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

dbmata

I say I am flexitarian. I am a pretty specific flexitarian because I only eat meat that either I produce myself or that I know was raised humanely with grass and sunshine etc. I am very open about my diet and don't get annoyed when people ask me about it.

So you're an omnivore.

Everyone is an omnivore. Vegetarians still eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains. Some even eat dairy and eggs.

bingo. End thread.

Damn science.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

"No. Not a vegetarian. Just not a big fan of meat."

MyOwnSunshine

(Orders a vegetarian entrée at restaurant)

"Oh, are you a vegetarian?"

"No. Did you see the Cardinals game on Sunday?"


There you go. Easy. Move on. Labels are unnecessary. Eat what you eat.

susanyounkin

I say I am flexitarian. I am a pretty specific flexitarian because I only eat meat that either I produce myself or that I know was raised humanely with grass and sunshine etc. I am very open about my diet and don't get annoyed when people ask me about it.

So you're an omnivore.

Everyone is an omnivore. Vegetarians still eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains. Some even eat dairy and eggs.

bingo. End thread.

Damn science.

Human nature likes to organize things (and unfortunately people) so yes, damn science. People like to have some kind of box to put you (general) in. So I give them a label I am comfortable using. It is much easier and makes for less questions when I say I am a flexitarian. Then no one believes I am judging their meat-eating habits since I don't have to say that I am not eating their meat dish because the meat was inhumanely raised.

tabicatinthehat

It is much easier and makes for less questions when I say I am a flexitarian. Then no one believes I am judging their meat-eating habits since I don't have to say that I am not eating their meat dish because the meat was inhumanely raised.

Obviously not easier. For example, this thread. Just eat food. Lawd.

susanyounkin

So in the 1800s the term "vegetarian" showed up in western countries, but it was ambiguous. People who ate dairy and eggs called themselves vegetarians, all the way to people who wouldn't eat anything that came from an animal or wear anything/use anything that came from an animal. Everyone learned the term. It became widespread. Then in 1944, the vegan society began in England, coining the term "vegan" so that there was a term for the "strict" vegetarians.

Today there is a need for language that expresses people who only eat certain meats or only eat meat at certain times. The term "flexitarian" was born. I'm not sure why there is such a kerfluffle over the term, but it does make answers much easier In Real Life. IRL when sitting with friends and family, they want to know why you aren't eating what they consider the norm. In America especially, the norm has become meat as a large portion of the meal. When I use the term "flexitarian" they know that even when I eat meat, I don't want a large portion of it. It is a better descriptor.

ythannah

"No. Not a vegetarian. Just not a big fan of meat."

I've used that response many times, and the resulting conversation usually goes like this:

"How can you not like meat? It's sooo good!"
"Umm, well, not to me it isn't"
"What's not to like about a big juicy steak, it's yummy!"
"Just not my thing, but glad you enjoy it"
"That's really weird, I don't get it". (pause) "Will it bother you if I order a steak and I'm eating it in front of you?"
"No, not at all. It doesn't matter to me what you choose to eat" (Hint: and it shouldn't matter to you what I choose to eat!!)

I can't tell you how many times that exact scenario has played out, pretty much every time I eat in a group setting.

ukaryote

MyOwnSunshine said:

(Orders a vegetarian entrée at restaurant)

"Oh, are you a vegetarian?"

"No. Did you see the Cardinals game on Sunday?"


There you go. Easy. Move on. Labels are unnecessary. Eat what you eat.

:laugh: Perfect! It leaves them wondering WTH just happened!

JoRocka

I say I am flexitarian. I am a pretty specific flexitarian because I only eat meat that either I produce myself or that I know was raised humanely with grass and sunshine etc. I am very open about my diet and don't get annoyed when people ask me about it.

So you're an omnivore.

Everyone is an omnivore. Vegetarians still eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains. Some even eat dairy and eggs.

bingo. End thread.

Damn science.

