Adopt a flexitarian diet

By chankahyein, on Monday, May 8th, 2023 9:37 pm

As an alternative to Meatless Mondays, you can also adopt a flexitarian diet, which is what I do actually, ever since I needed to take fish oil capsules on a daily basis for my health.

Here’s what it is all about: https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/know-what-is-flexitarian-diet-and-its-benefits/

Excerpts:

A flexitarian diet is a flexible approach to eating what is primarily plant-based, but also includes occasional consumption of animal products. The flexitarian diet is a relatively new term that combines the words “flexible” and “vegetarian”.

“This diet has no clear-cut rules or recommended numbers of calories or macronutrients. Hence, it is more of a lifestyle change than a strict diet,” says nutritionist Dr Meghana Pasi. The Flexitarian diet is not a strict vegetarian or vegan diet. It allows for some animal products in moderation, such as fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy. However, the emphasis is on reducing meat consumption and increasing plant-based foods. The recommended ratio is 80 percent plant-based and 20 percent animal products.

1. Eat mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, nuts and seeds, herbs and condiments.
2. Have meat and animal products occasionally, preferably lean meat and fish.
3. Focus on plant-based proteins like soya, legumes, quinoa, instead of animal based.
4. Eat more natural forms of foods and reduce processed ones.
5. Limit the use of refined sugar and sweets.

You will actually eat less meat if you go on a flexitarian diet rather than an only Meatless Monday diet. Because being a flexitarian means you are eating less meat every single day.

And if you get invited for a typical Chinese wedding dinner, you don’t have to ask the host to prepare any special vegetarian menu for you, you can sit with everyone else and just eat the vegetable dishes or even a little bit of the meat dishes if you wish.

It’s totally flexible, so it is up to you, but the ratio to keep is roughly, flexibly, 80:20 plant to animal products.

And since it’s flexible, you could increase it to 90:10 whenever you like too. Or 99:1.