Flexitarian...really?

[FrustratedTeddyLamp]

Seen flexitarian a few times now and so off I went to Google which gave me this definition:

Flexitarianism or 'casual vegetarianism' is an increasingly popular, plant-based diet that claims to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health with an eating regime that's mostly vegetarian yet still allows for the occasional meat dish

So a meat eater? An omnivore am I missing something? This seems stupid to me and just another unnecessary label

Your boyfriend is not a vegetarian.
Yes, he is. I've very clearly explained why he no longer uses the term flexitarian and lo and behold, it's still not good enough.shrugs*

Of course it's not. Because flexitarian doesn't have a rigid definition. Vegetarian does. A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat, not someone who doesn't pay for meat or only eats meat if it would be going to waste otherwise!

@liveforsummer

I feel the same about deserts though. I prefer savoury food 99% of the time. If I'm hungry I will choose a savoury snack, if there was a 3 course menu and crackers and cheese were a dessert option I'd choose that however if it wasn't I'd have a sweet desert but probably not finish it. If I go to a friends and am offered coffee and cake I'd take a small piece. If it's someone's birthday I'll share a piece of cake but I'd never buy or make cake outside of an occasion. Does that need a name too or is it just my preferred taste?

How about Umamitarian ? 😆😆

I'm the same, i don't have a sweet tooth so would always go for cheese and biccies over a dessert.

We could start our own movement of Umamitatianism, and woe betide anyone who has a large piece of cake or a secret stash of chocolate, can't be confusing other people by declaring we don't eat certain things when obviously we do 😆👍

The first rule of Umamitatian club is........

😆😆😆

@lisaandalan

I like the concept of flexitarian, it means you like me can choose the veggie option 90% of the time but if my friends all wanted to go to a steakhouse I could go and just have a small bit of meat, I don't dislike it but prefer not to eat too much. X

But omnivores can do that too.

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

@ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

Fussy? 😂

@ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

How about Dontevergivemecourgetteatarian ??

Too long maybe ??

Would make you sound very special though 😁👍

Fussycourgetterian? Courgettaflexivegetarian? This is obviously a useful label and it would be immediately clear what my diet consists of.

But @Tulipomania, people have given conflicting definitions of flexitarianism on this thread alone!

@grlwhowrites, of course your boyfriend's not a vegetarian if he eats steak 😂 Even if he only ate meat once a year, he wouldn't be a vegetarian.

Does anyone remember that insane thread started by the "relaxed vegan" who ate eggs and dairy?

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

That's not quite the same thing though really. People are usually vegetarians or trying to avoid meat for health, moral or environmental reasons, rather than because they are 'not a huge fan' of meat. I'd expect my dinner guests to let me know if they were a vegetarian, a pescatarian or even if they just preferred to avoid meat (for reasons). I wouldn't expect to be informed about every food item they 'weren't a big fan' of.

@ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

How about a courgettevarying?

People are usually vegetarians or trying to avoid meat for health, moral or environmental reasons, rather than because they are 'not a huge fan' of meat.

Yes. But how is that relelvant to "flexitarians"?

How about a courgettevarying?

Yes. But how is that relelvant to "flexitarians"?

Because they are mostly trying to avoid or reduce meat consumption for those reasons too.

I find it rather bloody annoying. Particularly if you go out of your way to prepare special items for the “flexitarian” when they’re in their vegetarian, or even worse, vegan, stage and then when they’re visiting and you’ve catered specifically for them, they eat the meat option.

I find cooking the vegan options adding much more to my entertaining budget and more time consuming. Really annoys me when they’ve changed their mind without letting you know. Sometimes feel I cannot win. Persons in question for me are family members so it’s not as though I have a choice not to invite them to meals either.

It’s a wanky label

Most of us will eat vegan meals and give it no thought to label ourselves

@Fairislefandango

I'm not a huge fan of courgette and I woudn't cook with it or order it at a restaurant. But if it was the only option, or if someone else cooked it, I'd eat it. What speshul label can I invent for myself? Obviously I need one, because it's essential that everybody knows about my courgette preferences.