Human nature likes to organize things (and unfortunately people) so yes, damn science. People like to have some kind of box to put you (general) in. So I give them a label I am comfortable using. It is much easier and makes for less questions when I say I am a flexitarian. Then no one believes I am judging their meat-eating habits since I don't have to say that I am not eating their meat dish because the meat was inhumanely raised.

You're right - it's much easier- easier in that it is significantly more ostentatious and ignorant sounding. It's like you're trying to hard... and it's why this thread exists.

just let your food be your food. you don't need to splain nothing.

susanyounkin

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

PRMinx

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

I don't know. Im with JRocka. If you say flexitarian, then you have to explain what that means. And then people will look at you funny because it's kind of like you just eat a traditional omnivore diet, which most people do...

Much easier to say, sometimes I like to eat veggies. Today is that kind of day.

I don't get the need to explain everything. If someone cares that much, then they are weird to me.

JoRocka

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

be a thing.

no one eats 100% meat all the time (except for that weird guy who eats only raw meats and his whole mouth is blood stained)

It's just silly to give normal eating preferences it's own label- I don't order meat every time I go out (I do most of the time- but not EVER time) and I never have a name for whatever the hell i"m eating.

it just sounds pretensions and way harder than it needs to be.

I think I'm more concerned about how/why people are having to answer this question to often that it's an issue- I have heard more questions HERE about what I eat- and others eat- than I do in real life when people are watching me eat- it's just unfathomable to me how this is SUCH an issue we need extra names. Flexitarian is a goofy name for someone who eats what they want.

why won't the world just stop. trying.so hard.

MyOwnSunshine

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

be a thing.

no one eats 100% meat all the time (except for that weird guy who eats only raw meats and his whole mouth is blood stained)

It's just silly to give normal eating preferences it's own label- I don't order meat every time I go out (I do most of the time- but not EVER time) and I never have a name for whatever the hell i"m eating.

it just sounds pretensions and way harder than it needs to be.

I think I'm more concerned about how/why people are having to answer this question to often that it's an issue- I have heard more questions HERE about what I eat- and others eat- than I do in real life when people are watching me eat- it's just unfathomable to me how this is SUCH an issue we need extra names. Flexitarian is a goofy name for someone who eats what they want.

why won't the world just stop. trying.so hard.

JoRocka, perhaps we just need a new label.

"Why did you order _______?"

"Well, of course, it's because I'm a KICK-*kitten*-ATARIAN. It's all the rage, you know?"

JoRocka

JoRocka, perhaps we just need a new label.

"Why did you order _______?"

"Well, of course, it's because I'm a KICK-*kitten*-ATARIAN. It's all the rage, you know?"

YES!!!!!

I would probably wind up saying something like this

ignorant person:
" why did you order _______ do you not like _______? are you a vegan? are you a _________???"

me:
well- since "because I f***king wanted to probably won't satisfy your questions- I'm just going to leave it with I'm a KICKASSATARIAN- which means I'm way to be busy being awesome to answer stupid questions- you should totally try it!!!"

susanyounkin

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

be a thing.

no one eats 100% meat all the time (except for that weird guy who eats only raw meats and his whole mouth is blood stained)

It's just silly to give normal eating preferences it's own label- I don't order meat every time I go out (I do most of the time- but not EVER time) and I never have a name for whatever the hell i"m eating.

it just sounds pretensions and way harder than it needs to be.

I think I'm more concerned about how/why people are having to answer this question to often that it's an issue- I have heard more questions HERE about what I eat- and others eat- than I do in real life when people are watching me eat- it's just unfathomable to me how this is SUCH an issue we need extra names. Flexitarian is a goofy name for someone who eats what they want.

why won't the world just stop. trying.so hard.

