What Is a Flexitarian Diet?

As the name implies, flexitarianism is a flexible eating style. Adherents of a flexitarian diet fill their plates with mostly plant-based whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and unrefined grains. Eggs and dairy are also permitted, and instead of forbidding meat, flexitarianism allows people to enjoy it on occasion.

This highly customizable and increasingly popular way of eating makes it easier for omnivores to keep their time-honored food traditions while acknowledging animal agriculture's role in the climate crisis.

What Do Flexitarians Eat? 

Flexitarians eat everything. No single food is forbidden, although the diet is primarily plant-based. Because of their focus on whole foods, flexitarians generally steer clear of refined carbohydrates, added sugars, processed and cured meats like sausage and bacon, and fried and fast food. But as with meat, every once in a while, the flexibility of this diet allows indulgence.

When flexitarians choose to eat meat, fish and poultry are often chosen over red meats like pork, lamb, and beef. Which and how much meat, as well as when to consume it, is up to the individual. Flexitarianism centers less on a specific type or amount of clean meat and more on reducing the overall amount of meat by increasing the number of vegetarian or vegan meals. 

Vegetables

To call flexitarianism “plant-forward” is no joke—flexitarians fill their plate with vegetables before any other food group.

• Leafy greens (kale, spinach, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Stem vegetables (asparagus, celery, fennel, leek)
• Bulb vegetables (peppers, onion, garlic)
• Root vegetables (carrot, beet, ginger, potato, sweet potato)
• Foods commonly thought of as vegetables (mushroom, avocado, bell pepper, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, corn, eggplant, tomato, olive)

Fruits

The second-in-command for flexitarians: fruit. A great alternative to processed sweets, fruit gives you post-prandial satisfaction in a whole food form. 

• Pomes (apple, pear, pomegranate)
• Citrus (orange, lemon, lime)
• Berries (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, grapes)
• Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe)
• Tropical fruit (banana, pineapple, mango, papaya)
• Stone fruit (cherry, apricot, peach, plum, date)

Whole Grains

Leave the white flour and cereals for the occasional treat. On the flexitarian diet, whole grains can help fill out any meal. 

• Brown rice (over refined white rice)
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Teff
• Farro
• Whole-grain bread

Plant Proteins

Legumes, nuts, and seeds are the superstars of flexitarianism. They provide the plant-based protein that takes the lead in this meat-light diet.

• Legumes (edamame; black, kidney, navy, pinto beans; garbonzo; lentils; peas; green beans)
• Tofu and tempeh
• Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, coconut, including nut butters)
• Seeds (flaxseed, chia seed, sunflower, sesame, including seed butters)

Dairy 

Animal- and plant-based dairy products play a supporting role in the flexitarian diet. Choose organic whenever possible.

• Animal dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir)

Dairy alternatives, such as soy, oat, almond, and hemp milk, as well as vegan cheeses, are also popular among flexitarians.

Eggs

Choose organic, free-range, or pasture-raised eggs.

Meat

Flexitarians generally opt for sustainably-sourced seafood and lean meats over processed and fast food meat. If possible, buy organic, pasture-raised, or grass-fed varieties.

• Fish and shellfish
• Poultry (chicken, turkey)
• Pork
• Ruminant meats (beef, lamb, goat)

Is a Flexitarian Diet More Sustainable?

A flexitarian diet focused primarily on plant-based foods uses far fewer natural resources than a diet that includes meat at every meal.

Currently, around 15% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from livestock-based food production. Even the highest emitting plant-based foods, including rice, avocados, tofu, and tomatoes, still emit less than half the amount of carbon from fish and less than 20% of the emissions from beef. (Emissions from other fruits and vegetables are negligible.)

Moreover, the reduced carbon footprint from a flexitarian diet proves that reducing the amount of animal products consumed can have a measurable positive impact on the climate crisis. Research indicates that if Americans simply reduced their beef intake by half, destructive deforestation could be stopped, and the world would still have enough land to feed the 10 billion people predicted to populate the planet by 2050.

When it comes to individual efforts to combat the climate crisis, the most sustainable actions are the ones that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Because flexitarianism doesn’t restrict any food—even the most carbon-intensive food, beef—most people find it easy to maintain for the long haul.