sometimes i just don’t want to litigate it with people I just met at social events with food, awhile ago i was doing a short term job with some conservative boomer who thought even the vegetarianism was dangerous for me bcs he knew a gay couple who ‘got very ill from never eating meat’ a few decades ago.
[Picture is a late 16th / early 17th century painting called ‘The Vegetable Seller’ I saw a few years ago and was thinking about recently - English Heritage article about its restoration process: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/audley-end-house-and-gardens/history-and-stories/vegetable-seller/]
edit: for the record i am actually lactose intolerant + was unaware for years and cutting out dairy was probably the best dietary decision i’ve made from a pure personal health standpoint and my day to day quality of life
The most common type of vegetarian still eats dairy and egg; they just don’t prefer flesh. It’s wrong to assume vegetarians are opposed to all animal ingredients. In practice, if you order at a restaurant, it is necessary to be clear that no animal product should be added. Condiments don’t always register as “meat” to non vegans