That's not quite the same thing though really. People are usually vegetarians or trying to avoid meat for health, moral or environmental reasons, rather than because they are 'not a huge fan' of meat. I'd expect my dinner guests to let me know if they were a vegetarian, a pescatarian or even if they just preferred to avoid meat (for reasons). I wouldn't expect to be informed about every food item they 'weren't a big fan' of.

Who's to say why people have decided to use the daft definition. There is no set rule, could well be because they just don't fancy meat much. I might be avoiding cake because of an effort to try and reduce sugar for health or ethical reasons rather than the fact I just don't fancy it. Then does it need a title? The pp with courgettes might be unhappy about part of the process of courgette farming.

I have to say I do like @FunkyPhantom suggestion of a new movement, we could campaign for cheese and biscuits on every desert menu. I'd proudly share my Umamitariin status.

If someone eats steak, however irregularly they are not a vegetarian. God.

Who's to say why people have decided to use the daft definition.

Who's to say? Well... they are. And everyone I've met who is trying to cut down on meat is doing so for health, animal welfare or environmental reasons. You can make up silly, snarky things about cake and courgettes as much as you like, but it's not the same and you know it. As well as not being nearly as witty as you seem to think.

@Fairislefandango

Who's to say why people have decided to use the daft definition.

Who's to say? Well... they are. And everyone I've met who is trying to cut down on meat is doing so for health, animal welfare or environmental reasons. You can make up silly, snarky things about cake and courgettes as much as you like, but it's not the same and you know it. As well as not being nearly as witty as you seem to think.

I think you misunderstood the context of what to say. You can't state that everyone is trying to cut down over just not liking meat much as fact. Peoples reasons will vary, and I was joking a lot the courgette thing. Totally accept it was a shit joke so I'll give you that one. I am serious about the sweet/savoury cake situation though, i believe it's a good comparison.

Because they are mostly trying to avoid or reduce meat consumption for those reasons too.

But they'll eat meat when they feel like it, just like everybody who eats meat. Why does it need a word?

I often help with catering for group holidays. If someone wrote on their booking form that they were flexitarian it would not really help. The ppl here who have used the term to describe themselves have differing versions of what it means. Person A might be vegetarian on weekdays and eat meat at weekends, B eats meat when they don't fancy the vegetarian option and person C is actively trying ti reduce their meat intake . All describe themselves as flexitarian. How will I know which day someone is going to choose the meat/vegetarian option?
@PainterMummy I totally get that. We have had holidays where someone has stated they are gluten free. In a group.of 30 + people you will inevitably have to make a vegetarian and/or vegan version of a meal and then if someone is gluten free you have to make a third or 4th version - it often being quite difficult if you are abroad to source/identify gluten free products. Then when we go to a cafe the person tucks into scones and croissants!!

@Twopenny

I think it's fine. Basically it means they are careful about what and how much meat they eat or that they are trying to reduce meat but are not meat free yet. The whole point of the label is telling people not to assume they'll eat meat. It can be helpful in some contexts when catering.

I agree with it.

I’m definitely an omnivore who eats mostly vegan/veggie but I wouldn’t call myself flexitarian.
I’ve no problem with it whatsoever though

@liveforsummer Ok, we will have to agree to disagree. You believe that many or most people trying to eat less meat are doing it because they aren't keen on meat? I think that's very unlikely to be true. I'd say that saying you're cutting down on meat or try not to eat much meat, and particularly labelling yourself a flexitarian (whch is what this thread was about, and the thing that's being most criticiser) heavily implies you are doing it for a specific reason. Whereas people who aren't that keen on meat probably just... don't eat much meat. Or they only eat certain meats which they like.

I think it's fine. Basically it means they are careful about what and how much meat they eat or that they are trying to reduce meat but are not meat free yet. The whole point of the label is telling people not to assume they'll eat meat. It can be helpful in some contexts when catering.

Most sensible post on the thread imo! You said what I've been trying to say, but more lucidly and calmly .

I don't see how it would be helpful without further clarification but there you go.