consciouseating
A Flexitarian Diet
for a Flexible Life
by Dawn Jackson Blatner
try. For example, instead of tacos with
T
here’s a new term in town, ‘flexi-
tarian’, which gives us a handle
4 ounces of chicken, make chicken
on what many of us are likely
and black bean tacos, with 2 ounces
doing anyway; we are inclined to eat
of chicken and 1/2 cup black beans.
less meat and more plant foods, but not
(Use rinsed and drained canned beans.)
ready to completely give up chicken
or the occasional burger. According
Step Three: Try Meat-Free Recipes.
Achieving Nutritional Balance
to a national survey reported in the
Next, try at least one new completely
Although it is possible to obtain
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
vegetarian recipe each week, to build
total balanced nutrition from a plant-
even the majority of vegetarians don’t
up the family’s meat-free cooking
based diet, flexitarians need to pay par-
do it 100 percent of the time. But, the
repertoire. Get recipes from friends,
ticular attention to 10 vital nutrients:
benefits of eating flexibly vegetarian
websites, cookbooks and magazines.
vitamins A, D, B
2
and B
12
, iodine, iron,
are many.
Find inspiration for vegetarian options
zinc, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and
First, there are no forbidden foods.
at favorite local restaurants. The Flexi-
protein. Following is a helpful, four-
Becoming a flexitarian is more about
tarian Diet serves up more than 100
point checklist to ensure these specific
making healthful changes gradually, so
fast and flavorful recipes.
nutrient needs are met every day:
they become a natural part of our daily
One meat-free recipe a week can 1) Eat orange and green produce
routine. It doesn’t require dramatically
easily turn into an entire meat-free regularly for vitamin A.
starting over by clearing out the fridge
day. Expert flexitarians work up from a
2) Drink organic milk or almond milk
and cupboards or buying hundreds
couple of meatless days a week, eating
regularly for quick calcium, vitamin
of dollars worth of special diet foods.
a maximum total at 26 ounces of meat
D, B
The flexitarian diet I’ve devised relies
or poultry per week, and wind up with
12
and riboflavin (B
2
).
mostly on common ingredients and
five meatless days, or just 9 ounces of
3) Shake ground flaxseed on cereal,
cutting back on meat, while eating in a
meat or poultry a week.
yogurt and salads, or use flaxseed
oil on raw or cooked foods, for
way that is familiar.
When starting out, I encourage
Direct Health Benefits
omega-3 fatty acids.
people to take it slow, with three steps:
Dozens of scientific studies analyzed
4) Include plant proteins such as
by Nutrition Reviews revealed that
beans and lentils to meet protein,
Step One: Add, Don’t Subtract.
people who eat a 100 percent vegetar-
iron and zinc needs.
Instead of trying to completely cut out
ian diet generally weigh about 15 per-
Vegetarianism has long been rec-
meat, focus on adding beans, veg-
cent less than meat eaters. An article
ognized as the ultimate way to eat for
gies, fruits and whole grains to current
in the International Journal of Obesity
weight loss and optimal health. Now,
meals and recipes. For example, in-
and Metabolic Disorders reports that
you can reap similar benefits without
stead of giving up the family’s favorite
many other studies show that semi-
completely giving up meat.
beef dish, boost its nutritional value by
vegetarians (or flexitarians) reap weight
On your mark, get set, flex.
adding more chopped vegetables and
loss benefits, as well.
kidney beans to the original version.
More, flexitarians enjoy lower
Dawn Jackson Blatner is a registered
cholesterol levels and blood pressure
dietitian and national spokesperson for
Step Two: Do the 50/50 Swap. Now,
than carnivores. The American Institute
the American Dietetic Association. She
aim to decrease the meat in daily
for Cancer Research estimates that
is the online nutritionist for Lifetime
meals by half and swap in plant pro-
following a flexitarian diet can reduce
Television, a food blogger with USA
teins such as black beans, pinto beans,
the risk of cancer by upwards of 40 Today and a natural cooking instruc-
white beans, kidney beans, garbanzo
percent. Finally, a study published in tor at The Chopping Block Cooking
beans and lentils.
the American Journal of Clinical Nutri- School. For information on her recipes
A perfect swap is 1/4 cup of
tion has revealed that flexitarians live and guidebook, The Flexitarian Diet,
beans for each ounce of meat or poul-
3.6 years longer than non-vegetarians. visit DawnJacksonBlatner.com.
22 Northern & Central New Mexico
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