Flexitarians: what it means to be a part-time vegetarian
Every day there are more and more opportunities to try out lots of different trends, and that goes for what we eat as well. Different nutrition approaches offer numerous personalisation options which makes them popular for various reasons. Many have long since become part of our daily lives, with an increasing number of food shops now offering vegetarian and gluten-free products. If you look at other trends, you’ll soon come across the term “flexitarian”. But what are flexitarians? There isn’t a precise definition for this alternative form of nutrition. Generally speaking, flexitarians are also considered to be part-time vegetarians due to the fact that their eating habits are usually characterised by a diet that is low in meat. Flexitarians often avoid meat or fish and instead eat more vegetables.1 This eating concept lends itself to a very diverse meal plan, providing a good basis for healthy nutrition.
What is a flexitarian diet?
As a rule, the flexitarian diet is defined by a reduced consumption of meat products. Its main characteristic is centred around the unwritten rule that nothing has to be avoided – and, as the term already states – eating habits remain flexible.2 Flexitarians can always choose exactly what they want to eat. For this reason, meat and other animal products are not completely excluded from the flexitarian’s menu. However, the choice to exclude certain meat and animal products from the diet can have an impact on the vitamin and mineral balance.3 That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on what your body needs so you can ensure you’re still properly nourished. With so much information out there, it can sometimes be difficult to know what’s best for you. To support your wellbeing choice, we’re sharing the different variants of flexitarianism below, as well as the things you need to consider in order to optimally nourish your body.
Eating less meat
This is probably the most widespread form of flexitarianism. Traditionally, this involves eating less meat and more vegetables. However, an alternative here would be pescatarianism. While many people – for whatever reason – like to forego meat, it is equally common to balance out the diet with the increased consumption of fish. Of course there are other interesting diets that can be experimented with. The benefit of this alternative form of nutrition is that flexitarians decide for themselves which foods they want and which they wish to avoid.
Eating less red meat
Renouncing red meat products is popular amongst flexitarians for various reasons - often due to health considerations.4 However, a balanced diet should always be taken into account because if you completely exclude red meat, your body may find it more difficult to absorb essential vitamins and minerals, like iron and zinc for example.5 Ensuring that you eat foods such as nuts, lentils or even dark chocolate will bring your iron levels back into balance. The supply of zinc can be facilitated by mushrooms, peas or even spinach.
Cutting out fish
While pescatarians rely on the consumption of fish, this type of flexitarian diet is structured in quite the opposite direction. Whether you’re a meat-eater who prefers to give up fish or vice versa, being a flexitarian means you have plenty of choices for cutting out certain foods and eating more vegetables. But don’t forget that eating less fish reduces your intake of essential vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.6 Of course, you can make up for this: broccoli, peppers, pumpkin and yellow fruit such as bananas are good sources of vitamin A, while seeds, beans and Brussels sprouts contain the fatty acids alpha-linolenic (ALA). Dr. Dwight McKee, Scientific Director of Lifeplus, highlights the importance of getting all three fatty acids (ALA, EPA, DHA) into your diet. While it may be difficult by achieving this in your diet alone, you can supplement your diet with a fish oil supplement, also available in vegan form extracted from algae.
Are you thinking about reducing how much meat you eat?
Find out more about how to make sure your body still gets all the nutrients it needs!
Ideas for flexitarian recipes
A part-time vegetarian’s diet manages to bring a lot of variety to the plate. However it’s important not to make the mistake of compensating for eating less meat with ready meals. These often not only contain colourants and flavouring compounds, they’re also not conducive to general health. Eating ready meals often leads to neglecting important nutrients.7
To maintain a healthy diet, it is recommended to limit the weekly consumption of meat.8 Flexitarian recipes can be prepared and enhanced with a variety of foods - fitting easily into everyday life. We’ve put together a few meal suggestions for you that can be simply added to your weekly meal plan.
| Day | Meal |
|---|---|
| Monday | Gnocchi with beetroot and goat’s cheese |
| Tuesday | Mushrooms with savoy mashed potatoes |
| Wednesday | Vegetable gratin with garlic |
| Thursday | Baked sweet potato with mince and chard |
| Friday | Pancake with cottage cheese & spinach filling |
| Saturday | Vegetable curry with rice |
| Sunday | Chicken breast with green salad |
Pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan or simply flexitarian?
If you’re wondering which of these diets is best suited to you, we’ve put together a quick overview to help you decide:
“There is absolutely no 'one size fits all' for human nutrition and an intuitive approach to diet is one of the best survival skills to cultivate for living vibrantly in the 21st century and beyond.”
Flexitarian
As the name suggests, the flexitarian diet is a flexible approach to food. Flexitarians are free to choose which meat and animal products they want to incorporate into their diet. This is particularly helpful if you’re just starting to change your diet and aren’t sure if you’re ready to give up specific foods that you currently eat every day.
