‘I Want Real Cheese’: Vegetarian Slams Supermarkets for Pushing Veganism on Shoppers

We all know that when it comes to personal choices, a little respect goes a long way. Whether it’s how you raise your children or what you choose to eat for dinner, most of us agree that people should be free to follow their own path without judgment. It’s a simple matter of good manners.

However, one woman recently took to an online forum to share a story that suggests this courtesy is getting lost in the shuffle of modern food trends. She feels that her desire to become a vegetarian is being completely ignored in favor of its more fashionable cousin, veganism, and it’s leaving a rather bad taste in her mouth.

The Incident

A woman, considering a switch to a vegetarian diet, decided to do a bit of research. A sensible first step, you’d think. But as she typed her questions into search engines and browsed supermarket websites, she noticed a frustrating pattern emerging. Everything seemed to point her toward a vegan lifestyle instead.

“If I search for food on supermarket sites I often get mostly vegan results,” she lamented. “It is as if search engines simply rearrange my words into vegan.” This wasn’t just an online annoyance; it had real-world consequences for her meal planning. She explained, “This is great for vegans but not for me, as the addition of dairy products in my own diet would make for some very different foods and recipes.”

The health advice she found was similarly unhelpful, focusing on nutrients lost from cutting out dairy—something she had no intention of doing. The whole experience left her feeling overlooked and unheard.

It seems that in the rush to cater to the strictest of diets, businesses and even algorithms have decided to lump vegetarians in with vegans, forgetting that many people quite enjoy their cheese and eggs, thank you very much.

The Internet Reacts

It quickly became clear that this woman was not alone in her frustration. The internet divided into several camps, with the vast majority siding with the overlooked vegetarians.

Camp 1: The “Absolutely Not” Crowd

Many commenters, particularly long-time vegetarians, shared the original poster’s annoyance. They felt that just as vegetarian options were becoming mainstream and delicious, they were being replaced by often inferior vegan substitutes. One person declared, “A lot of plant based stuff is highly processed and frankly crap, and vegan cheese is grim. Let me be a vegetarian in peace.”

Another echoed this sentiment, missing the simple pleasures of a traditional meat-free diet. “I don’t want to eat fake cheese or ‘vegan bacon,’” she wrote. “I just want nice vegetarian recipes made with eggs and butter and real cheese.” The feeling was that a lazy, one-size-fits-all approach has taken over, with one commenter stating bluntly, “Vegetarianism has been cancelled by veganism.”

Camp 2: The “Devil’s Advocate”

Of course, not everyone saw it as a problem. Some who have been vegetarian for decades pointed out that the current situation is a world away from the past, when the only option was often a sad side salad or a plate of chips. One user offered a different perspective: “I have been vegetarian since the late 90s and remember have very limited food choices… So I appreciate that menus have a lot more veggie/vegan choices now.”

Others argued from a practical standpoint. Since all vegan food is also vegetarian, it makes business sense for restaurants to offer one dish that covers both groups, as well as those with dairy allergies. As one person put it, it’s easier for a vegetarian to ask for dairy cheese on a vegan burger than for a vegan to interrogate a waiter about hidden milk and eggs in a vegetarian patty.

Camp 3: The “Unintended Consequences” Crowd

Perhaps the most surprising reaction came from those who said this trend was actually pushing them back toward eating meat. They argued that if the choice is between a bland, highly processed vegan meal and a chicken dish, they’ll reluctantly choose the chicken. One former vegetarian of 20 years shared her experience: “I now find myself ordering chicken dishes more regularly as vegetarian dishes are becoming vegan and are full of processed crap.”

Another person put it even more directly in response to a pro-vegan comment. “Well for me where I might eat vegetarian I will now eat meat,” she stated, “so you are driving people in the opposite direction too.” It’s a shocking twist, suggesting that this attempt to cater to everyone might be backfiring spectacularly.

The Etiquette Verdict

While it’s wonderful that our society is becoming more accommodating of different dietary needs, there’s a fine line between inclusivity and erasure. It is simply poor form for restaurants and food companies to assume that all non-meat eaters are the same. A vegetarian is not a vegan-in-waiting; they are two distinct choices, and both deserve respect.

The golden rule of hospitality is to make your guests feel welcome and considered. By replacing classic, beloved vegetarian staples like a cheesy lasagna or a rich vegetable gratin with dry, uninspired vegan alternatives, businesses are failing this basic test. True consideration means offering genuine choice, not taking the easy way out.

Your Opinion

What do you think about this? Are vegetarians right to feel pushed aside, or should they simply be grateful for any non-meat option on the menu?

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