Flexitarianism
A mostly plant-based way of eating that still includes meat and fish occasionally, balancing health and environmental benefits with flexibility.
Flexitarianism (« flexible vegetarian ») means cutting back sharply on animal products without cutting them out. There is no strict rule: the idea is to make plants the base of your plate and meat or fish an occasional extra.
The original angle (the most realistic compromise): flexitarianism is increasingly seen as the most pragmatic and sustainable approach, in both senses of the word:
- Health: it captures most of the benefits of a plant-based diet (more fibre, less saturated fat, more micronutrients) without the deficiency risks of strict veganism (B12, omega-3, iron)
- Environment: cutting back on meat (even without eliminating it) significantly reduces your carbon footprint and use of resources. Not everyone needs to be vegan; it is enough for many people to eat less
- Adherence: with no dogma and no total deprivation, it is far easier to keep up in the long run than a strict diet. Strict perfection followed for 2 months is worth less than a moderate reduction kept up for life
The « less but better » principle: flexitarianism often goes with choosing higher quality animal products (meat of better provenance, less of it but better reared). Eating meat twice a week lets you choose a higher-quality cut for the same budget.
A caveat: like any diet, a poorly done flexitarian diet (built on white pasta and ultra-processed « plant-based » foods) is not healthy. It is the quality of the plant foods (whole, varied, pulses, vegetables) that delivers the benefit, not just « less meat ».
The Mediterranean diet is in practice a form of flexitarianism (little red meat, plenty of plant foods, fish regularly).