- Vegetarians
- Eliminate meat and occasionally other animal foods
- Vegans
- Completely restrict meat, fish, eggs, dairy and all animal-derived food products
- Flexitarians
- Eat animal products
- Not considered vegetarian or vegan
- There are no definite guidelines or recommended calorie amounts
- Considered a lifestyle rather than a diet
- Primarily vegetarian
- Occasional inclusion of meat
Most consumers can be grouped into
- Meat consumers
- Meat avoiders
- Meat reducers
Trend toward flexitarian diets (FDs)
- Individuals on flexitarian diet are meat-reducers
- Consume meat with some meals but not every day of the week
- This definition is most closely in line with semi-vegetarianism
Flexitarian diet
- Recognizes that meat is an important source of protein, fat, and micronutrients
- Acknowledges that long-term consumption of increased amounts of red meat particularly processed meat may increase the risk of
- Mortality
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Certain forms of cancer such as colon cancer
Red meat refers to all mammalian muscle meat including
- Beef
- Veal (calf meat)
- Pork
- Lamb
- Mutton (sheep meat)
- Horse
- Goat
Flexitarian Diet is a style of eating
- Promotes eating largely plant-based foods while allowing moderate amounts of meat and other animal products.
- More flexible than fully vegetarian or vegan diets
- Add more plant foods without eliminating meat
Flexitarian diet focuses on
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Occasionally meat
- Eat mostly
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Plant proteins (beans such as black, kidney or navy, edamame, chickpeas, lentils)
- Whole grains (brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa)
- Eggs
- Nuts, seeds and healthy fats
- Oils, herbs and spices
- Focus on
- Plant-based protein
- Eat
- Unprocessed, natural forms of whole foods
- Limit
- Added sugar and sweets (refined carbohydrates)
- Be Flexible
- Occasionally incorporate
- Meat
- Animal products
- Occasionally incorporate
Exercise on Flexitarian Diet is highly encouraged
- 30 minutes of moderate exercise
- Five days a week
- 20 minutes of intense exercise
- Three times per week
- Strength training
- At least two times per week
What are the guidelines around meat with the flexitarian diet?
- Flexitarian diet is flexible
- Guidelines for amount of meat consumption depends on commitment level
- Choose how much you want to cut down
- There are three basic stages of eating pattern when it comes to decreasing meat
- Starting Flexitarian diet
- Recommended to avoid meat 2 days/week
- In the beginning stage
- 28 oz meat for the rest of the five days
- Recommended
- Full vegetarian diet 3-4 days/week
- Meat consumption
- Vegetarian diet & 18 oz meat for the rest of the week
- Recommended
- Vegetarian diet 5 days/week
- Meat consumption
- Vegetarian diet & 9 oz meat for 2 days
Types of meat to eat
- Organic
- Free-range
- Pasture-raised or grass-fed
- Beef, chicken or turkey
- Leaner cuts
- Minimize extra animal fat
- May incorporate fish
- Recommended Wild-caught varieties
What are the health benefits of eating a flexitarian diet?
- Reduce risk of heart disease
- Weight loss
- Reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes or management of pre-diabetes
- May help prevent cancer
What are the health risks of eating a flexitarian diet?
- Decreased meat consumption can lead to micronutrient deficiencies
- Vitamin B12
- Zinc
- Calcium
Healthy eating options
- Whole food diet
- Mediterranean diet with time restricted eating
- Individuals with health conditions
- Consult with healthcare practitioner for specific dietary recommendations
DISCLAIMER
This information is intended for educational purposes only and it is not intended to take the place of consultation with your physician.
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