Vegetarians are known for not consuming animal products specifically meat but, do some vegetarians cheat?
Whether or not you cheat and sometimes eat meat as a vegetarian will depend on many factors including your beliefs and reasoning for becoming a vegetarian in the first place.
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Is It Ok To Cheat As A Vegetarian
With many different lifestyles and diets, people often have cheat or flex meals.
Having flexibility within your diet helps you feel less restricted and you or more likely to stick to a better lifestyle overall.
Can Vegetarians Who Are Concerened With Animal Welfare Eat Meat
Vegetarians choose to eliminate animal products from our diets for many different reasons with many choosing to do over animal welfare concerns.
With the treatment of animals being one of the top reasons a person is vegetarian is it ethical and possible to cheat and consume animal products as a vegetarian?
If your main reason for being a vegetarian is based on the treatment of animals, you should never intentionally cheat and eat meat while following a vegetarian lifestyle.
Is It Ok For Some Vegetarians To Eat Meat
We all have different reasons for eating vegetarian diets and some of those do not include the welfare and treatment of animals.
Some people choose a vegetarian diet due to health reasons or taste preferences for example.
Is it ok for a vegetarian that is not focused on animal welfare to cheat and eat meat?
It’s ok for someone who follows a vegetarian diet to occasionally consume meat. In this case, they could consider themselves flexitarian, who consumes a vegetarian diet with a small amount of meat.
What Do Vegetarians Consider Is Cheating
We could possibly look at cheating on a vegetarian diet in three ways.
- Eating meat or animal products that are otherwise forbidden from the diet.
- Eating junk food, fast food, or prossesed food.
- Consuming foods that are not aggreeable to your diet (too many carbs etc).
For the purposes of this article, I am only referring to “cheating as a vegetarian” as eating meat or animal products that you have .previously deemed “off-limits”.
How Often To Vegetarians Cheat
It will vary from person to person how much and how often they cheat on their vegetarian diet.
Calling yourself a vegetarian can mean so many different things including the consumption of some meat products, making it hard to determine if someone is “cheating” on their vegetarian diet.
Do Vegetarians Cheat More In The Beginning
A vegetarian is more likely to cheat on their vegetarian diet within the first year of becoming a vegetarian.
The longer you are a vegetarian the less likely you are to consume meat.
Do Vegetarians Cheat On Holidays
Holiday meals are often focused around a large meal with a meat centerpiece.
Not only is the meal centered around meat many of the side dishes include animal products as well like broths and small pieces of meat.
Some vegetarians may choose to eat meat on these occasions.
Can You Have A Cheat Day On A Plant Based Diet
If you are following a plant-based diet you can occasionally have some high-quality meat in your diet.
Should I Call Myself A Vegetarian Or Plant-Based
If you consume the occasional meat product but, overall consume a diet that is full of whole foods your diet is plant-based.
If you don’t consume meat at all you can be considered a vegetarian.
The term plant-based isn’t connected to any ethical or moral values like the terms vegetarian and vegan can have.
It’s less confusing if you consume animal products to not call yourself a vegetarian.
Do Vegetarians Feel Guilty If They Cheat
If a vegetarian cheats and consumes meat you may or may not feel guilty about it.
It depends on your personal reasons for being a vegetarian and why you consumed meat when you “cheated”.
What Does Cheating On A Vegetarian Diet Mean
If you cheat on your vegetarian diet it can mean many different things. Your body may be craving meat and animal products to a lack of motivation.
Why Would You Want To Be A Vegetarian If You Want To Cheat
You may want to follow a mostly vegetarian diet due to the health benefits and your personal preferences.
Vegetarian food is delicious and may be the type of food that you prefer the majority of the time but, you occasionally want to have a piece of meat.
Should you miss out on all of the other benefits of being vegetarian because you want to eat some meat from time to time?
I say no, your diet and lifestyle are your choices and you should be allowed to make the choice you wish without having to justify it to anyone else.
Final Thoughts
I’ve considered myself some sort of vegetarian for over ten years now.
I’ve never “cheated” once I made a decision to no longer consume a specific animal product anymore.
I did wean myself off of meat unintentionally within a couple of years to the point where I am now.
There have been occasions where I have accidentally consumed broth in foods. I just move on and do not let it bother me.
