Did you ever thought about going vegetarian, but a hot hamburger pulled you out? The Flexitarian diet is the perfect solution for people who love to eat healthily but don’t want to give up meat altogether. This diet is both flexible and vegetarian hence the name Flexitarian!

Dawn Jackson Blatner is the dietician who created a Flexitarian diet that helps you reap the vegetarian diet benefits without giving up meat. Read on to know an overview of this diet and its services.

What Is Flexitarian Diet?

A Flexitarian diet encourages you to eat more plant-based foods and less meat; it is a semi-vegetarian eating style. If you want to cut back on the number of animal products you consume, a Flexitarian diet is a perfect choice. People who follow this diet are not considered vegans or vegetarians as flexitarians eat animal products.

There are no strict rules in following a flexitarian diet plan as it is more of a lifestyle choice than a dietary change and is a popular choice among many health enthusiasts. Eating nutritious plant-based foods and less meat is the primary goal of the Flexitarian diet.

See Also: What Is Pescatarian Diet?

Foods to Eat on a Flexitarian Diet:

The Flexitarian meal plan emphasizes plant-based foods over animal proteins, which are processed minimally. Some of the foods you need to include in this diet regularly are:

• Proteins such as legumes, lentils, tofu, soybeans, tempeh.
• Starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, sweet potato, winter squash.
• Fruits like cherries, apples, berries, oranges, grapes.
• Non-starchy veggies like bell peppers, greens, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts.
• Whole grains such as buckwheat, faro, quinoa.
• Healthy fats, seeds, and nuts such as flaxseeds, avocado, olives, almonds, chia seeds, cashew, walnuts, peanut butter, pistachios, coconut.
• Plant-based alternatives for milk like coconut, unsweetened almond, soy milk, and hemp.
• Seasonings, spices, and herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, mint, ginger, turmeric, cumin.
• Beverages like coffee, tea, and water.
• Condiments such as apple cider vinegar, salsa, mustard, reduced-sodium soy sauce, ketchup without sugar, nutritional yeast.

Foods to Avoid on the Flexitarian Diet:

As we said before, the Flexitarian diet doesn’t restrict you from eating meat but limits the amount you consume along with several processed foods. Here is the list of foods that you need to minimize: