Flexitarian Diet: What it is and Potential Benefits

While plant-based diets are increasingly more popular, you may have also heard of the flexitarian diet.

But what does being a flexitarian actually mean? And what are the health benefits of it? Let’s take a look! 

What is the Flexitarian Diet? 

Created by dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, the Flexitarian Diet is less of a strict diet regimen and more a general way of eating that combines the idea of a vegetarian diet, but with more flexibility. 

While there are many types of vegetarians, in general, a vegetarian diet is one that doesn’t include any animal flesh. So foods like beef, chicken, or fish are off-limits. 

Additionally, some vegetarians may also restrict certain animal products, such as eggs or dairy. And those who completely avoid all animal meats and products are considered vegans.

So, what does all this mean for the Flexitarian Diet? 

Essentially, the Flexitarian Diet was designed to take all the benefits of eating more plant-based foods, but make it more flexible and realistic for individuals who don’t want to give up eating meat or fish completely. 

What Can You Eat on a Flexitarian Diet? 

For those who are curious, Blatner has an official Flexitarian Book that outlines how much meat to include per week. However, you don’t need to buy the book to start following a more flexitarian style of eating. 

The General Guidelines of the Flexitarian Diet Include: 

• Get the majority of your calories from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (beans, lentils, peans, and whole soy). 
• Get the majority of your protein from plant-based sources rather than animal products. 
• Occasionally include small portions of meat, poultry, or fish.
• Reduce your intake of overly processed foods, eating primarily whole foods. 
• Limit intake of added sugars.

Again, there’s no strict limit on how many animal products you can have per day or week.

For some individuals, the diet may look more like a vegetarian diet with dairy products or eggs consumed regularly, and meat, poultry, or fish added in 2-3 times per week.

For others, it could look more like a vegan diet, with all animal products being reduced and added in only a few times per week. 

Overall, the goal of the Flexitarian Diet is to eat more plant-based foods and fewer animal products. 

Examples of Foods to Focus on

• Fruits (fresh or frozen)
• Vegetables, fresh or frozen 
• Starchy vegetables, which includes sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, corn, peas, and winter squash varieties 
• Whole grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, farro, or buckwheat 
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats, including those from oils like olive and avocado, as well as nut butters and avocados
• Unsweetened milk alternatives, including soy, oat, almond, cashew, hemp or coconut 
• Herbs and spices
• Unsweetened beverages, including coffee, tea, water, and sparkling mineral water 
• No-added Sugar Condiments such as low-sodium soy sauce, miso, vinegars, mustards, salsa, and natural ketchups without added sugars 
• Homemade sweets made from whole ingredients and sweetened naturally with dates, figs, or small amounts of raw honey or pure maple syrup

Foods to Add in Moderation: 

• Eggs
• Fish and seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon
• Dairy, including milk, unsweetened regular or Greek yogurt, cheese, and butter
• Chicken and turkey
• Meat, including beef, lamb, pork, bison, and other game meats 

While the diet recommends choosing organic options if you can afford it, especially when it comes to meat and eggs, my personal opinion is to go with local, regardless of organic or not, whenever possible. 

What Not to Eat on the Flexitarian Diet

While the diet is meant to be flexible, there are some foods that are strongly encouraged to either avoid completely or limit as much as possible: 

• Processed meats, including bacon, sausage, pepperoni, hot dogs, bologna (and this includes chicken and turkey varieties of these meats).
• Fast food, particularly foods like hamburgers, fried chicken or chicken nuggets, french fries, onion rings, and milkshakes. 
• Add sugars from foods and beverages, including soda, sweetened fruit juice or tea, candy, cookies, cake. 
• Refined carbs, which essentially includes anything made with white flour like pastries, white bread, and bagels. 

Potential Benefits of a Flexitarian Diet

So what are the benefits of eating more plant-based foods and less meat? 

The hard part about the Flexitarian Diet is that it’s still quite new so the research is limited.

