Flexitarianism - flexitarian diet and its principles

Flexitarianism - what is it?

Flexitarianism is a combination of the word "flexible" and "vegetarianism", that is a diet that eliminates meat, fish and seafood from the menu. It is a model of nutrition that limits the consumption of meat along with the daily diet, but unlike vegetarians, flexitarians do not completely give up meat foods, but only limit the consumption of animal products. Thus, the answer to the question "flexitarian diet - what is it?" it may be explained that this is a menu in which plant products dominate, and food of animal origin is only an addition in the daily diet.

Flexitarian diet - rules

Flexitarianism is not based on rigid rules and a specific, recommended amount of calories or macronutrients consumed. Thus, the flexitarian diet is a kind of lifestyle that does not impose strict restrictions, but allows you to individually adjust the nutrition plan to your own needs and preferences.

The main, and actually the only, principle of the menu is to limit the consumption of meat and animal products in favour of vegetables, fruits, whole grains products and legumes, which is a kind of compromise, which is a kind of compromise, between a healthy diet and a fit lifestyle, and a commonly used model of nutrition.

But what does the term "restriction of consumption of animal products" mean? Every consumer can interpret this statement differently. According to the EAT-Lancet report, the occasional inclusion of animal products in the diet consists in consuming a maximum of 5 servings of animal-based foods per week. Therefore, both when you eat cottage cheese once a week, and when you include meat three times in seven days, you can call yourself a flexitarian.

Recommended dietary supplements

Flexitarian diet - environmental effects

The flexitarian diet is a nutritional strategy that can have a positive impact on the environment and climate change - reducing meat consumption can contribute to reducing its production and animal husbandry, this, in turn, can minimize food waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which can have a positive impact on the planet and maintain optimal living conditions in the world. Furthermore, flexitarianism can reduce water consumption, as animal husbandry for meat requires much more water than plant cultivation. As if that were not enough, land for pasture and land for forage cultivation are needed for animal husbandry, which is increasingly obtained by logging forests. By limiting the consumption of meat, a person can also contribute to the reduction of deforestation.

Flexitarian diet - health effects

In addition to the impact on climate change, the flexitarian diet can also affect well-being and human health. Reducing the consumption of meat, in particular red meat, may contribute to reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Moreover, flexitarianism can have a beneficial effect on weight reduction, because it involves the consumption of low-energy foods that are distinguished by a high content of fiber, vitamins and minerals. The richness of dietary fiber can also have a positive effect on digestive processes and intestinal peristalsis.

However, the flexitarian diet can also have some disadvantages. Reducing the consumption of animal products may contribute to the occurrence of nutritional deficiencies, in particular to too low levels of vitamin B12, iron, calcium and zinc, as well as EPA and DHA fatty acids. Interestingly, there are also studies that suggest that the flexitarian cuisine can have a negative impact on the relation with food - flexitarians, whose main goal is to reduce body weight, they may impose greater dietary restrictions on themselves, maintaining restraint in food intake, which may be interrupted by episodes of overeating, which may negatively affect the healthy relation with food.

Flexitarian diet is a model of nutrition in which animal products should be limited in favour of plants. It is a way of eating that can positively affect human health.

A balanced flexitarian diet is a menu that is based on products of plant origin and provides the body with all the necessary nutrients, but does not exclude eating meat. This is a nutrition plan in which occasional meat consumption is allowed, but the primary source of macro-and micronutrients are whole-grain cereals, vegetables, fruits and legumes, and vegetable oils, which provide the body with significant amounts of healthy fats. What does the exemplary menu of the flexitarian diet look like?

Day I

Meal	Ingredients	Method of preparation
Breakfast - chocolate oatmeal on a vegetable drink	40 g of oat flakes 1 teaspoon of cocoa 150 ml of vegetable drink (e.g. soy) 1 banana handful of blueberries	Heat a vegetable drink, add oat flakes and mix. Cover to swell the flakes, add cocoa and mix. Decorate the slices with banana and blueberries.
Second breakfast - vegetable salad with pumpkin seeds	A handful of salad mixes 6 cocktail tomatoes 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 red onion Green cucumber Yellow pepper	Wash vegetables. Place the lettuce in a large bowl, add half-cut cherry tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. Peel the onion and cut, similarly to do with cucumber. Add ingredients to the dish. From the peppers remove the core and vegetable also cut, and then add to the remaining products. Mix the whole, sprinkle with olive oil and mix again.
Lunch - pasta with tomato sauce and spinach	100 g of raw spaghetti pasta 3 large tomatoes A handful of spinach leaves 1 tablespoon of flaxseed 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil	Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the product packaging. Blanch tomatoes, peel and put in a blender cup. Mix to a smooth mass. Wash the spinach leaves, add to the tomatoes and mix until smooth. Add oil and flaxseed, mix for a while. Heat the sauce and add to the previously cooked pasta.
Dinner - two slices of wholemeal bread with hummus	Prepared on its own or bought in a store hummus with a good composition 2 slices of wholemeal bread Tomato 2 lettuce leaves	Spread wholemeal bread with hummus. On sandwiches lay the previously washed lettuce leaves and tomato slices.

