Glossary
What is flexitarian?
A flexitarian eats mostly vegetarian or plant-based food but still eats meat or fish sometimes. There is no fixed threshold or definition, and the word describes an eating pattern rather than a rule.
Where the term comes from
It entered wide use in the early 2000s and was popularised by dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner’s 2009 book on flexitarian eating. It filled a gap: there was no existing word for people eating less meat without being vegetarian.
Is flexitarian vegetarian?
No. Vegetarianism excludes the flesh of all animals. A flexitarian eats meat or fish some of the time, so the two are separate categories.
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