Flexitarianism

Some people refer to themselves as flexitarians. I quite like the idea of it. The term is pretty vague, and I consider myself to be a particular kind of flexitarian.

This is what I mean when I say that I am a flexitarian:

When choosing between vegetarian food and a non vegetarian food of similar convenience, tastiness and nutritional value I will always pick the vegetarian option.

I think more people who think of themselves as meat eaters should become flexitarians in this way too.

It seems like a pretty trivially obvious choice to make, but I feel like the world is full of people who pick meat options out of reflex and habit, even when tastier vegetarian food is just as conveniently available.

In other words: meat has become a kind of meme.

At the root of this is the observation that most of the meat we eat isn't really that nice or convenient, and that vegetarian options are often just as tasty. This may not have been true in the past, but in recent years vegetarian options in places ranging from recipe books to canteens to supermarkets have improved a lot.