The Flexitarian Diet: What Is It, Benefits and Does It Help You Lose Weight?

The Flexitarian Diet may be the answer for you if you're looking for a diet that doesn't put you under strict regimes, measuring calories and more.

This method of eating encourages healthy and sustainable plant-based foods as well as meat and dairy, and it also allows for maximum flexibility. You set the guidelines, which are meant to fit in with your current diet.

The Flexitarian Diet is a great starting point for anyone looking to improve their health and go plant-based. However, it doesn't require you to completely eliminate animal products from their plate.

It can also be a great choice for athletes, as it provides just enough protein to help with recovery after strenuous workouts.

What Is a Flexitarian Diet & How Does It Work?

Flexitarians primarily eat plant-based diets, but they also make room for animal products. It’s basically a combination of being vegetarian and being omnivorous. This is why it does not come under the category of veganism.

The word “flexitarian” combines the words “flexible” and “vegetarian” to describe this way of eating.

This method of eating is most commonly found in developed countries. People choose flexitarianism for health reasons or for the convenience of cooking different types of foods or ingredients at the same time.

It's a good idea to try to eat more fruits and vegetables, and less meat.

This diet encourages healthy and sustainable eating of plant-based foods. (Photo via Pexels/The Lazy Artist Gallery)

Flexitarian Diet Health Benefits

1. You have flexibility on what you can eat (as the name suggests)

Flexitarian means you don't need to eliminate any of your favorite foods, or even any food group! It means you just choose to eat less meat while still enjoying all the foods you love and want to eat.

You can also choose to be vegetarian or vegan if you want. Flexitarianism is just about flexibility - there's no right way to do it and no wrong way!

2. Flexitarian Diet is cost effective

This diet does not require the purchase of expensive meal replacements or the use of special recipes. Rather, you can select meals that are within your food budget. Even if you spend more money on vegetables each week, it tends to balance out because you spend less money on meat.

A flexitarian diet is cost-effective. (Photo via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

3. Helps you eat healthy & promote weight loss

You'll probably lose weight on a flexitarian diet, but that's not the goal of this type of diet. The purpose is just to eat more plant-based foods and fewer animal-based foods for health and environmental benefits. It's a commitment to eating less meat without making major changes in your food choices.

Here’s a Sample Meal Plan When You Are on a Flexitarian Diet

On a flexitarian diet, you can do a lot with your meals. Here are a few such examples:

Breakfast

This could be a bowl of oats with a non-dairy milk alternative or cow's milk topped with peanut butter, chia seeds, and sliced banana. It could also be an omelet with a side of roasted potatoes.

Lunch

A salad with beans, loads of veggies, olive oil and vinegar dressing, and seeds as a garnish could be served.

Dinner

This could be a vegetable-loaded chickpea pasta or wild salmon with sautéed leafy greens and a baked sweet potato.

In the end, a flexitarian diet can be a simple, healthy way to help you change your lifestyle and lose some weight. While it may take some time to adjust your eating habits, you’ll soon find that you feel better overall. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even find a new favorite food along the way.

Will Flexitarian Diet Help Me Loose Weight?

A flexitarian diet might help you lose weight. There was a study published in 2020 by the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences on vegetarians vs. meat eaters. As per the study, vegetarians consume less calories, weigh less, and have a lower BMI (a measure of body fat) than meat eaters.

Hence, if you just focus on the plant-based portion of this diet, you'll likely feel satisfied with less calories than you're used to. This includes food such as plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and healthy grains.

Eating more of veggies & calorie deficit promotes healthy weight loss. (Image by Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels)

You're bound to lose weight with that calorie deficit and a little exercise. Weight loss comes as a result of eating more veggies rather than following a rigorous diet. It's absolutely up to you how quickly you take them off and whether you keep them off or not.

Flexibility is one of the greatest strengths of the flexitarian diet. For those who need to gradually work their way into making more plant-based choices, this approach offers a sensible path forward.

Plus, there are no hard and fast rules to follow with flexitarianism—just a willingness to cut down on meat and eat more vegetables. If you’re looking for a simple way to incorporate healthier eating options into your life, consider giving it a try.