From veggie to flexi... In defence of a mixed meal

A couple of weeks ago, Barbara Ellen in the Observer lambasted the new, less committed vegetarianism that is spreading across the country with the rather unsexy name of “Flexitarianism”, she banged on about lack of commitment and people not having the staying power that they once did. This kind of riled me, because while I probably wouldn’t announce myself as a flexi at a dinner party, it is what I am and I actually think that it is the way to a more sustainable way of eating.

I was vegetarian for 23 years, but I did eat fish and eggs. This was mainly because I became vegetarian when I was nine and my mum worried that all I got for protein in my school dinners was a lump of cheese. I also didn’t really think of fish in the same way I did other animals, and as I was a sucker for a cute cow’s big brown eyes or the fluffy tail of a rabbit, the idea of eating them was totally unpalatable.

I made it through my teens and twenties without succumbing to a bacon buttie as so many veggies do, but then in my thirties a couple of things happened: I started to think about fish differently and I got pregnant.

The fish thing came first. I read a book called “Cod, the fish that changed the world” and began to comprehend the sheer decimation of the world’s fish stocks. Suddenly my tunafish sandwich habit felt utterly incongruent with my vision for a sustainable planet. So I decided I needed to eat less fish, and make sure I knew a lot more about the fish that I did consume. At the same time I started eating chicken, which seems odd, but I felt I needed a protein replacements (real veggies would call me lightweight I know!)

Then I got up the duff and alongside feeling DREADFUL, I also felt a compulsion to eat more meat. So I even tried (organic, local) beef, bacon and sausages. And ever since then I have been trying to wean myself off them for good. It’s as bad as fags though, you do get a craving.

So rather than chastise myself forever, I have embraced the concept of flexitarianism. I try to eat very little meat. I avoid my four legged friends altogether as they are largely responsible for rainforest landtake and methane emissions. My chicken habit is still pretty large I guess, but I always go for organic free range, and sustainable sourcing is key to eating fish. Paul Macartney’s idea for a meat free Monday even means that my red blooded Irish husband refrains from digging in to the rashers on a Monday – and in the grand scheme of things, I hope that makes a difference.

The moral of this tale, is that there is room for more than one type of diet when we are try to do our bit for the environment. Being a considerate flexitarian does not necessarily mean that you lack commitment, it just makes you an omnivore.