Flexitarian Dieting: A Healthy Balance!

Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet, fitness, health tips and news.

If you’re like me, you want the best of both worlds – while I love lean meats like chicken and salmon, I often go meatless with my meals for a variety of reasons – less saturated fat, fewer calories, lighter taste, simplicity, less expensive… you get the idea. Until now, someone with these vegetarian tendencies couldn’t quite fit the label of vegetarian but taking on a non-vegetarian position didn’t seem very fitting either! Well veggie-wannabes, the trendy new term on the block is “flexitarian,” referring to those who eat mostly vegetables and whole grains with the occasional addition of lean meats! It’s the best of both worlds. Here are 4 reasons why going flexitarian can help you stay on track with your diet.

1)First, being a flexitarian means that your diet puts emphasis on fresh produce rather than meats. This means that you’re more likely to get the vitamins and minerals and your daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which so many people struggle with.

2)In addition, the fiber found in fruits, veggies, and whole grains like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and so on, allows you to feel full quicker, which means you might not eat as much, which translates into fewer calories.

3) Being a flexitarian means your diet won’t include as much saturated fat, the kind you’ll find in many meats like ground beef, pork, and so on. As a flexitarian you don’t eliminate meat from your diet, but you do eat it on occasion. While a big problem for vegetarians is finding non-meat sources of protein, a flexitarian can enjoy satisfying protein in healthy lean meats along with beans, nuts, tofu, and other protein-rich sources.

4) As a flexitarian, you save time and money without the frequent expense of most meats. That’s great if you’ re on a budget and have a busy schedule! Some of my favorite options for quick meals include salads using pre- washed mixed greens, baby-cut carrots, a few tomato slices, some nuts like cashews, and perhaps a bit of shaved turkey breast to top it off. The protein from the turkey and the cashews makes me feel more satisfied than a pure- veggie salad alone, but the meal doesn’t weigh me down like a big meaty sandwich would.

5)Finally, the best part of being a flexitarian, in my opinion, is being open and flexible to trying new combinations of foods! As a flexitarian, you’ll love exploring new healthy options that either include or exclude meat! You might want a turkey burger one day, but discover a love for veggie burgers the next!

All in all, being a flexitarian isn’t some new-fangled concept about eating meat on occasion. The practice has been around forever but perhaps only now we’ve thought of a label for it. Remember that whether you’re a meat lover or a veggie lover, find a healthy balance of whole grains, non-starchy vegetables and fruits, and a source of protein when you’re making a meal. Be open to new foods and have fun building a healthy diet!

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast or any fun health diet or fitness tip, please feel free to email me at LadyDietPodcast at dietdotcom.

This is Lady Diet signing off…