Can you be a part-time vegetarian?

Woman's Day

Published Tuesday, June 16, 2009

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Steps to starting a flexitarian diet

Start slow. Set a goal of how many days you'd like to go meatless each week. Many people start with as little as two and eventually do four or more.

Add, don't subtract. Try eating new sources of plant protein such as beans and tofu instead of taking away meat. Adding beans to chili or tofu to stir-fry dishes will help your taste buds adjust.

Try the 50/50 swap. Trade half of the meat portion of your meal for vegetarian protein, such as beans, tofu or a high-protein pasta or quinoa. For example, try a half steak, half black-bean taco. Gradually work your way up to making the meal 100 percent meatless.

Get the right grains. They're an important, satisfying part of a plant-based diet. Go with whole grains that have more protein, fiber and nutrients than refined ones such as white rice. Use whole wheat pasta instead of regular. Then venture into the exotic grains such as bulgar, quinoa, millet and barley, and incorporate them into soups, salads and pilafs.

Don't forget the dairy. It's an important source of calcium and vitamin D, and you need about two cups of reduced-fat milk, yogurt or cheese a day.

Give your health a boost by eating meat just a little less often.

Known as a flexitarian diet, loaded with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, flexitarianism gives you the best of both worlds: You get your meat fix and the healthy perks of a vegetarian diet.

The 5 big reasons to do it:

You'll save money. Vegetarian protein sources such as beans, low-fat dairy and eggs cost a fraction of the price of meat.

It's naturally slimming. "People whose diets are plant-based weigh 15 percent less than meat eater," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and author of "The Flexitarian Diet." "For the average woman, that's about 25 pounds less."

It helps your heart. A flexitarian diet lowers your risk of hypertension because you're eating a lot of the blood pressure-lowering mineral potassium, found mainly in produce. Low in saturated fat and high in soluble fiber (which soaks up cholesterol and shuttles it out of your body), this type of diet also cuts cholesterol.

It protects against cancer. People who eat a plant-based diet and exercise regularly slash their risk of cancer by 30 percent to 40 percent, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

It's kinder to the planet. Animal protein requires 11 times more energy to produce than grains. What's more, raising meat uses 26 times more water than growing vegetable protein.

Can you be a part-time vegetarian?

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Steps to starting a flexitarian diet

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