Taking the flexitarian road?

[Arrowfoot]

Did not realise the word existed but I realised I am becoming one. More plant based than meat. Still love my steaks and fry-ups. Not into raging ethics or philosophy but for health and environmental reasons. Discovering lentils some time back helped with the re-direct.

The price of plant based processed food however is cause for concern. Sainsbury recorded a 65% increase in plant based food in 2019. So there is demand. Who can afford these prices? Just to be clear this is not your fresh veggies but processed food that is popularly called "plant based".

Anyone else heading down this road?

 

[Drago]

Nope, but all power too youmif thats your thing.

 

[cosmicbike]

We have dabbled in the plant based stuff, and TBH some of it is really good. But with a family of 4 it's not a sustainable expense, so we eat more animal protein as a result.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Nope, but all power too youmif thats your thing.

I fear it might be short lived similar to my organic journey which lasted all of one week 20 years ago when the prices made no sense. I will probably go more on fresh veg etc

 

[PeteXXX]

No. I eat what I fancy, when I fancy it. Some days I eat meat, some I don't. I'm possibly even a vegan occasionally, but I'm not sure.

Good luck with your flexitarianism, though.

 

[IaninSheffield]

I too only recently became aware of this term and realised it was the direction I was heading. Still have meat occasionally, less than once a week on average.
I rarely buy plant-based processed foodstuffs; haven't found the need to include them in my diet. Instead, as you mentioned, pulses and the like have played a more significant role: green lentils where I once used minced beef (cottage pie, chilli con carne); chickpeas in Mediterranean or Morrocan stews; split lentils/peas or chickpeas as the base for curries; chickpeas as the foundation of burgers/patties (beetroot burgers).
By including enough variety, I haven't found I miss regular meat.

 

[All uphill]

I've been doing this for a few years.

The expensive products seem to be things that pretend to replicate meat. I avoid them. There are lots of healthy, tasty foods that are much cheaper than meat - lentils being a good example.

Enjoy your varied diet!

 

[Punkawallah]

The missus stretches mince with the quorn substitute - does that count? But apart from that I’lll eat anything that comes to hand. Apparently there are social ramifications to that?

 

[Drago]

Apparently there are social ramifications to that?

Imdeed. Quorn makes me fart a lot.

 

[jowwy]

Not for me sorry, i'm a meat lover and always will be.........

 

[vickster]

I stopped eating meat 2 years ago, I still eat fish/seafood but typically 80% or more of what I eat is vegetarian (I am in no way vegan though!)

I can happily afford plant based ready meals should I choose to buy them, which I do as I’m lazy and it gives me variety (mostly curries or curry sides). Taste and texture are the reasons I actually stopped eating meat so I have no interest in replicating, although I do eat the odd veggie sausage/burger.

 

[mistyoptic]

We have at least one veggie meal per week but nothing "processed", we cook it from scratch. Black Bean Shepherds Pie is a particular favourite

 

[Cycleops]

As Vicky says fish is a good alternative to meat but cost is quite high in the U.K. not so much down here as we’re near the sea but river fish is not cheap. Nutritious and there are lots of ways it can be prepared.
I wouldn’t like to be consuming too much over processed food whether it be meat or vegetable based.

 

[newfhouse]

If the environmental costs of large scale meat production are one of the drivers for those reducing their intake then that’s a good thing. It’s understandable but still sad to see the food industry pushing highly processed, highly packaged products so hard. On balance they may still be better than large animal derived products but much of the environmental and health gain can be lost, and the packaging cost remains high. You don’t need a chilled distribution chain for a sack of lentils, you do for fancy part-cooked spun protein sold in a plastic tray in a cardboard box.

I don’t want the perfect to be the enemy of the good, but the big money takeover of “plant based” seems like it may be a missed opportunity to effect real change.

Vegetarian cooking can be so quick and easy and cheap - everything goes with everything - and can really help those seeking to save money.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I've been doing this for a few years.

The expensive products seem to be things that pretend to replicate meat. I avoid them. There are lots of healthy, tasty foods that are much cheaper than meat - lentils being a good example.

Enjoy your varied diet!

Cannot agree with this enough. With fresh veg, herbs and substitutes like mushrooms, lentils etc it is so cheap. Or I could do a vegetable stew for 6 people on little more than a fiver. I only eat meat because it's sort of a habit and I've eaten it all my life and like the taste. If meat became extortionate or illegal then I'd happily make do. So many people complain about prices when all they buy is pre-made food which has manufacturing costs, design, packaging etc.