New twists on Flexitarians

Monday 15 February 2010 20:00 EST

(2010 Facebook)

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In Australia, there is a new small diet movement akin to Flexitarians, vegetarians that eat meat occasionally, called Kangatarianism or "vegeroos" and if it catches on might lead to Cameltarianism.

A group of greenies and vegetarians are becoming Kangatarians, a vegetarian diet that includes kangaroo meat in their diet. The decision, according to the CentralianAdvocate.com.au, a regional Australian news site, is based "on environmental, ecological and humanitarian grounds", as the "kangaroo is often described as the ultimate in free-range, organic meat" that "...require[s] no additional feed, water or land cleared for them. They also produce a low level of greenhouse gas emissions"

On February 9, Samantha Vine, a kangatarian told, The Sydney Morning Herald, a Syndey-based newspaper, "after being vegetarian for so long, after a certain amount of time I craved some meat... it's not worth the pleasure of eating meat if it hasn't been treated well, I don't want to be part of that''.

Jimmy Cocking, from Arid Lands Environment Centre, told the Centralian Advocate, "more people are becoming ethical consumers of food and kangaroo has been the ecological alternative. But in places like Alice Springs, camel is one of the more ethical meats you can eat here in the desert", and "...there is great potential for cameltarianism to be the new semi-vegetarian food trend". Cocking continues to boast that camel is "the healthiest meat in the world" with "low cholesterol, Omega 6, Omega 3".

Anything is possible, but it is too soon to tell if kangatarianism will take off, on Facebook the group has only 28 members but many are spreading the word via Twitter.

The semi-vegetarian has many labels and dietary restrictions including flexitarian, pescatarian (fish), pollotarianism (poultry), now adding kangatarian to the list and possibly cameltarian. One trend is certain ethical eating is on the rise.

The Centralian Advocate article: http://www.centralianadvocate.com.au/article/2010/02/12/6235_news.html

The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/good-living/kangatarians-jump-the-divide/2010/02/08/1265477561439.html

Tweets on kangatarianism: http://topsy.com/tb/www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/good-living/kangatarians-jump-the-divide/2010/02/08/1265477561439.html