Plus, the studies that have looked at a flexitarian way of eating all have different definitions of what it means to be flexitarian, therefore making the results harder to compare. 

May be Beneficial for Heart Health and Reducing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A 2017 review of these studies found that a flexitarian-style diet may have benefits for weight loss, heart health, and preventing type 2 diabetes. However, the study goes on to mention how more research (and a more defined definition of flexitarian) is needed. 

Despite limited research on the Flexitarian Diet specifically, the concept of eating more plant-based foods isn’t new and is actually recommended by the American Heart Association. 

Research has shown that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are good for overall health as they’re rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. 

Additional Benefits

Additionally, diets focused primarily on plant-based foods have been associated with several health benefits:

• reduced chronic inflammation
• weight loss
• maintaining a healthy weight
• reduced risk of mortality from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. 

One meta-analysis looked at the health effects of replacing red meat with other dietary patterns. Only a plant-based diet, high in fiber-rich foods, was found to result in a significant improvement in cholesterol and triglyceride levels – both of which are risk factors for heart disease. 

Finally, the Flexitarian Diet is quite similar to the Mediterranean Diet.

But, unlike the Flexitarian Diet, the Mediterranean diet has been well-studied and shows benefits for chronic disease risk, weight, and reduction in overall mortality risk. 

Overall, the idea that eating more plant-based foods, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, could help reduce the risk of chronic diseases isn’t surprising. 

Plus, the notion of reducing the intake of sweets and processed foods also makes sense for helping with weight loss as you are swapping foods that are low in fiber and high in calories for ones that are higher in fiber and often lower in calories. 

Are there any Concerns with Following the Flexitarian Diet? 

The main concern of reducing the intake of animal products is potential nutrient deficiencies. Especially if you aren’t mindful about food choices and eating an overall varied diet. 

Nutrients that individuals who avoid or reduce meat intake are at increased risk for not getting enough of include: 

• Vitamin B12
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Omega-3 fatty acids

While these are found in large amounts in animal foods there are plant-based sources for them as well.

For example, shiitake mushrooms are a surprisingly good source of vitamin B12, as are some fortified plant-based foods like tofu. 

Plus, as a flexitarian style of eating still includes some animal products, the risk is likely to be less than on a strict vegan diet. 

For omega-3’s, fatty fish are your best option. By simply including 2 servings of fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, or mackerel, you’ll easily meet your omega-3 needs for the week. 

Plant foods like flax seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds also provide omega-3’s. Still, the type of omega-3’s found in these seeds differs from those in fish.

Therefore, if you don’t regularly eat fish, it may be worth taking a fish oil supplement.

Or, for a vegan option, you can also look for an algae-based omega-3 supplement. 

As for the other two minerals:

• Zinc can be found in lentils, oats, tofu, and hemp seeds
• Calcium is present in legumes (especially soy and lentils), fortified alternative milks, leafy greens, almonds, seeds, and figs. 

Lose It! Can Also Help 

By tracking what you’re eating, you can make sure that you’re meeting all your energy and nutrient needs.

It can also help identify any nutrients that you’re really struggling to meet, which could indicate that a supplement would be helpful. 

Of course, before taking any supplements, always make sure to talk with your dietitian or doctor for recommendations on the best dose to meet your individual needs, as well as which brand to go with. 

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The Bottom Line 

The Flexitarian Diet is more of a guideline than a set diet. 

It doesn’t recommend a certain amount of calories or macronutrients. Instead, the focus is on increasing your intake of plant-based whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, with the occasional intake of animal products such as meat, fish, and dairy. 

And by increasing your intake of plant-based foods and reducing highly processed ones and sweets, the Flexitarian Diet has the potential to aid with weight loss and support metabolic health. 

If you decide to try a more flexitarian style of eating, make sure to use your Lose It! app to ensure that you’re meeting your calorie, macronutrient, and micronutrient goals for the day. 

Have you tried switching to a more plant-focused diet? Share your experience as well as any tips in the comments below! 

Last Reviewed: 08/2022