To think ‘Flexitarian’ isn’t hypocritical?

[MotherOfDragons90]

My DH and I have been gradually phasing meat out of our daily lives. For environmental and financial reasons. I’m not finding it difficult to not eat meat day to day, but I refuse to cut it out completely. I will still enjoy a cheeseburger at bonfire night, roast lamb at MILs on the odd Sunday and a nice steak on our anniversary.

I said to my DSis today (who is a full vegetarian) that I think our balance works well and if everyone did the same it actually might make a difference environmentally, and for animals. She is adamant that it makes no difference and I’m just a hypocrite who may as well eat meat all the time.

It’s really got my back up because I feel like I’m genuinely doing my bit and she’s just stamped all over it! Am I being a hypocrite?!

Under what circumstances would you use the word flexitarian?

But a label is useful when it means something. So I find it easier to tick a box labelled 'vegetarian' when signing up for something or at a wedding or whatever, than having to tick a box saying "I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat eggs and dairy" for example.

But if you were to try the same with 'Flexitarian' what would it mean? It means different things to different people, no two flexitarians are the same surely. So its not a helpful label.

Surely it's easier to just say "I don't eat a lot of meat".

You would have to give up dairy products also to make that much of a difference

Every little helps. But so we really need to pay ourselves on the back. Most people in the world eat this way

I think the term is meaningless, and perhaps used by some people to make others think they are making an effort. Anyone who reduces their meat intake is doing a good thing for the planet, and it doesn't need a label.
Whether humans can or should eliminate meat eating all together is a moot point. We have, but that's our individual choice.

So you're an omnivore then...
This,
Theres no need to refer to yourself as a flexitarian.
If the conversation comes up all you need to say is you don't eat as much meat as you used to.

I haven’t eaten meat all weekend

Go me 😁 waits for pat on head

Not hypocritical to not eat much meat. I barely eat any, have been this way since I stopped calling myself vegetarian aged 21. I do not call myself flexitarian but I do consider myself to be flexible and this helps in some social situations.

I still consider myself to be helping reduce global meat consumption by, um, not eating it much.

Ps I can actually understand why people have started using the term flexitarian. The amount of times I have been asked if I am vegetarian because I have chosen the vegetarian option is ridiculous. It gets really tiring. As well as “not eating much meat” I also just like veggie food and would even if I ate meat all the time.

I am a strict veggie like your DSIS and to be honest your moral tone in the OP would have got up my nose too.

Eat what you want but dont preach to others, particularly those who are actually doing more. So giving your new lifestyle a fancy title is just not necessary.

I think you are right in that every little helps so hopefully your new choices work out well for you and your family.

It’s not in and of itself hypocritical to eat less meat. A hypocrite is “someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in way that shows these are not sincere.” So it depends what you say your moral beliefs are. It would be hypocritical to say you love animals and to still eat them, for example. Equally hypocritical for your Dsis to say she loves animals if she eats eggs and dairy, which are slaughter industries. But if you just say “I am eating less meat” how can that be a hypocritical statement?

I don’t really care much about being hypocritical though. Everyone is at some level. I do try to be logical and be guided by empathy. My aim is to do the best I can, and cause the least harm.

'Flexitarian' is a wanky term for self obsessed wankers. It means 'I eat whatever I want' - big deal, why the label? Yes, it is a good idea to eat less meat, but why the need for a self absorbed, virtue signalling, back-patting label so the world knows you are doing it? News flash: no-one cares and if you were that high and mighty you would be vegan, not chowing down on the dead animal and dairy when the fancy took you.

I agree with others - it's probably the label 'flexitarian' that has got her back up. You're either an omnivore or not, end of. Lots of people try to get reduce meat consumption without the ridiculous label.
Having said that, what you're doing is great, more people should! Keep it up x

The way you eat is perfectly reasonable. Calling yourself a flexitarian isn’t . You’re an omnivore 🙄

The amount of times I have been asked if I am vegetarian because I have chosen the vegetarian option is ridiculous. It gets really tiring

Same here. I'm not vegetarian, but there are lots of meals/foods that happen to be vegetarian or vegan that I really enjoy and just see as food. Such as hummus/falafel/salad and pittas, macaroni cheese, spinach and ricotta canneloni, omelettes, etc etc. I don't particuarly like meat in curry or on pizza, so my 'usual' pizza order is mediterranean vegetable. If I have curry, I will usually have paneer, chick peas, mixed veg, onion bhajis, rather than meat.

