Any flexitarians? How do you explain your diet to others?

MB_Positif

I generally tell people I am eating the hell out of some meat so I can have muscles to flex. Flexitarian.

LeonCX

I married a Flexitarian but I'm Methodist.

jay8anks

I make my lunch my big meal of the day and any meat I eat is at lunch. That way, I appear normal. For breakfast and supper, 99% of the time I'm vegetarian. Now some days at lunch I am too.

I've been an off an on again vegetarian for years. I really find that people hate it you are different from them. Just lightening up and eating meat at lunch makes it easy to appease friends and family.

Flextarian is exactly how I think of myself.

Galatea_Stone

I wasn't sure what a flexitarian was. I presumed that you were talking about IIFYM and flexible dieting for a minute. Guess I'm wrong here.

I don't use -tarian labels to describe the way I eat because I don't think I need to explain it to anyone. The only exception to this is if I am cooking for them and I don't know if they will eat what I eat or if I am dining with a vegan friend who I know gets upset if I eat meat in front of him (he's a dear friend and is the only person allowed his concession). I do eat IIFYM and consume a lot of protein, but that runs the gamut from tofu to fatty beef. That's just me, though.

Feel free to call yourself any type of -tarian, OP. And also feel free that you don't have to explain it to anyone.

Maitria

"Thank you for considering how to describe yourself in a way that won't offend me. " /fixed

She said that she was trying not to offend both meat-eaters and vegetarians. I wanted to express appreciation for her thoughtfulness.
PS: not offended by Flexitarians, though I think the term gums up the works.

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

<sigh>

I can't explain myself.

I eat fish at least once a week, other meat a few times a year, and no animal products at least 2 days a week. I supplement my diet with B12 and I've learned to prepare vegan dishes for the week to make it easier. I don't explain myself, in fact, unless someone is genuinely interested, I prefer not to talk about it.

Carnivor0us

"Thank you for considering how to describe yourself in a way that won't offend me. " /fixed

She said that she was trying not to offend both meat-eaters and vegetarians. I wanted to express appreciation for her thoughtfulness.
PS: not offended by Flexitarians, though I think the term gums up the works.

I personally would not be offended in any way, shape or form if a vegetarian claimed to be a carnivore. Whatevs, right?

But is that true the other way around?

Agree that Flexitarian is kinda silly but like I said, whatevs.

Maitria

Also, if someone is so concerned with my eating habits as to get offended? I genuinely couldn't care less. That's ridiculous. If I want to call myself a T-Rex and only eat salad, why should that be offensive? Weird.This should not be something one should have to consider...

I think OP just doesn't want anyone to think she's judging them and recognizes that vegetarian isn't the word for her diet.

njitaliana

I just say, "no, but I eat a lot of vegetarian meals." Nobody ever questions that.

Maitria

I personally would not be offended in any way, shape or form if a vegetarian claimed to be a carnivore. Whatevs, right?
but a vegetarian
But is that true the other way around?

Agree that Flexitarian is kinda silly but like I said, whatevs.

I can't speak speak for every vegetarian, but a vegetarian proclaiming to be carnivorous is only screwing herself. Someone claiming to be vegetarian while eating meat just causes confusion, which is why I get irritated but not offended.

apparations

I generally tell people I am eating the hell out of some meat so I can have muscles to flex. Flexitarian.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

seltzermint555

This sounds like me, I guess maybe I'm a flexitarian...I kind of thought that was a joke when I heard it before (no offense, I just really didn't know it was a thing).

My husband has been pescetarian for many years and the meals we cook at home fit his dietary preferences and suit me just fine, too. I ate pescetarian for a year with absolutely no beef, poultry or pork, and then went back to it but only like 1-2 times per week at most, and like you (OP) I mostly just order it in restaurants or partake of appealing meat dishes when dining with friends...and that's actually kind of rare because I'm very picky about anything with bones, fat, gristle, etc...I like only very particular things like thinly sliced beef on a Thai salad or burgers from my favorite local place.

So for most purposes I do go with a fish or vegetarian meal at events and such...it's just easier that way and it's also more likely that those options will include lots of vegetables, which I strive to eat more of anyway. It's kind of sad when the option is a soup with cheese & sausage in it, or a nice big salad...lasagna with just tomato sauce, meat & cheese, or a veggie pasta with 6 different vegetables and lots of spices. I like what On The Ground said early on in this thread...just explain that it fits better for you. No need to explain further, really.

I have found that some people are just rude about this stuff. Some people find it very strange that a pescetarian for example, will eat fish, shrimp, eggs...but not bacon. I really don't get why they would worry about it.

Carnivor0us

I personally would not be offended in any way, shape or form if a vegetarian claimed to be a carnivore. Whatevs, right?
but a vegetarian
But is that true the other way around?

Agree that Flexitarian is kinda silly but like I said, whatevs.

I can't speak speak for every vegetarian, but a vegetarian proclaiming to be carnivorous is only screwing herself. Someone claiming to be vegetarian while eating meat just causes confusion, which is why I get irritated but not offended.

I'm a bit confused, to be honest. Can you illustrate why a vegetarian would be screwed? (Serious question)

Maitria

I'm a bit confused, to be honest. Can you illustrate why a vegetarian would be screwed? (Serious question)

sure. Brief response due to tech difficulties. Veg: "I'm a meat eater." Others: "Ok." Proceed to give vegetarian meat dishes at occasions or don't mention the chicken broth in the pasta sauce.

AZKristi

Just explain that you try to stick to vegetarian meals because you recognize that it is good for your health and the environment but that you haven't given up meat entirely.

Elvenhearted

It's weird how it's alright for a meat eater to have a vegetarian dish here and there and no one says anything, but heaven help the person who is primarily vegetarian but wants a bit of meat sometimes.

JoRocka

Nope. No to this. You answer "No, I'm not a vegetarian" because you still eat meat. It doesn't matter how little meat you consume, you consume it. To call yourself a vegetarian would be an insult. You aren't a "flexitarian" either, you eat meat. You're a normal person that isn't that into meat. You don't call yourself anything.

This.

I eat a significant number of vegetables and I'll happily go "meatless" for several meals.

I don't' bother explaining it to any one- I just say I eat foods I like and I fit them into my diet.

boom- done.

Just explain that you try to stick to vegetarian meals because you recognize that it is good for your health

problem with this is that it inherently suggests eating meat is bad. Which is incorrect and just insulting to other people.


I don't understand why people need to EXPLAIN themselves and their food choices.

We talk about it at work- as in discuss it because it's interesting- but it's never an "explain yourself" situation. it tends to be higher level than that.

LifeWithPie

I don't understand why people need to EXPLAIN themselves and their food choices.

We talk about it at work- as in discuss it because it's interesting- but it's never an "explain yourself" situation. it tends to be higher level than that.

This! Most people don't give a bleep what others eat. I certainly don't.

_HeartsOnFire_

So basically OP you eat food. Just tell people that. You're an omnivore. You eat both plant and animal. Doesn't matter if you eat one more than the other, you eat food.

/thread

TheBigFb

I hate you all