You like the idea of eating more plant-based foods in order to help manage your weight, improve your health and help the environment, but you also do not want to give up bacon forever. In comes the Flexitarian diet plan, which offers options for vegetarians who would still like to enjoy dinner out without having to order the only pasta dish on the menu. This style of eating works for a quarter of Americans, notes the American Dietetic Association--understanding flexitarian principles will help you decide if this way of eating works for you.
Features
A flexitarian diet plan emphasizes plant foods over meat. In an Oct. 2, 2008 article in USA Today, Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of "The Flexitarian Diet," describes a flexitarian as a "casual vegetarian." A flexitarian diet plan calls for two or more meatless days per week. The plan builds its menu around healthful vegetarian foods--rather than pastas, snacks and baked goods made with refined sugars and white flour. To follow a flexitarian plan, eat more beans, nuts, whole grains and fresh produce.
Benefits
According to Blatner, vegetarians tend to weigh about 15 percent less than meat-eaters and are at a lower risk of developing many chronic conditions. A flexitarian can experience these benefits of being a vegetarian, without losing out on the iron and B vitamins that are prevalent in meat products. According to CNN, flexitarianism matches the dietary recommendations often made by dietitians, public health organizations and researchers. The diet is low in unhealthy saturated fat and high in fiber. People following a flexitarian plan tend to take in more fruits and vegetables daily, especially when compared to meat eaters.
Misconceptions
Not all vegetarian food is good for you. Many baked products, snack mixes and refined carbohydrates contain no animal products, but may contain trans fats, sugars and too much sodium. Some soy products are highly processed, like soy hot dogs and soy ice cream, as they are created by high-pressure industrial processes. According to an article in "Vegetarian Times" from July 1996, this processing may actually remove many of the properties that make soy healthy.
Strategy
To begin a flexitarian lifestyle, cut out meat for just one or two days, suggests MayoClinic.com. Seek protein from sources like beans, lentils, nuts and tofu. A typical meatless day might start with a breakfast of oatmeal with soy milk and berries. Lunch might be made up of a large green salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and olive oil dressing, with a whole-grain roll. Make a dinner of vegetable lasagna and serve it with steamed broccoli and cauliflower on the side. Snacks like fresh fruit, nuts and nut butter with whole grain crackers and coconut milk yogurt satisfy without meat.
Considerations
If you seek to lose weight with the flexitarian diet plan, pay attention to calories consumed. Eating too much healthy or unhealthy food will cause weight gain. Stick to the recommendations of Blatner to eat whole, unprocessed foods like beans, produce and whole grains. When you do eat protein, go for lean sources like fish or poultry. Some vegetarians have moral reasons for following their diet and a flexitarian lifestyle would not be for them.
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