A flexitarian is a person who eats like a vegetarian most of the time — lots of vegetables, fruit, beans, and grains — but is not a strict vegetarian, because they still eat meat or fish now and then. There is no test and no badge. Some people mean “meat only at a wedding”; some mean “fish once a week.” The word is fairly new, informal, and usually friendly. People use it when they want to eat more plants without a hard forever rule. It is softer than vegetarian, and much softer than vegan (a vegan skips all food from animals, including eggs and milk). Though actually, a few people roll their eyes at the name: they hear “I eat meat, but I would like the good name of a vegetarian.” In everyday talk it is still a useful label for a mixed plate, not an insult. The person is a flexitarian; the way of eating is flexitarianism — keep those two apart.

彈性素食者