Goodness gracious no! Fish and shellfish are animals and vegetarians do not eat animals. Case closed!
Seafood is Not Vegetables
I have met more than one person who claims to be a vegetarian, but happily chows down on fish, scallops, and other seafood. Sorry, this just won't wash. Fish are animals, and by definition a vegetarian does not eat animals. No, Virginia, a clam is not a vegetable! Of course there is nothing wrong with eating seafood, it is tasty and healthy. But, it is not part of a vegetarian diet. If you eat seafood but no other animals, then you are a pescaterian.
Plant and Meat-Related Dietary Terms
With so many different restrictive diets out there, you may want to know the various terms for these diets and what they mean. Here's a list:
- Vegetarian: Does not eat meat, poultry, or seafood; may eat eggs and/or dairy.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Eats dairy and eggs, but no meat, poultry, or seafood.
- Lacto-vegetarian: Eats dairy, but no eggs, meat, poultry, or seafood.
- Ovo-vegetarian: Eats eggs, but no dairy, meat, poultry, or seafood.
- Vegan: Avoids animal-derived foods, generally including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey.
- Plant-based: Primarily or entirely plant foods; the exact degree of animal-product avoidance varies, so it is less precise than “vegan.”
- Pescatarian: Eats seafood but not meat or poultry; may also eat dairy and eggs.
- Pollotarian: Eats poultry but not red meat or seafood; not generally considered vegetarian.
- Flexitarian / semi-vegetarian: Eats mostly plant foods but occasionally eats meat and/or seafood.
- Reducetarian: Intentionally reduces consumption of meat or other animal products without necessarily eliminating them.
- Raw vegan: Vegan diet emphasizing uncooked or minimally heated foods.
All Food is Plant-Based
The common use of the term plant-based to mean non-animal food is both inaccurate and unfortunate. All food is of course plant-based, from spinach to sardines to steaks! Cattle eat plants so beef is plant-based, right? But the term has taken root so it looks like we are stuck with it. But the terms vegan and vegetarian are more accurate so why not use them?
