Not Ready To Go Vegetarian? How About Flexitarian?
There’s no denying that vegetarian/vegan diets are amazingly helthy, but some people dread giving up some of their favorite foods.
If this sounds like you, you may want to check out the latest nutritional buzzword: flexitarianism.
Being a flexitarian means eating 80 percent of your daily calories from fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans and 20 percent from lean meat, fish and poultry.
“People want the health benefits of eating vegetarian,” notes Blatner, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “But they don’t necessarily want to give up their favorite foods.”
Some people will scorn this idea, but I say even if you don’t go ‘all the way’, any improvement to your health and diet is commendable!
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4 opinions for Not Ready To Go Vegetarian? How About Flexitarian?
Kayll
Mar 9, 2006 at 5:16 am
I don’t know, I think being a “flexitarian” is a joke. It just seems like another buzz word or another fad. Why not just say “I’m eating better”?
I just found another article online about flexitarians and the caption was “She doesn’t have trouble sticking to her vegetarian diet because she eats meats.”
Then she wouldn’t be a vegetarian. She would be a regular person trying to eat healthier. Holwever, it seems those folks who can’t fully commit to a vegetarian diet want to “get credit for trying” by labeling them selves vegetarians.
Of course how we label vegetarians is pretty bizarre, too. Milk and cheese are not veggies, yet if you don’t eat any meat but have “dairy” you can still call yourself a vegatarian.
I think everyone just wants to be classified as something. What do you think?
Rhys
Mar 10, 2006 at 5:12 pm
That’s an EXCELLENT post, Kayll. It’s human nature to need to ‘belong,’ and I think you’re absolutely right. Sometimes it works–as when people have pride in ‘being’ something, but also backfires, as when they’re so desperate to ‘be’ something they’ll try stupid/dangerous things.
Thanks for pointing that out! :)
dempsey
Jun 13, 2006 at 7:54 am
Nice site. Thank to work…
andie
Jul 2, 2006 at 4:33 am
I think flexitarianism is really not that bad. I eat vegetarian almost everyday of my life, but when it comes to christmas, or someone brings something extraordinary (like sausages from south america, hmmm), or going to someone else’s house i’ll eat meat. I don’t call myself a vegetarian though, or a flexitarian. When people ask me about my diet I say “I don’t eat meat on a day-to-day basis”.
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