Guidelines

There are 3 guidelines to follow.

1. Avoid meat whenever possible, especially when it does not improve the dish significantly.
2. It is okay to eat meat if it is unreasonable or inconvenient to do otherwise.
3. It is okay to eat meat if it is unique or epic.

Justifications

1. Avoid meat whenever possible, especially when it does not improve the dish significantly.

This guideline is the basis of the extrematarian diet. The goal is to eat less meat with intentions of having a healthier diet. The argument is that a lot of times meat is included in a dish for the sake of having meat, but its presence only improves the dish a small amount. For example, a flavorful dish like curry with chicken can be just as satisfying without the chicken. A vegetarian burrito with avocados can be just as filling and flavorful as one with some beef. The intent is to avoid meat in dishes where the absence is agreeable.

2. It is okay to eat meat if it is unreasonable or inconvenient to do otherwise.

Sometimes, it is unreasonable to avoid meat. For example, the lack of vegetarian options at a restaurant may drive one to make a decision between eating meat or nothing at all. Another example would be when someone offers food with meat and it would be offensive or uncomfortable to turn it down. In these cases, it is okay to eat meat. This guideline should also be extended to include situations where a vegetarian option may be less healthy than an option involving meat. For example, if a choice is to be made between fried vegetables (such as French fries, fried pickles, and fried cheese curds) versus a lean turkey sandwich, use your best judgement.

3. It is okay to eat meat if it is unique or epic.

These are the times that the choice is in your control and it is okay to eat meat.

Unique foods

Unique foods are items you do not have the chance to encounter often. For example, if there is an out-of-town barbecue pitmaster who is showcasing a homemade barbecue sauce over slow-braised ribs, you may decide that this is a unique experience that you only have one chance to experience.

This guideline is also meant for travelling. You may encounter many dishes you have never seen or had while travelling, and it would be a shame to pass them up. It is encouraged to experience these foods.

Epic foods

Epic foods are things that you have deemed epic enough to make an exception to Guideline #1. These can include your favorite food, food you crave once in a while, or things where the presence of meat is significant. For example, your favorite food might be a charcoal-grilled ribeye steak. The meat in this case is the dish. Your may also crave a pastrami sandwich once in a while. In this case, the presence of meat significantly impacts the dish. In these scenarios, it is okay to consume meat.

Term Origin

The extrematarian guidelines are not meant to be about extreme eating, but eating the extrema. In mathematics, extrema are the lowest and highest points of a function. You can imagine applying this formula to eating in the sense that you are eating no or very little meat (the minima) and epic meat dishes (the maxima), with more of a focus towards the minima. The goal is to avoid the middleground.