This idea of becoming a flexitarian is appealing to me, because even though I care about the environment and my own health, I am not ready to take such drastic steps in my life to become a full-fledged vegetarian. Instead, I want to push myself to make better food choices rather than feel guilty about eating meat or processed foods on occasion. I believe that eating a completely vegetarian diet is hard and can be costly. With the adoption of a flexitarian lifestyle, I can make changes while also bending the rules to suit my personal tastes. Also, I have a young son that loves his macaroni and cheese and I would not feel right restricting his food choices. However, he will still be affected by this lifestyle change because grocery shopping as a flexitarian will directly affect what I put on the dinner table. He will unknowingly reap the benefits of our newfound nutritional lifestyle.
While completing research on the flexitarian movement, I learned that many vegetarians do not like being compared to flexitarians because they do not eat meat and it is not the same lifestyle choice. I believe we live in a society that is full of meat eaters and we eat entirely too much of it. Meat seems to be the centerpiece of every meal. Becoming a flexitarian is a way to reduce your consumption and shift the focus on healthier more sustainable choices. I can make a contribution to the environment by being conscious of my food choices. Not only do I think about how I effect the environment, but also how my food choices affect my body. I want to make decisions that have a positive impact on the environment and my body that I feel good about. Where I am in my life, right now, becoming a flexitarian feels like a good place to be. By being open to change and new possibilities, I can contribute to the world around me. Furthermore, feeling confident and satisfied with the choices I make is one of the best benefits of my newfound nutritional lifestyle.
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