The Reducetarian Way

If you want to cut down on eating animal products but don’t think that being vegetarian or vegan is for you, then a reducetarian approach might be the right compromise. Celia Jarvis writes

- Celia Jarvis

In 2009, Sir Paul McCartney (music royalty and celebrity vegetarian) launched the Meat Free Monday campaign. His late wife Linda had built a thriving business out of vegetarian foods that can now be found on almost every high street, and was a prominent campaigner for vegetarianism.

In November 2017, the campaign was given a fresh re-launch with the release of a five-minute film about the impact of agriculture on the environment. Using a series of cleverly-shot moments worthy of a BBC documentary, it shows the beauty of the Earth, before ending with some statistics on the impact of meat and fish production.

Ultimately, those behind the campaign would like to see people change to vegetarianism, but the polite and probably more realistic request is for meat-eaters to not eat animal products for just one day each week.

The campaign doesn’t use the term ‘reducetarian’ but this is a new label being used to categorise someone like Cameron Deighton, a personal trainer and model, who has chosen to cut down on red meat without a longer-term view of vegetarianism.

Deighton doesn’t hesitate when asked why he’s cut down on red meat. “After eating it I’d feel sluggish and low in energy. It tasted alright, but I could feel that it wasn’t doing much for my body,” he says.

“Also, my family aren’t keen on red meat so it wasn’t hard to give it up.”

Deighton may not consider himself a reducetarian but according to Brian Kateman, author of The Reducetarian Solution, 1 that’s what he is, and one of a growing number of people who have consciously decided to eat less meat. Reducetarians aren’t as rigid as vegetarians or vegans, but they are still committed to cutting down on meat, fish, and animal products.