The 'Flexitarian' Diet: Why you should embrace this diet in 2018

The ‘Flexitarian’ Diet: Why this is the diet to embrace in 2018

Sarah Khan

22 Mar 2018

updated the 23 March 2018 à 10:27

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The ‘Flexitarian’ Diet
Should you embrace it? Scroll through to find out why you should seriously consider it.
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More Flexibility in Social Settings
One of the challenges in fully embracing a vegetarian lifestyle is the issue of "what do I eat during a non-vegetarian lunch meeting or dinner gathering?" or having to give up your favourite foods completely (i.e. your mom's cooking). Indeed, social situations are when many diets plans are ultimately put to the test - which is why the flexitarian diet is appealing, purely because its room for flexibility makes it a more realistic diet to keep up.
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It’s Wallet-friendly
It's no secret that meats come with heftier price tag at the grocery store. Even when dining out, vegetarian options are often cheaper than their meat counterparts! An added benefit of going flexitarian is how much you get to save on cutting down significantly on your meat.
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You Still Benefit from Animal Protein
One of the challenges in maintaining a balanced vegetarian diet is keeping up your protein intake, which is essential for your overall health. Although meat is not the only source of protein, it's still unfortunately the most accessible and enjoyable option. Being flexitarian means you still get to benefit from the occasional healthy meat options like salmon which is not only high in protein but also rich in omega-3s.
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You Get More Nutrition from a Plant-Based Diet
Because being flexitarian still entails a predominantly plant-based diet, you'll get to benefit from the nutritious fruits and vegetables you're consuming.
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It Helps You Lose Weight
While research has revealed that the body mass index (BMI) and calorie intake of vegetarians are lower than that of non-vegetarians, it has also shown that vegetarians are at risk of being low of on their intake of certain key vitamins and minerals. A flexitarian diet is a happy medium between the two: without cutting out the protein benefits of meat entirely, you'll get to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, whilst also keeping your weight on a healthy scale.

Before you chalk this up as another fad, hear us out – a ‘flexitarian’ diet might just be the lifestyle change you should embrace.

We get it; you’re tired of every health article touting a new diet as the new way forward. It happened with the keto diet, the Paleo diet – you name it. But hear us out: there is a simple wisdom behind why the flexitarian diet might just be right for you.

While you may or may not have heard of it, the “flexitarian” diet is not new. In fact, the idea entered the conversation on nutrition some ten years ago, as a way to promote a plant-based alternative to a growing meat-heavy lifestyle.

So what exactly is the “flexitarian” diet?

A “flextarian” diet is essentially still a vegetarian diet – just with that added leniency of eating meat where needed (hence its name). Detitian and nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner describes it best: “A flexitarian is someone who wants to eat vegetarian but also wants the flexibility to go off course without feeling guilty about it.”

So yes – it’s not vegan or vegetarian, nor is it the same thing as being an omnivore. In fact, a ‘flexitarian diet’ isn’t as much a diet as it is a lifestyle choice. It has none of the rigidity of the keto diet, or the discipline and stamina required for intermittent fasting.

Are ‘flexitarians’ just lazy vegetarians?

Sure, flexitarianism has earned its share of cynicism. For one, there are those who dismiss it as a half-hearted vegetarian – which, frankly, is an unfair criticism.

Being flexitarian still has all the environmental-friendly and nutritional benefits (if not more) that a vegetarian diet offers – all while being a more sustainable diet choice you can keep up in the long run.

So, should you embrace it? Head above for 5 compelling reasons why you should seriously consider being ‘flexitarian’.

Sarah Khan

Photos: Unsplash

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