Flexitarian is a marriage of two words: flexible and vegetarian. The term was coined more than a decade ago, and in her 2009 book, “The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life,” registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says you don’t have to eliminate meat completely to reap the health benefits associated with vegetarianism – you can be a vegetarian most of the time, but still chow down on a burger or steak when the urge hits. By eating more plants and less meat, it’s suggested that adherents to the diet will not only lose weight but can improve their overall health, lowering their rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and live longer as a result.
Balanced Diet
These diets fall within accepted ranges for the amount of protein, carbs, fat and other nutrients they provide.
Pros & Cons
- Flexible
- Lots of (tasty) recipes
- Emphasis on home cooking
- Might be tough if you don’t like fruits and veggies
U.S. News Best Diet Rankings
The Flexitarian Diet ranked #2 in Best Diets Overall. 39 diets were evaluated with input from a panel of health experts. See how we rank diets here.
The Flexitarian Diet is ranked:
- #2inBest Diets Overall (tie)
- #2inBest Plant-Based Diets
- #12inBest Fast Weight-Loss Diets (tie)
- #1inBest Weight-Loss Diets (tie)
- #4inBest Heart-Healthy Diets (tie)
- #1inBest Diabetes Diets (tie)
- #3inBest Diets for Healthy Eating
- #3inEasiest Diets to Follow
4.1/5
SCORECARD
- 3.6/5Short-Term Weight Loss
- 3.5/5Long-Term Weight Loss
- 3.5/5Easy to Follow
- 4.7/5Healthy
Scores are based on experts’ reviews.
How does The Flexitarian Diet work?
Becoming a flexitarian is about adding five food groups to your diet – not taking any away. These are: the “new meat” (non-meat proteins like beans, peas or eggs); fruits and veggies; whole grains; dairy; and sugar and spice
- A five-week meal plan provides breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes. You can follow the plan as it’s outlined, or swap recipes from different weeks to meet your preferences.
- It’s a three-four-five regimen: Breakfast choices are around 300 calories, lunches 400 and dinners 500. Snacks are about 150 calories each; add two, and your daily total clocks in at 1,500 calories.
- Depending on your activity level, gender, height and weight, you can tweak the plan to allow for slightly greater or fewer calories.
- And follow the Flexitarian Diet at your own pace: Jump in and try most of the recipes, sticking to the meal plan verbatim for five weeks. Or take it slowly, and test one of the recipes every once in a while.
How much does The Flexitarian Diet cost?
No exotic ingredients are required, so groceries shouldn’t cost more than they typically do. Bypassing the butcher also helps keep the tab reasonable. The diet’s individualized nature gives you financial wiggle room – by making dinner from whatever produce is on sale, for example. There’s no membership fee, but you will need “The Flexitarian Diet” book.
Will The Flexitarian Diet help you lose weight?
It’s likely you’ll shed pounds on the Flexitarian Diet. Research shows vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, weigh less and have a lower body mass index (a measure of body fat) than their meat-eating peers. If you emphasize the plant-based component of this diet – eating lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains – you’ll likely feel full on fewer calories than you’re accustomed to. With that calorie deficit and a little physical activity, you’re bound to shed pounds. How quickly and whether you keep them off is up to you.
- Vegetarians weigh about 15% less than nonvegetarians. That’s according to a review of 87 previous studies, published in Nutrition Reviews in 2006. The obesity rate among vegetarians ranges from 0% to 6%, according to the study authors. And the body weight of both male and female vegetarians is, on average, 3% to 20% lower than that of meat-eaters.
- Even semi-vegetarians (or flexitarians) tend to weigh less than full-fledged carnivores do, found a six-year study of 38,000 adults published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders in 2003.
- Studies continue to build on this analysis. Researchers reviewed data from 25 papers published between 2000 and 2016 that studied a semi-vegetarian diet. The analysis included epidemiological studies, randomized controlled and clinical trials, and nearly half focused on body weight. Their findings, published in 2017, showed that participants’ body mass index was highest while following a nonvegetarian diet, lower while following a semi-vegetarian diet and lowest while following a strictly vegetarian diet.
How easy is The Flexitarian Diet to follow?
This regimen is very easy to follow. Jackson Blatner stresses that you don’t have to follow the diet exactly – it’s all about progress, not perfection. The book includes ample guidelines and even shopping lists. These resources take much of the hard work and planning out of the equation.
It’s convenient in its flexibility. Recipes abound, and meal prep shouldn’t be too time-consuming. Eating out is doable, and alcohol is allowed. The diet emphasizes flexibility – you don’t have to stick to any rules all day, every day.
Recipes are simple. “The Flexitarian Diet” book is packed with them. They’re designed to help you easily prepare healthy flexitarian foods that you’ll enjoy. Each recipe calls for an average of only five main ingredients.
Eating out is manageable and allowed. Check out restaurant menus beforehand to find healthy meals; if a restaurant doesn’t have a website, call and ask them to fax or email you a copy. Be wary of words such as fried, crispy, breaded, creamy, scalloped or sauteed – instead go for broiled, baked, grilled, roasted, poached and steamed.
Timesavers are built into the diet. Detailed meal plans and grocery lists are provided.
Extra information is available at your fingertips. Jackson Blatner’s website includes recipes (searchable by category), grocery lists, FAQs and other information about the diet. The book is packed with advice, including a section called FlexLife Troubleshooters. Here, find answers to frequently asked questions about flexitarianism, dieting and weight loss; strategies to make healthy changes speedy and efficient; tips to tame cravings; and how to clear common diet hurdles, such as parties and traveling.
Feeling full shouldn’t be a problem. Nutrition experts emphasize the importance of satiety, the satisfied feeling that you’ve had enough. If you’ve built a healthful vegetarian diet around fiber-packed veggies, fruits and whole grains, you shouldn’t feel hungry between meals.
Taste varies daily. Recipes range from “lunch nachos” to a grilled cheese and rosemary-tomato sandwich, Caribbean black bean couscous and veggie enchiladas. For dessert, try a peach-raspberry crepe or pineapple with candied ginger and pecans.
How much should you exercise on The Flexitarian Diet?
Strongly encouraged. Ideally, you should get 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week (or intense exercise for 20 minutes, three times per week), along with strength training at least two days per week. But anything is better than nothing, says Jackson Blatner. In “The Flexitarian Diet,” she outlines how to view the world as your gym, maintain motivation and overcome exercise barriers.