The Best Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight: The Flexitarian Diet

Are you eating meat once in a while only? You’re a flexitarian!

If you follow mostly a plant-based diet and you seldom eat meat, you can say you are a flexitarian. The term was first coined in the Dawn Jackson Blatner’s book The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life. flexitarian diet


The main idea of the diet is that you do not have to eliminate the meat completely of your diet- you can be a vegetarian most of the time, but still eat a steak once in a while.  If you’ll decide to become flexitarian, this diet might help you weigh 15 percent less than other people who eat meat on a regular base; you’ll be healthier and, on average, you live 3.6 years longer.

The flexitarian diet is 3-4-5 regimen: breakfast counts around 300 calories, lunch 400, and dinner 500.  When you add two snack of almost 150 calories each, you’ll get a daily intake of 1,500 calories, which means that you’ll be saving 500-600 calories each day. With this “calorie deficit” and some physical activity, you’ll certainly lose some weight.

Flexitarian people mostly eat fruits and veggies, tofu, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds (vegetarian protein), eggs, whole grains, dairy; spices. The predominant vegetarian diet is based on fiber-packed veggies, fruits, and whole grains, so the feeling of hunger will stay away. For people who are trying to eliminate meat from their daily menu, the flexitarian way of eating will help them switch from non-vegetarian to vegetarian easier.

Under the microscope, a flexitarian diet is 27-30%-fats; 15-20%- proteins; 50-57%- carbohydrates. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 22 to 34 grams. The promoter of the flexitarian diet, Jackson Blatner, recommends taking each day multi-vitamin and mineral supplements.

The true beauty of the diet is that you don’t have to follow the diet exactly- once in a while you can enjoy a steak or o burger; you don’t have to go to extremes and give up any foods because healthy eating can be really flexible.

For example, you can include into your daily menu for:

Breakfast: Apple and Almond Butter Toast or Sunflower Raisin Oatmeal;

Lunch: Avocado and Black Bean Wraps or Marinated Garden Lentil Pita;

Dinner: Curried Quinoa Salad or Fried Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds;

Snacks: Pizza Popcorn or Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries.

The Flexitarian Diet book will give you the chance to discover a lot of great meals. The recipes presented in the book are based on a wide variety of foods, and the familiar ones found any grocery store dominate the lists.

The diet can be followed for a shorter period of time after a five-weeks menu plan, or it can be adopted as your new diet plan for life. It’s easy, healthy and FLEXIBLE.

Read more:

Dawn Jackson Blatner- The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life; 2009;

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