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

@Trixiefirecracker

Just think it’s a wanky, unnecessary term.

Nope.

Because if someone tells me they are flexitarian, I know exactly what they mean. It's a useful description.

Quite a lot of wanky, unnecessary posts on this thread though.

It's so good to see every restaurant providing a flexitarian menu these days 🤔👍

What do they mean, then, @Tulipomania?

It is useful to know - if you're cooking a BBQ and somebody is flexitarian it means you don't have to keep meat/vege cooking areas totally separate or have different cooking utensils Our Vege friends would have a heart attack if their vege sausage was cooked next to a meat one. A flexi friend wouldn't.

Pointless extra word. Irritates me as much as pescatarian.

I don't have a problem with people describing themselves as pescetarians. It just means the only type of meat they eat is fish.

@ZoeCM They mean I'd prefer not to eat meat but if that's what you're making for dinner, I'll gladly enjoy it.

And if I'm they're at a restaurant if the veggie option is shite, which it often is, then they might order the chicken instead. Or a fishcake.

Or if the salad comes with pancetta, that's OK too.

It's not outrage though is it. Just pondering theutilityof the term really.

Presumably the people who use the term find it useful, otherwise they probably wouldn't use it. You don't really get to decide whether certain terms are useful or not to other people. Besides, I strongly suspect that people's real motivation for objecting to this term is petty irritation, not a genuine desire to ponder on the utility of words they themselves never feel the need to use.

Me and my bf are both vegetarians but if we've gone out for a family meal for a birthday or other such occasion, my carnivorous mum will inevitably order a steak that she can't finish so my bf will finish it off for her. To me, the thought of eating meat is repulsive so I could never. To bf, he hasn't paid for the dead animal and it would just be going in the bin so he'd rather it not go to waste. Think that's a better version/definition of flexitarianism but as he's still 99% vegetarian, he stopped saying he was a flexitarian.

When some people find out you're a vegetarian, they seem determined to "catch you out" and fire off a million questions about your eating habits, what you wear, how you cook etc. I DREAD meals with new people bc so many meat eaters have had a go at me when they've noticed I'm a vegetarian; I never ever bring it up bc I can't stand how affronted meat eaters can be over my choices that have nothing to do with them! So to avoid this, bf used to say he was a flexitarian but now he just says he's a vegetarian and shrugs when people inevitably quiz him if he finishes someone else's meat. He's less bothered by people getting irate over his diet than I am - though I'm an ED survivor so people commenting on what I eat can send me into an irrational tailspin.

Pointless extra word. Irritates me as much as pescatarian.

Why is 'pescatarian' irritating? I mean... yes, you could say 'I don't eat meat but I do eat fish'. But you could also say 'stick with graphite in, which you can draw or write with' instead of pencil. Just because a word is newish, that doesn't mean it's pointless or stupid. All words were new once.

Because if someone tells me they are flexitarian, I know exactly what they mean. It's a useful description.

That's strange, since self-styled flexitarians can't even agree on what they mean.

Me and my bf are both vegetarians

Your boyfriend is not a vegetarian.

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 he's not vegetarian if he eats his DMs leftover steak like that.

By that definition, half the country is vegetarian if they have cereal for breakfast, a cheese sandwich for lunch and something that they haven't cooked themselves for dinner.

@grlwhowrites

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

So your boyfriend will finish a steak, but is vegetarian ??

Ah, the cow is vegetarian and your boyfriend eats it......I get it now 👍

By that definition, half the country is vegetarian if they have cereal for breakfast, a cheese sandwich for lunch and something that they haven't cooked themselves for dinner.
You’re being obtuse.

There is a difference between allowing somebody to cook meat for you, and eating someone else’s leftovers that would otherwise go to waste. The first action supports the meat industry, the second does not.

I’ve also known a vegetarian who despite otherwise not eating meat, once polished off the remains of a chicken curry that I was going to bin.

If you want to declare those people aren’t vegetarians (and instead are flexitarians), fine - but there’s a very obvious distinction between the PP’s bf’s actions and the scenario you describe.

And if those people find it easier to call themselves vegetarians, because of how much the word ‘flexitarian’ seems to wind people up, that’s understandable.

Me and my bf are both vegetarians but if we've gone out for a family meal for a birthday or other such occasion, my carnivorous mum will inevitably order a steak that she can't finish so my bf will finish it off for her. To me, the thought of eating meat is repulsive so I could never. To bf, he hasn't paid for the dead animal and it would just be going in the bin so he'd rather it not go to waste

Love how you are trying to justify your meat eating boyfriend is a vegetarian. If you eat meat you aren't veggie, it's really simple.

I did it bizarre too. It's basically eating what you want which does not need a name or label. I often like the veggie option and don't cook loads of meat at home. I guess if there was any label it would be foodatarian - eat what I fancy out of all the food groups

It’s just a way of describing a particular subcategory of omnivore. So you don’t assume we will eat meat, default preferred option is vegetarian/vegan but we’re not pretending we are actually vegetarian/vegan because we do eat some meat/fish very selectively.

Bit more one is assuming anything. No one cares what you eat on a daily basis

if we've gone out for a family meal for a birthday or other such occasion, my carnivorous mum will inevitably order a steak that she can't finish so my bf will finish it off for her

Sounds like they have an arrangement. Why else would she keep ordering steak she knows she can't eat and her DDs 'vegetarian' BF will feel obliged to eat?

I'd probably go as far to say that your BF is only 'vegetarian' in your company/to please you and he's probably eating meat routinely when you're not with him.

@liveforsummer

I did it bizarre too. It's basically eating what you want which does not need a name or label. I often like the veggie option and don't cook loads of meat at home. I guess if there was any label it would be foodatarian - eat what I fancy out of all the food groups

It's almost certainly about the label. Why else would people make a big performance about eating how humans naturally eat as omnivores, which is not the same as carnivores BTW.

That's animals like cats who have to eat a diet that is exclusively, or almost exclusively, meat.

@grlwhowrites

Me and my bf are both vegetarians but if we've gone out for a family meal for a birthday or other such occasion, my carnivorous mum will inevitably order a steak that she can't finish so my bf will finish it off for her. To me, the thought of eating meat is repulsive so I could never. To bf, he hasn't paid for the dead animal and it would just be going in the bin so he'd rather it not go to waste. Think that's a better version/definition of flexitarianism but as he's still 99% vegetarian, he stopped saying he was a flexitarian.

When some people find out you're a vegetarian, they seem determined to "catch you out" and fire off a million questions about your eating habits, what you wear, how you cook etc. I DREAD meals with new people bc so many meat eaters have had a go at me when they've noticed I'm a vegetarian; I never ever bring it up bc I can't stand how affronted meat eaters can be over my choices that have nothing to do with them! So to avoid this, bf used to say he was a flexitarian but now he just says he's a vegetarian and shrugs when people inevitably quiz him if he finishes someone else's meat. He's less bothered by people getting irate over his diet than I am - though I'm an ED survivor so people commenting on what I eat can send me into an irrational tailspin.

Your boyfriend is not vegetarian!

@grlwhowrites

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

Definitely not vegetarian 😆. Just someone who prefers vegetarian food

I don't mind pescatarian, it has a very obvious meaning. The only meat a pescatarian eats is fish. Flexitarian means something different to everyone and is really just a dietary preference

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

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?