Flexitarians
They’re coming back. We all knew they couldn’t resist... you know... the smell of bacon frying, of a steak sizzling on the grill... I’m Susan Allen welcome to OpenRange. Oh I’ve tried hard to like it but no matter how much guacamole, onions, super secret sauce I slap on, a veggie burger just doesn’t cut it. Apparently others have come to the same conclusion and given up the “faux burger” for real deal. In a Newsweek online column titled “ No More Sacred Cows” I was delighted to discover the word “flexitarian.” Because it’s a term for a committed vegetarian who has now decided to add beef to their diet. Welcome back we missed you, But what prompted the change? If it was about a concern for animals, maybe the niche markets that include grass fed, humanely raised, did it. Or you might feel that today’s beef is healthier than decades prior thanks to aggressive campaigning by the organic industry? While all the “certified” categories; Angus, Organic, Grass Fed etc... remain minor players in US beef production they have provided select producers more profitability and tempted new consumer to niche markets. In the end, I can’t wait to see how this new category of consumer “Mr. Flexitarian” becomes integrated into the mainstream. Watch for the word on the cooking channels at fine dining establishments and I’ll bet you money eventually fast food chains.
