Posted June 20, 2009
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:
1. You’ll save money Vegetarian protein sources like beans, low-fat dairy and eggs cost a fraction of the price of meat.
2. It’s naturally slimming “People whose diets are plant-based weigh 15 percent less than meat eater,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and author of “The Flexitarian Diet” (McGraw-Hill, 2009). “For the average woman, that’s about 25 pounds less.”
3. It helps your heart A flexitarian diet lowers your risk of hypertension because you’re eating lots 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
The nuts and bolts of “flexing out”:
– 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 like 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, like 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 which have more protein, fiber and nutrients than refined ones like white rice. Go with brown. And whole wheat pasta instead of regular. Then venture into the exotic grain like 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 oyu need about two cups of reduced-fat milk, yogurt or cheese a day. If you don’t do dairy, you can get the equivalent with fortified soy or almond milk.
– Satisfy a meat craving. “Many people who crave meat aren’t necessarily wanting the actual protein as much as the meaty flavor known as umami,” says Blatner. “Foods including mushrooms (which are also meaty in texture), cooked tomatoes, aged Parmesan and soy sauce have that super-savory flavor.”
Date: June 15, 2009
For more tips, pick up the latest issue of Woman’s Day magazine or visit www.womansday.com.
© 2009, Woman’s Day magazine.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
