called “Indian” or “Pythagorean”.
In Europe, this lifestyle began to be practiced only in the middle of the nineteenth century, and at the moment supporters of vegetarianism live most in Italy. In Russia, this movement appeared a little later, and in 1901 the first society of supporters of such food was registered in Moscow.
In recent decades, this lifestyle has been gaining momentum, but if you delve into this topic, then many still can not understand whether vegetarians eat fish and eggs, drink milk and, in general, who is called that? Since the assertion that these are people who don’t eat meat is just the tip of the iceberg and has long been outdated.
What can be considered proper vegetarianism?
In general, this concept came from the English language and means “food not related to the killing of an animal” in translation. That is, by this way of life they mean that people cannot eat meat products, eggs and other food of animal origin. But can a vegetarian eat fish? This question can be answered if you know what type of “not meat-eaters” a person belongs to.
There are no strict lists of unacceptable foods in food, and each for himself determines what he will eat, and what he will refuse. Everything may depend on certain reasons why a person has become a supporter of this movement.
What could be the motivation?
If you know exactly why those or other adherents of this lifestyle decided to abandon animal food, then you can answer the following questions: "What foods do they use?" or "What type are these vegetarians?", "Do they eat fish?" The motives for such a diet can be completely different:
Moral - in order not to cause suffering to animals, as well as to avoid their killing and exploitation. Such people usually do not eat anything of animal origin, not even fish.
For medical reasons, since such a diet can significantly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, the appearance of cancer cells and a number of cardiovascular diseases. In this case, people can eat fish and some other animal products.
Economic motives - such people are convinced that this lifestyle can help them save the money that they spend on the purchase of meat products. Therefore, answering the question “Do vegetarians eat fish, seafood or other animal food with such a diet”, we can safely say that yes.
According to religious beliefs.
Environmental reasons - such people are confident that killing animals has a negative impact on the environment.
Therefore, depending on such motives, there are several types of vegetarians.
Sand Vegetarianism
About these supporters of this diet, many people say that they are the wrong vegetarians. Do they eat fish or other food of animal origin? It turns out that they eat all these products with great pleasure, and therefore are not considered true members of the vegetarian movement.
The data of the supporters of this diet are separated from the true adherents of plant foods not only by their nutrition system, but also by their views on the torment and fear of living beings. Sand-vegetarians believe that fish cannot feel pain during a violent death, so you can safely eat it. Such a belief contradicts the notions of ardent supporters of such a way of life, who are convinced that in no case should any living organisms be eaten.
Flexitarianism
This variety appeared more than ten years ago. They say about such people that they are only half vegetarians. Do these proponents eat fish? As it turns out, they can afford to eat not only this product, but sometimes even meat.
Flexitarians try to eat completely without food of animal origin, but they cannot completely exclude it from their diet.
Vegans
This type implies such supporters of the movement, which are also called "vegans." Whether these people eat fish can be understood immediately by their name, since they do not consume any animal food, therefore they are still referred to as raw foodists. They are also committed to eating unprocessed foods. That is, these vegetarians believe that food should not be cooked at a temperature that is above 115 degrees Celsius.
Some vegans may even give up sugar, alcohol, and honey. Their motto is: “Let's say no to eating living things and any products of animal origin.”
But in addition to the main supporters of this movement mentioned above, there are several more varieties that adhere to incomplete or transitional options for such nutrition.
Other types of this movement
The most common type is currently considered lacto-ovo-vegetarians. These people completely do not eat beef, poultry, pork, game, but do not deny themselves eggs and milk. Do vegetarians eat fish in this case? No, because these proponents of the movement also do not eat seafood, including shellfish.
Still there are lacto-vegetarians who do not eat eggs, but can consume all kinds of dairy products. They are common to a large extent among Hindus who are guided in their diet by religious motives.
The next type is the vegetarians. They do not eat meat, dairy products, but eat eggs. Some people become followers of such a diet, as they may suffer due to lactose intolerance.
There is another variation of this movement, whose supporters follow a macrobiotic diet in their diet, that is, they prefer a variety of cereals and all kinds of cereals. They can also include fruit and vegetable dishes. Can vegetarians eat fish in this case? The answer to this question is yes, but only in very rare cases. In this diet, the rejection of sugar and various refined foods is also recommended.
And the last type is the Fructorians. The diet of these people consists exclusively of plant fruits, as well as a small amount of cereals, nuts and seeds. They also avoid eating potatoes, lettuce or beets.
Is vegetarianism good or bad?
Thanks to such a large number of varieties of this movement, recently this topic has become the most discussed among the world community. Some tend to argue that such a lifestyle can only do harm, while others are confident that he has a lot of his merits.
For example, American doctors claim that vegetarians are much less likely to suffer from colon cancer, since vegetables and fruits help normalize the digestive tract, which cannot be said about meat. In turn, British scientists have proved that the exclusion of all animal products from their diet significantly reduces the risk of developing various eye diseases.
But, despite such significant advantages, vegetarianism also has its undeniable disadvantages. It turns out that people who advocate such a lifestyle often suffer from a lack of vitamin B, therefore they are prone to various neurological diseases and disorders.
Helpful information
Having decided to join such a movement, a person should not only ask such a question as “whether vegetarians eat fish or not and what can be consumed at all”. To become a supporter of this diet, you must first prepare yourself psychologically for this, and also discuss possible contraindications with your doctor.
Undoubtedly, for many people, the transition to such a food system is the beginning of a new stage in their life, since vegetarianism is not only a rejection of any products, but it is also considered a certain philosophy of human existence.