The Flexitarian Diet is a style of eating that encourages eating mostly plant-based foods while allowing meat and other animal products in moderation. It is a flexible alternative to being a vegetarian, with a focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. The key principles of the Flexitarian Diet include:
- Eat mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
- Focus on protein from plants instead of animals.
- Be flexible and incorporate meat and animal products from time to time.
- Eat the least processed, most natural forms of foods.
- Limit added sugar and sweets.
The Flexitarian Diet emphasizes plant-based foods but also allows for meat in moderation. It is a popular choice for people looking to eat healthier, as it is a simple, healthy, and straightforward way of eating. The diet is deemed more flexible than the popular vegetarian or vegan diets, and like most vegan or vegetarian trends, flexitarianism develops into a lifestyle and tends to be a very sustainable diet plan.
Foods to eat regularly on the Flexitarian Diet include soybeans, tofu, tempeh, legumes, lentils, greens, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, winter squash, peas, corn, sweet potato, apples, oranges, berries, grapes, cherries, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, farro, and other whole, minimally processed plant foods. Since the Flexitarian Diet is not a strict diet, there are no specific rules or suggestions, and you can decide yourself if you want to incorporate fish.
The Flexitarian Diet may provide several health benefits, including weight loss and improved heart health. However, since there is no clear definition of this diet, it’s difficult to assess whether and how the researched benefits of other plant-based diets apply to the Flexitarian Diet.
There are no negative ingredients or materials associated with the Flexitarian Diet. However, some researchers have noticed a correlation with negative cognitive effects and the Flexitarian lifestyle, although the research doesn’t imply that following a Flexitarian diet causes negative cognitive effects.
