It looks like flexitarianism is the hottest diet in the country right now!
But what exactly is it?
A flexitarian is someone who follows a prominently plant-based diet, limiting the amount of animal-derived products they consume.
They’re basically a flexible vegetarian. Get it?
In the past year, HelloFresh Ireland have found that google searches for flexitarianism have increased by 250%, while #flexitarianism has over 52 million views on TikTok.
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Unlike vegetarians and vegans, flexitarians don’t follow a strict plant-based diet, and are more flexible.
They consume foods such as milk, eggs, meat, and fish, but at the same time they make a conscious effort to reduce their consumption of animal-deprived products.
There are no strict rules when it comes to flexitarianism, which makes it brilliant if you’re just dipping your toe into the veggie world!
For example, some flexitarians might eat one meat-based meal per week and eat plant-based for the rest of the week.
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Others might go months without eating animal products – it’s really up to you.
Head of Culinary at HelloFresh Ireland, Hannah Dubury, explains that “as flexitarianism continues to gain momentum, it reflects a broader societal shift towards more mindful and sustainable dietary choices. This trend not only mirrors global patterns but also showcases Ireland’s evolving culinary landscape.”
This plant-forward diet has a lengthy list of benefits including improved skin health and a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
It also reduces your carbon footprint, and we can’t say no to that!
Other mindful consumption practices, such as the sober curious and intuitive eating are also on the rise alongside flexitarianism.
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In Ireland searches for sober curious have increased by 180% over the past year, with #sobercurious having over 800 million views on TikTok.
Searches for intuitive eating, which focus on mindful and intuitive food choices, have also increased in the past year with #intuitiveeating reaching 2.2 billion views on TikTok.
Does this growing curiosity mean we’re leaning towards more conscious and mindful lifestyles?
Let’s hope so!
Will you be hopping on the flexitarian trend?
Words by Grace Sweeney