I get questions a lot IRL about what I'm eating, why I am not eating XYZ, and whether or not I am a vegetarian. I have only been coming to the boards on here for a couple weeks. But whereas IRL people ask the questions because they are curious, here I haven't been asked any questions but I have now (and all by you, BTW) been called ostentatious, ignorant sounding, and pretentious. I am not "trying so hard," I simply respond to people who talk or text to me. I was taught to be polite that way. So when someone asks "Why aren't you trying the ham, are you a vegetarian?" I say No I'm not a vegetarian. Because I'm not. Invariably they will then ask something else like: Then why aren't you eating the meat? I'll say I am a flexitarian. They either stop questioning and take it at face value, or we continue a typically polite question. I am not the OP and do not get upset about subsequent questions. But I do find it easier to say a label I can agree with and see if they want more information. But then again, I am not concerned about why people are answering these questions because people in general are typically curious about things that appear different to them. So I just answer at face value.

Again here on this board, you haven't asked questions, you just told me what you personally think about me as a person and my diet choices. I'm not "trying to be a thing," I eat the way I eat and when I heard a label that fit and made explanations quicker, I adopted it. Yes, most of the families around my area do not believe it is a meal if there isn't a dead animal on the table, so they do eat meat at every single meal. Someone who doesn't partake of the communal dead animal is strange to them.

susanyounkin

Trying too hard at what? At answering a direct question? I'm not just throwing this term out there for no reason. When someone asks a question, I answer it. Just as others answer that they are gluten-free, or low-carb, or any other number of diet options. I answer in the shortest and easiest answer possible.
Maybe you don't need to "splain nothin" but I will answer a question when it is asked.

I don't know. Im with JRocka. If you say flexitarian, then you have to explain what that means. And then people will look at you funny because it's kind of like you just eat a traditional omnivore diet, which most people do...

Much easier to say, sometimes I like to eat veggies. Today is that kind of day.

I don't get the need to explain everything. If someone cares that much, then they are weird to me.

Explaining is not a big deal to me. It's a conversation. Usually people who ask are simply curious, so I answer their questions. Saying I "have to explain" makes it sound like a chore. I didn't intend for it to sound that way. I was just answering the OP as to what I say when specifically asked.
Maybe in your area people who are not vegetarian often forgo meat, but I live in a very rural, very hunter-oriented area. There is always meat on the table, and some will even feel slighted if you don't take some.

FIT_Goat

no one eats 100% meat all the time (except for that weird guy who eats only raw meats and his whole mouth is blood stained)

There are not many people who eat 100% meat all the time. There are some though. Also, I'm pretty sure that guy's mouth is not "stained" by the blood. That shot was almost certainly taken intentionally to be sensational. It's like saying a vegan's mouth is strained green because you take a picture of them right after they chew up a huge batch of spinach and have a bunch all over the inside of their mouth.

JoRocka

I'm not asking because I do not care what you eat.


As long as you are eating well rounded and balanced moderated food- hit your macros and are successfully meeting your goals- I'm wildly happy for you.

It doesn't need a label. It's what you like to eat. That's all there is to it.

JoRocka

no one eats 100% meat all the time (except for that weird guy who eats only raw meats and his whole mouth is blood stained)

There are not many people who eat 100% meat all the time. There are some though. Also, I'm pretty sure that guy's mouth is not "stained" by the blood. That shot was almost certainly taken intentionally to be sensational. It's like saying a vegan's mouth is strained green because you take a picture of them right after they chew up a huge batch of spinach and have a bunch all over the inside of their mouth.

I agree- but you knew exactly who I was talking about didn't you

I know certain cultures eat a VERY high percentage of meat- (thinking Alaska here)
nope... I'm trying to research and even their diet is not that high in meat
Traditional Inuit diets derive approximately 50% of their calories from fat, 30-35% from protein and 15-20% of their calories from carbohydrates, largely in the form of glycogen from the raw meat they consumed.[22]

so even then- for a culture that eats mostly meats and fats- it's more fat than meat- still not that high on the meats.

susanyounkin

I'm not asking because I do not care what you eat.


As long as you are eating well rounded and balanced moderated food- hit your macros and are successfully meeting your goals- I'm wildly happy for you.

It doesn't need a label. It's what you like to eat. That's all there is to it.

It just seems strange to me that you don't care what I eat, but you do care what I call it.