An example menu on the flexitarian diet includes vegetable meat alternatives, such as falafel, or legumes chop.

Day II

Meal	Ingredietns	Method of preparation
Breakfast - millet porridge with fruit	40 g of millet flakes 3/4 cup of vegetable drink (e.g. soy) A handful of raspberries Handful of blueberries Peach	Boil a vegetable drink in a pot, add millet flakes. Mix and leave covered to swell. Wash fruits. To the finished millet add blueberries, raspberries and sliced peaches.
Second breakfast - green smoothie	A handful of spinach leaves A handful of kale leaves Kiwi fruit Banana Mango Lemon Water	Spinach and kale wash and put in a blender cup. Add peeled and finely chopped kiwi fruit, banana, mango, lemon juice and a little water. Blend all the ingredients. Add a little more water if needed.
Lunch - chicken thigh baked in the roasting bag with potatoes and salad	Chicken thigh Two potatoes Two carrots Celery Two tablespoons of natural yogurt Spices Two tablespoons of rapeseed oil	Wash, clean and season the meat at will. Peel potatoes, wash and cut into quarters. Place the meat and potatoes in a roasting bag, add a tablespoon of oil and put in a dish in the oven preheated at 180 degrees for about 1.5 hours. During this time, prepare the salad - peel carrots, wash and grate on a grater on small eyes. Same with celery. Mix vegetables in a bowl, add yogurt and oil. Mix again. Season to taste.
Dinner - cream soup with green peas	200 g of frozen peas 200 ml of water 1 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil 1 tablespoon of lemon juice Spices	Defrost peas and rinse with water. In a large pot put a tablespoon of oil, add peeled and finely chopped onions. Fry up. Add a peeled and sliced clove of garlic, then green peas, water and your favourite spices. Cover the dish and boil the water, and then cook for about 10 minutes after boiling. Once the peas are soft, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and blend the soup into a smooth cream.

A good meal for flexitarians can be a cream soup made of green peas, which is filling and nutritious, and does not contain animal products.

Day III

Meal	Ingredients	Method of preparation
Breakfast - pudding chia on coconut milk with raspberry mousse	1/2 cup of coconut milk 100 g of raspberries (fresh or frozen) 4 tablespoons of chia seeds	Raspberries boil in a pot and mix. Mix coconut milk with chia seeds and place in the refrigerator for about an hour to the concentration. To a slightly concentrated mass add prepared raspberry puree. Leave the dish in the fridge overnight.
Second breakfast - oat cookies	Glass of oat flakes 2 tablespoons of oat flour Handful of sesame Two ripe bananas Teaspoon of honey	Crush the bananas with a fork, add the remaining ingredients. Mix the whole with a spoon. Put the finished mass with a baking tray with baking paper. Bake about 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Lunch - falafel in tortilla with vegetables	100 g of dry chickpeas Clove of garlic Onion 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda Spices 5 tablespoons of rapeseed oil Wholegrain tortilla pie Tomato Green cucumber 1/2 of yellow pepper 1/2 of red pepper Two tablespoons of natural yogurt A handful of Roman lettuce	Pour the chickpeas a day earlier with cold water and soak 12 hours. Then pour away the water and chickpeas rinse under running water. To the drained chickpeas add peeled and finely chopped onions, garlic and favourite spices. Mix and grind the whole. Add baking soda and form small balls with your hands from the prepared mass. In a pan, heat the oil, fry the falafels, and then drain the cutlets from excess fat. Smooth the tortilla with natural yogurt, add washed and finely chopped vegetables and prepared falafels. Wrap the whole in a roll.
Dinner - two slices of wholemeal bread with celery pate	Two slices of wholemeal bread Celery root Carrots Onion Two cloves of garlic 1/2 of red pepper 2 eggs 3 tablespoon breadcrumbs Spices Two tablespoons of rapeseed oil	Wash vegetables, peel and cut into smaller pieces. Place in a pot with rapeseed oil and heat under cover for about 20 minutes. Add some water and stew the vegetables for another hour. Cooked vegetables blend into a smooth mass. Add eggs, breadcrumbs and favorite spices, and if necessary also a little stock formed when cooking vegetables. Transfer the mass to a mold lined with baking paper and bake about 1.5 hours at 180 degrees Celsius. Put the cooled pate in the refrigerator and use for sandwiches only after complete cooling. Cover slices of bread with prepared celery pate.

Bibliography:

Natalia Goździak

Copywriter - nutritionist. Bachelor's degree in sports dietetics She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Poznan, while her master's degree in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy - from the University of Physical Education in Poznan. at UP in Poznań. However, she treats the principles of healthy eating primarily as valuable guidelines, rather than strict rules that must be strictly followed. Knowledge in the field of copywriting, on the other hand, she draws from courses and industry literature, but since the best way to learn is to practice. learning is practice, she spends many hours each day playing with words and creating new, unique content. content. Privately, she is passionate about photography and can't imagine life without books.

Your shopping cart is empty.