The latest craze is Flexatarianism.
A large portion of people who become vegetarians, do it with the environment in mind. The meat industry wreaks havoc on our eco-systems and is a large contributor of CO2 emissions. Australians have one of the largest per capita dietary environmental footprints in the world. On average, an Aussie eats 95kg of meat a year and in general, animal-derived foods use more energy and give off more emissions than plant-based foods.
But cutting something out that we have been brought up on can be difficult. Hence the emergence of Flexitarians. This means choosing to avoid animal-based products where possible, in hopes of eventually transitioning completely to vegetarianism.
Substituting animal-based products for plant-based ones, little by little means you can do your bit without being overwhelmed.
The added benefit of a more plant-based menu is your health can improve since your 5 a day will be easier to achieve and you will move away from the saturated fat and cholesterol associated with meat.
The more we make the right choices in terms of food, the more change we will see in the food industry ie better cheaper choices when it comes to plant-based products.