Flexetarians: Part-Time Vegetarians

For the last 15 years, Dawn Jackson Blatner has been what's now called a "flexitarian" or "almost vegetarian." She eats lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, barbecued tempeh and veggie burgers with guacamole. But she sometimes indulges in a pork chop or her grandma's pot roast.

It might seem like being a vegetarian of convenience isn't particularly inspiring, but a growing number of experts and even some famous foodies are fans. They say that cutting back on meat, rather than abstaining completely, may be a practical compromise that benefits our bodies and our environment.

"It gives you the health benefits of a vegetarian diet without having to follow the strict rules," says Blatner, a registered dietitian and author of "The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life" (McGraw-Hill, October 2008). "We know that people live longer and live healthier when they eat vegetarian, but it's just too darn hard to do it 100 percent of the time."

Read the full story here.

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Comments

[DavidMG]

Stupid word. There already is a word - "omnivore."

[Blayne]

I guess I am a flexetarian. We only eat meat when company comes over or sometimes when we go out to eat.

[rjmiller]

I'm a fan. I have no moral qualms about eating animals (animals eat other animals, thats just how it works), but I think the economic cost of meat is out of control. How many pounds of grain are used for livestock per pound of meat returned?

[GoVeg]

I think this might be for health reason, but a lot of people don't eat meat due to the love and rights of animals.

[harrymellon]

but you are still killing animals.

[jake106]

Yes. Killing them and eating their delicious flesh. hehe.

[drkazmd65]

If we were not meant to eat them,... why did the great diety in the sky make them so tasty?

I'm a militant omnivore and love my place in the food chain. True, vegetables are good for you, and decreasing the amount of meat one eats is not a bad thing. But animal protein in moderation is also a good thing.

Try a nice hefty batch of lentil soup,... chock full of lentils, carrots, zuchinni, veggie broth, and lots of spinach with about 1/2 a pound of cubed lamb or pork. It is supposed to be fantastic with rabbit as well, but I haven't tried that myself. Add a nice loaf of crusty bread and damn,... THAT is a meal.