So people see me eating that sort of food, and then assume I'm vegetarian. When working away with colleagues, they'll comment when I have bacon and black pudding for breakfast, because in their tiny minds, 12 hours ago I was a vegetarian because it simply isn't possible to have dinner without any meat in it .

I've been vegan for about 6 months, before this I would've come under the label 'flexitarian' - I was pretty much vegetarian but would maybe eat a haribo if offered. I didn't use the term myself but I actually like it - I think it is more meaningful than an omnivore because it is a statement to say you are cutting down your meat consumption. It might encourage others to do so as it draws attention to the fact that some people are cutting down. And to my mind whether for animal, environmental or health reasons, that's a good thing.

If it is causing upset in your family, you could say you are 'transitioning to a meat free diet', when talking to your DSis?

they'll comment when I have bacon and black pudding for breakfast, because in their minds, 12 hours ago I was a vegetarian

Totally! I have been even called fake veggie before, albeit in jest, despite never claiming to be vegetarian.

“The amount of times I have been asked if I am vegetarian because I have chosen the vegetarian option is ridiculous. It gets really tiring”
“No” is a complete answer. Well, it usually isn’t. But in this case it is!

no none cares if you were that high and mighty you would be vegan, not chowing down on the dead animal and dairy when the fancy took you.

I care that people are taking the trouble to eat less meat - we all should.

I don’t care if people use the term #flexitarian - and if it helps it become a trend, great!

No is a complete answer

Yes yes... and I say No - doesn’t make it any less tiring that I have to say it every time I choose a veggie option. I don’t call myself anything, just find it tiring being asked.

I don’t call myself anything, just find it tiring being asked

Why do you not just self describe as an omnivore?

I do not understand what flexitarian really means or how it differs from any other omnivorous diet. What information is imparted that is specific and different about the term?

An omnivore implies you eat everything (meat, plants) but regularly.

A flexitarian implies that you eat meat rarely but are not vegetarian. I had to google that. I had never actually heard of the term til this thread but I can see how there is a difference. I am guessing the term came about because saying you are semi-veggie invites everyone to pick this apart.

That said, I shouldn’t really have to explain to anyone that I am either just for choosing a veggie burger.

I am guessing the term came about because saying you are semi-veggie invites everyone to pick this apart

It honestly does just seem another redundant phrase to me. If you are happy with your choices I don't see why omnivore doesn't do.

I eat vegan probably about 80+% of the time. However since I don't eschew dairy entirely I define as vegetarian. I'm not a flexivegan or a part time vegan I'm a vegetarian.

After a lifetime of being asked to explain myself for not eating meat, I long since concluded that the answer is not yet another descriptor but to work out who was genuinely interested and who could simply FOAD.

I doubt many are carnivores, so omnivore is a larger more general set of people than flexitarian (ie people who want to cut down meat for lots of different reasons). Nothing wrong with a descriptive word. We all have our boundaries.

Like some veggies use leather or eat cheese with rennet. Others don’t but might use medications/vitamins which had animal products. Some would go for a bovine/porcine heart valve if that was the best for their health. It doesn’t make people hypocritical - just means they have different boundaries.

Nothing wrong with a descriptive word. We all have our boundaries

But this word doesn't mean anything useful other than "omnivore". Google gave me several variations but nothing which would useful tell me what to feed a guest other than they eat anything. Like an omnivore.

I don't see the point in duplicating a meaning with a less understood (or even agreed) term.

Don't let your sister put you off your stride! You are being upfront with yourself and others about what you're doing -- NOT hypocritical.

I don't think many vegetarians and vegans live without boundaries that could be spun as "hypocritical" anyway. For eg if your sister, as a vegetarian, eats eggs and drinks milk, then animals are being killed to produce her food. If she's turning a blind eye to that then she's more hypocritical than you are!

I was a vegan when I did not turn down a life-changing operation which I know had been developed through testing on animals. That was hypocritical too.

I am sure that overall reduction is much more helpful for society as a whole than "labelling".