Part-Time Vegetarians

And while only 2 to 3 percent of Americans are traditional vegetarians, who shun anything that ever had a face, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, vegetarian foods have become increasingly popular among non-vegetarians. "If you look around at every regular, mainstream grocery store, you have soy milk right next to regular milk, you have veggie burgers in the frozen section, and tubs of tofu sitting there in the produce section," says Blatner. She suggests that many of those who buy these products may be flextitarians and not even realize it. Even dedicated vegetarians say they are somewhat flexible. A 2003 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that two out of three vegetarians say they can't stick to a pure veggie diet all the time.

Some vegetarian advocates hope that a movement that begins with eating less meat might lead to more people embracing a no-meat, no-fish and no-fowl lifestyle. Vegetarian Resource Group co-director Charles Stahler, calls it a "step in the right direction." It should also inspire even more restaurants to create veggie options, and more people to realize that it's "easy to be a vegetarian," he says. In fact, it already has become a bit easier for gourmet food lovers to find good meatless entrees. Last year a National Restaurant Association survey found that more than 50 percent of chefs rate vegetarian entries among their top 10 trendiest menu items.

Still, not everyone agrees that it's a great idea to be mostly vegetarian instead of going whole hog—so to speak. "Given the environmental, cruelty and health impact of a meat-based diet, going vegan is best, going vegetarian is good, and being a flexitarian is like smoking two packs of cigarettes instead of ten, beating one pig down the slaughter ramp instead of two, and pouring a pint of gasoline down a drain instead of pouring down a gallon," says Kathy Guillermo, director of research for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Blatner disagrees with the meat-is-immoral crowd. "It's not that meat is some sort of evil," she says. "It's just that we eat excessive amounts of it." She does agree that a plant-based diet is healthful, decreases the risk of cancer, and increases longevity.

Many big-name vegetarian cookbook authors like the idea of flexitarianism--though they tend to dislike the name. "How about just moderation?" says Deborah Madison, author of "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." Though she eats mainly a plant-based diet, she indulges in meat about once a week. "I've always had a hard time saying, 'I can't eat that meal you made for me,'" she says. "I just think it's rude." Many of her readers, too, are not strict vegetarians. "They want to be able to have a vegetarian meal a couple times a week," she says.

Mollie Katzen, author of the well-known veggie bible "Moosewood Cookbook" (Ten Speed Press, 2000) says she, too, is a flexible eater—indulging in occasional bites of her mom's brisket. "I'm very happy that people can make the definition of 'vegetarian' be a positive statement about vegetables rather than a negative statement about meat—'I don't eat this, and I don't eat that.' I'm sick and tired of the no's." That said, she believes a plant-based diet is good for people and for the environment. "The environmental impact of meat and livestock raising is severe," she says. "I'm not against eating meat or salmon, but I believe people should be responsible and limited in their consumption."