The Flexitarian Diet

What’s a perfect diet? There’s no one size that fits all. We have different nutritional requirements and food choices that ultimately govern our diet. Mostly, diets don’t guarantee to make you immune to hunger pangs or assure maximum health benefits. Each food provides a different set of nutritional facts that may not necessarily satiate the nutrient required by your body.

A perfect diet should ideally be as healthy as it could be. It should be

• High in nutrients
• Provide Hydration
• Should be sustainable

Now that explains why most dieticians recommend Flexitarian Diet. It suggests Flexible + Vegetarian- a balanced vegetarian diet. The Flexitarian Diet was created by the renowned dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. This was to help people reap the benefits of vegetarian eating while still enjoying animal products in a balanced way. The Flexitarian Diet is a semi-vegetarian eating style. It encourages less meat and more plant-based foods however, flexitarians can opt for non-veg foods as well.

A Flexitarian Diet ideally includes

• Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains
• Plant proteins instead of animals
• Meat and animal products (Occasionally)
• More natural foods, less processed foods
• Limited sugar and sweets

It isn’t necessary that the flexitarian diet should strictly include plant-based meals. Non-vegetarians can include certain amounts of meat per week. However, the ultimate goal of a flexitarian diet is to consume more nutritious plant-based foods and less meat.

Check out some of the health benefits of switching to a flexitarian diet:

How often can flexitarians eat meat?

For weight loss, you need to stick to a Flexitarian diet that provides around 1,500 calories per day. You can stock up to 28-32 ounces of lean meat per week — however, you may drop down 3 ounces of meat up to three times a week.

A review states that people who followed a semi-vegetarian diet had a lower body weight than those who regularly ate meat.

What are the Benefits of the Flexitarian Diet?

Aids Weight Loss

Flexitarian eating may suit you. This is because flexitarians have a limited high-calorie intake, which helps them digest processed foods and eat more plant foods. These foods are lower in calories.

Several studies have shown that people who followed a plant-based diet may lose more weight than those who do not.

Studies indicate that those who follow vegan diets tend to lose more weight.

Flexitarian Diet is similar to a vegetarian diet. It helps with weight loss but possibly not as much as a vegan diet.

Treats Cancer

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains help prevent cancer.

Vegetarian diets are associated with a lower occurrence of all cancers.

Studies on cases of colorectal cancers found that semi-vegetarians were less likely to get cancer, compared to non-vegetarians.

Therefore, incorporating more vegetarian foods through a flexitarian diet may reduce the risk.

A Flexitarian diet is all about adding delicious and healthy new foods to your life. You should try out one new vegetarian recipe each week. You can look them up for some prepping recipes websites, and magazines.

Here are some sample meals for the day, with options for both meat and veggies: 

DAY 1

Breakfast:

Avocado Toast: whole-grain toast, avocado, and egg

Lunch:

Chicken Bowl: chicken/chickpeas, chopped kale/tomatoes, sweet potato cubes, and ranch dressing

Dinner:

Tacos/Tortillas: Whitefish or lentils, corn tortillas, cabbage slaw, and salsa

DAY 2

Breakfast:

Peanut Butter Oatmeal: oatmeal, peanut butter, and apple

Lunch:

Mexican Chicken Bowl: Chicken/black beans, chopped peppers, brown rice, guacamole, and salsa

Dinner:

Mediterranean Chicken/Chickpeas Plate: chicken or chickpeas, cucumber/tomato/feta salad, and lemon-dill brown rice

Precautionary Measures: Flexitarian diets are otherwise very healthy and nutritious. Some people are at risk of nutrient deficiencies. It causes a deficiency of

• Calcium
• Zinc
• Vitamin B12
• Iron

Thus, limit consumption of meat and other animal products. This may lead to some nutritional deficiencies, particularly B12, iron, zinc, and calcium.

Overall, this diet includes the best of both the world- it’s nutrition-packed, and could be a yummy delight.