Flexitarian Diet Explained
Good Job! You have committed to eating less meat! That’s amazing. Just remember is doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even eating less meat just a few times a week, can have a positive impact on the body and the environment.
Enter the Flexitarian Diet.
Flexitarians eat a mostly plant-based diet with animal products occasionally thrown in the rotation. Flexible + vegetarian. Get it? It’s simply a more flexible approach. You can still consume animal products but with the focus on filling you plate with mostly plant-based foods while still reaping the benefits of loading up on veggies.
Here’s some tips: Find substitutes that you love, make plant-based meals more flavor-forward, and have fun experimenting with new recipes.
Adjust your approach: This could be choosing to have plant-based breakfasts and lunches, saving meat for dinner.
Do you need more structure? We have a breakdown of meals for beginners through advanced.
Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, Chicago-based author of The Flexitarian Diet, breaks it all down for us:
Beginner: 6-8 meatless meals/21 meals each week
Advanced: 9-14 meatless meals/21 meals each week
Expert: 15 + meatless meals/21 meals each week
You can follow Blanter’s regime at your own pace by slowly adding in meat-less meals at your comfort level.
This could also be a fun new opportunity to experiment new recipes. See 5 simple plant-based recipes that we have complied for some inspiration.
Want to stick to meals you already know you like? Make a few simple adjustments:
Love tuna salad? Replace the tuna with mashed chickpeas.
Can’t imagine life without shredded chicken enchiladas? Try using shredded jackfruit for crazy shredded chicken-like texture.
Italian meatball lover? Try lentil and walnut herbed meatballs.
Also, it’s 2020 and the meat-less options are plentiful! We have come a long way and there are numerous brands that have come out with new meat alternatives that *gasp* actually taste good!
Here is a list of our favorite options:
Daiya Foods
Good Plant Foods
Beyond Meat breakfast sausage
Eat Just
Miyoko’s Creamery
Hope Hummus
Hilary’s Eat Well
Eat Banza
Malk Organics
- Source: DJ Blatner RDN, The Flexitarian Diet