Pescatarian
A pescatarian diet usually means eating lots of fish, but little or no meat. Unlike vegetarians or vegans, animal products remain part of the diet. This alternative form of nutrition also facilitates a balanced intake of nutrients, as fish contains vitamin A and valuable omega-3 fatty acids among other things.9
Vegetarian
Generally speaking, vegetarians don’t eat meat or fish. People who eat a mainly vegetarian diet should always ensure that they’re still getting enough vitamins. Cutting out meat and fish from your diet makes it more difficult to absorb proteins and vitamins10, although you can still make sure your body is getting what it needs from other vegetarian foods. Food like eggs, mozzarella, yoghurt and other varieties of cheese contain plenty of protein, while vitamin B6 is found in avocados, bananas, pistachios or paprika powder.
Vegan
Vegans strictly renounce animal products. The aspect of animal welfare is often the top priority when it comes to how a vegan eats.11 Consuming more vegetables, for example in the form of a raw food diet, is part of the agenda for many vegans. Dairy products and eggs are also excluded under the concept of vegan nutrition. Of course this does affect the nutrient balance. If you eat a vegan diet, you should ensure that nutrients such as calcium and vitamin B12 are sufficiently increased.12 Food such as broccoli, kale or oranges contains plenty of calcium, while breakfast cereals, coconut milk and soy milk are excellent sources of vitamin B12.
Whether you’re pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan or simply flexitarian, modern society offers a wide range of possibilities to choose from. The freedom to make your own decisions around eating offers both luxury and flexibility. Find out everything about the different optionsthe different optionsthe different options in our information brochure.
Things to consider when reducing your meat consumption
The reasons for eating less meat or fish can vary considerably. While flexitarians usually focus on ethical or environmental concerns, there are also other reasons for changing your diet, e.g. health issues.13 Of course, changing your eating habits can mean far more than just eating less meat; exercise can also play a role here, contributing to your general wellbeing as well as your intestinal health.
Flexitarianism for healthier nutrition
People who eat a flexitarian diet often make healthy diet choices. The flexitarian diet is not only healthy, it also often provides an abundance of variety to your diet. This may also affect other areas such as your wellbeing, general health and/or personal fitness. If you want to eat well, even as a flexitarian, you should also ensure that your diet is always balanced and varied. With this diet choice, it’s essential to eat extra vitamins and nutrients which others would usually consume when they eat meat and fish.14
Flexitarianism for weight loss
As the focus of flexitarianism is adaptation rather than renouncement, this type of diet can be a good way to lose weight.15 A flexitarian diet can be much less restrictive than, for example, counting calories; and by using flexitarian recipes, they offer a wide range of healthy dishes that help you to change your eating habits rather than simply eating less. Enjoying the taste of vegetables is also a very important aspect. Losing weight without exercising can be difficult and often only comes down to eating properly. The consumption of easily digested vegetables encourages our bowels to work properly and helps with weight loss. And there’s one other thing you need to remember to ensure your meal plan is as healthy as possible: food quality counts when it comes to managing your weight.
What should flexitarians bear in mind when choosing what they eat?
Part-time vegetarians are already conscious of eating a healthy diet. If necessary, this can be supplemented with certain additives in order to be able to absorb all the necessary nutrients and vitamins. Like anyone who wants to eat healthily, flexitarians can also try to consider the high quality of the products and be conscious about what they eat.16 It doesn’t matter whether you eat meat, dairy or other animal products; your weekly meal plan should ideally have a balanced selection of regional or even organic food.
“Human nutrition is still far more complex than any of our science and human intuition is the best guide to finding the diet right for you, which changes based on the kind of work you're doing. The kind of physical exercise, the amount of stress, sleep and inter-current illnesses - all of these often require a modulation of diet. The overall guide is to use whole foods, organic as much as possible, and pay attention to what appeals and how you feel.”
The pros and cons of a flexitarian diet
A flexitarian diet features a versatile and diverse range of food that not only makes it easier to eat well, but also encourages people to maintain a balance in their cooking. This food concept also virtually eliminates the need to renounce food of any kind – so it’s easier to achieve this change in diet than, for example, other diets, which often involve a certain amount of renouncement. More specifically, people who are used to eating meat every day have the possibility to integrate new eating habits without having to put too many restrictions in place. Flexibility is always a top priority.
In contrast, the disadvantages are few. Depending on how you follow this way of eating, you may sometimes have to put more thought into your meal plan than usual to ensure your body has all the nutrients and vitamins it needs. Our brochurebrochurebrochure can help you.
Part-time vegetarian: one new eating concept, many benefits
As the name suggests, flexitarianism is characterised by flexibility and is therefore a step in the right direction for many people. The variety can also help keep you fit in everyday life and boost your vitality.17 The result is a completely new way of eating that supports many of the values held by people today.
FOOTNOTES
2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216044/
3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/
4https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216044/
5https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/recommendations/limit-red-processed-meat
6https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/653-fishreview.html
7https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/conveniencebased-food-purchase-patterns-identification-and-associations-with-dietary-quality-sociodemographic-factors-and-attitudes/CA47AFEDDC801AB25ABFDEDC46D5D9C8
8https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/meat-poultry-and-fish-picking-healthy-proteins
9https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/653-fishreview.html
10https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967195/
11https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7117663/
12https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967195/
13https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216044/
14https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967195/
15https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216044/
16https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/best-diet-quality-counts/
17https://www.stiftung-gesundheitswissen.de/gesundes-leben/ernaehrung-lebensweise/welche-naehrstoffe-braucht-der-koerper
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