What is a Flexitarian diet?
It has a very simple definition; it is a combination of flexible and vegetarian. It can be combines with a full vegan diet, but it allows to eat animal products from time to time. Your do not need to count Calories or have strict rules to follow.
A flexitarian diet is an alternative way to focus on fruits, veggies, grains but also to enjoy meat. For example, you would like to follow a vegetarian diet, but you love to eat from time to time a good Burger. The Flexitarian diet allows you this.
How to start
It consists in 3 basic stages. How long does every stage last? Well, that will depend on you and how you feel more comfortable. Â The Stages are more about reducing your meat consumption per week.
Stage 1
When you first start you need to remove 2 day a week meat from your diet, it is advised to not consume more than 800 gr (around 28 ounces) during the 5 days a week that you do eat meat.
Stage 2
As you continue to get more immersed on the Flexitarian diet and start getting used to eat more fruits and vegetables. You will need to start eating full vegan or full vegetarian 3 days a week. The most important is that you will need to eat only 500 gr (18 ounces) of meat a week.
Stage 3
The last stage becomes then easy, you will need to follow your full vegetarian or vegan diet 5 days a week and 2 days a week you are allowed to eat 250 gr (9 ounces) of meat or animal products.
What are you allowed to eat?
When we talk about what are you allowed to eat, it is more about what type of meat you are allowed to have. As a Flexitarian, we advise to have organic, free range, pasture raised. We advise you to choose lean meats. As meat you can also incorporate fish, but as before, always choose wild caught.
What is recommended not to eat
We recommend to reduce you meat intake as much as possible, and as for all diets, it is advised to not eat refined carbs in excess and no added sugars also in excess.
Pros
- Very flexible
- No restrictions
- Easy to plan
- Healthy slow weight loss
- It is Budget friendly
- May help to reduce the risk of diabetes
- May reduce the risk of heart problems
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Cons
- Not easy to follow if you don’t cook.
- It could potentially give you low iron levels
- Might need doctors guidance for those with illnesses.
- you might need to use supplements.
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