What We Eat Is a Matter of Choice, Not a Test of Morality

The article challenges the idea that food choices map neatly onto morality through language. It points out how terms like “non-vegetarian” define foods by what they aren’t, reinforcing the notion that “vegetarian” is the default and other categories are deviations. Using India as context, the piece argues that dietary practices are far more varied, with communities avoiding meat or eggs, restricting onion and garlic, or following day-specific rules, and it notes Jain prohibitions on root vegetables as evidence that “vegetarianism” isn’t one uniform category. It cites Pew Research and NFHS-5 findings: 39% of Indians identify as vegetarian, and 83.4% of men aged 15–49 and 70.6% of women report eating fish, chicken or meat at least occasionally.