Flexible Dieting 101: What is a Flexitarian?

Written by Scott from Plant Based Scotty.

If you want to get healthy, but don’t want to give up burgers and ribs, the Flexitarian diet is the diet that’s best for you. Ranked No. 3 in Best Diets of 2019 on US News & World Report, a Flexitarian diet meets you where you’re at.

You want to eat healthier, but also want to indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures. You’re also a fan of moderation and don’t want to follow an exclusion diet that only focuses on removing foods.

Thankfully, flexitarians can still reap some of the same health benefits as vegetarians and vegans, and still eat meat.

What is a Flexitarian?

A Flexitarian is someone who follows primarily a plant-based diet, but also eats meat. That is a diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Mostly treating meat as a side dish and not the main dish.

It’s a style of eating that encourages plant-based foods, without having to give up meat.

The very word flexitarian is the marriage of two terms: vegetarian and flexible . Like it sounds, following a Flexitarian diet allows you to have your cake and eat it too.

The term flexitarian originated back in 2009, after author and registered dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner published her book “ The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life .”

Her book gave a voice to those who wanted to get healthy without going full vegan. She helped make it acceptable to consider yourself a part-time vegetarian .

Yet, when you look at the diet principles, there are no official rules (only guidelines) around how much meat you can actually eat. It’s up to you to decide your weekly meat intake.

How Does a Flexitarian Diet Work?

The premise of the Flexitarian diet is inclusive, and not exclusive. Typically, diets tend to focus on removing foods, but the Flexitarian diet is the exact opposite.

Blatner recommends creating a simple goal: eat more plants . Do an audit of how your meals are now setup, and sneak in veggies where you can.

For example, if your typical dinner is a slab of meat, with a side of vegetables and potatoes, try swapping the meat with beans . Breakfast can go from scrambled eggs and bacon to scrambled tofu with a side of hash browns.

The best part is this can all be done on your schedule and when you’re comfortable making the change. After all, the Flexitarian diet is not a diet at all, but rather a template to live a healthier life .

To help you do just that, Blatner recommends the following guidelines for meat intake: 

• Beginner: Eat meat five days per week and limit it to 26 oz

• Advanced: Eat meat 3-4 days per week and limit it to 18 oz

• Expert: Eat meat 2 days per week and limit it to 9 oz

Moving through the ranks from beginner to expert is up to you. You can take the diet at your pace and make the changes at your speed. Some other helpful tips to being eating like a Flexitarian:

• Opt for grilled and baked over fried

•  Alcohol is allowed, but the recommendation is 1 serving for women and 2 servings for men per day max

•  You don’t have to stick to the rules everyday; make it work in your schedule

•  Keep fresh/frozen fruit and veggies on hand for healthy snacking

•  25% of your grocery cart should include flex meats (beans, lentils, tofu, etc.) Make this diet as convenient and easy to follow as you can. Start small and take baby steps each day to include more plant foods in your diet, and reap the health benefits.

Health Benefits of a Flexitarian Diet

A Flexitarian diet has many potential health benefits. Although academic studies focus on vegetarian or vegan diets, we can reasonably assume that some of the benefits found in research will carryover to this diet.

Your risk for heart disease may decrease . Dietary fiber and healthy fats are excellent for heart health. The Flexitarian diet emphasizes to eat these foods daily. Foods like  broccoli, nuts, seeds, and other root vegetables . In fact, a higher intake of plant-based foods is associated with a substantially lower risk of heart disease.

You could lose weight . This six-month randomized control trial showed weight loss in both vegetarians and semi-vegetarians at both the two and six-month marks.

You can better prevent and manage type II diabetes . Vegetarians consistently show better control of the HbA1c levels . This is thought to be due to lower intakes of overall calories, protein and total fat, while including higher amounts of fiber and carbohydrates.

Your risk for cancer may decrease . Studies also show a consistent pattern between vegetarian diets and lower risk of cancer. Specifically, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract like the liver, pancreas, stomach, and intestines.

The Downsides to Eating Less Meat.  If you are a long time meat-eater making the change to a Flexitarian diet, you may have some growing pains. Going from meat every meal to limiting it to 26 oz a week will be tough. You may find yourself fighting cravings from time to time. This will be short-lived and your body will adjust after a couple of weeks, so don’t give up too soon. However, be conscious of the vitamins and minerals that you could be missing out on by eating less meat. Some possible deficiencies may include:

• Vitamin B12

•  Zinc

•  Iron

•  Calcium

•  Omega-3 fatty acids

Each of these potential deficiencies are easily avoided with just a little planning. For example, you can drink B12 fortified plant milk or take a supplement once per week. Zinc and iron are found in pumpkin seeds and oats. Calcium is present in high amounts in tofu and bok choy. Omega-3 fatty acids are in flaxseeds, chia seeds, and English walnuts. It takes a mere 1 tbsp of chia seeds to reach 60% of the daily value for Omega-3’s. As you can see, with just a little planning and variety in your diet, eating less meat is really not a downside at all.

3-Day Sample Menu for a Flexitarian Diet

Now that you’re armed with the information you need to get started, let’s talk about what to eat. Use the 3-day sample meal plan below to help get you started eating more plant strong meals:

Day 1

Breakfast – Peach Mint Pineapple Smoothie with bowl of oatmeal

Lunch – Mediterranean Chickpea Salad and ½ sliced apple

Dinner – Vegan Tikka Masala

Snack – 1 oz walnuts or almonds

Day 2

Breakfast – Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Lunch – Avocado Taco Bowl

Dinner – Chipotle Pinto Bean Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce

Snack – Fresh cut veggies and hummus dip

Day 3

Breakfast – Zucchini Potato Fritters and fresh blueberries

Lunch – Superfood Salad with a side of fruit

Dinner – Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Harvest Bowl

Snack – Dairy-free yogurt with fruit and nuts

Remember, this is just a sample to help get you started. Customize your diet by including your favorite flavors and foods to make it an enjoyable experience. The more familiar tastes, the better chances of success.

Final Words

With the popularity of plant-based diets continuing to sore to new levels, the Flexitarian diet is a perfect starting point. It’s a diet with built-in flexibility and healthy habits that you can use to help l ose weight and protect yourself from chronic disease . You’ll reap all the benefits, without giving up the foods that you love.

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