Flexitarianism

Faced with the climate crisis and warnings about agricultural exploitation and its impact on the environment, many people around the world are choosing to adopt a flexitarian diet, which, while not vegetarian, reduces meat consumption to have less impact on the environment.

Several controversies surrounding veganism focus on the fact that many essential amino acids and heme iron, which comes from the myoglobin in meat, are difficult to assimilate in a diet that completely excludes animal products unless supplemented. Additionally, for various sociocultural reasons—such as the culinary traditions of a community that often involve preparations with different types of meat, food preferences, and the social prestige that in certain circles derives from meat consumption—it is a real obstacle for many people to refuse to eat meat. Flexitarianism is the alternative that many environmentally concerned individuals have decided to adopt, essentially consisting of reducing the number of times per week meat is consumed and replacing it with vegetables, legumes, and other foods. This leads to an increase in the consumption of vegetables and grains to substitute the satiety that meat provides.

The reasons people become flexitarian include concerns about health, the environment, and also animal suffering in food production. Socially, flexitarians are clearly defined in several countries where studies have been conducted: they are mostly represented by women (in some countries over 70%), with high economic income and high education levels. Most are concentrated between 30 and 50 years old.

For many, this represents an alternative to becoming fully vegan, allowing continued meat consumption in more social situations or when a craving for a specific meat dish arises. In an era where eating habits are categorized in various ways, it is interesting to consider that many of our ancestors in Mexico or members of different current communities have followed a "flexitarian" regime without labeling it as such; in many places, meat is eaten when possible or on special occasions. Clearly, these types of categories originate in contexts where food hyperabundance is accessible to all members of a specific community. Food inequalities and global contrasts mean that today these categories coexist with ways of eating where consuming meat once a week is considered a luxury.

From the perspective of the impacts of a diet that increases the consumption of legumes, grains, and vegetables, the benefits are evident at the individual, community, and environmental levels. It is in the categorization of eating habits that the origins of "trends" are revealed, showing how eating patterns are shaped by specific contexts. Undoubtedly, the term flexitarian is coined from a context of food hyperabundance, where probably per capita meat consumption exceeded recommended limits. Beyond categories, it is important to adopt eating habits that are personally beneficial but also sustainable in the long term.

— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.