Flexitarier: How Healthy is This Diet?

Flexitarians, unlike vegetarians, do not completely do without meat, but eat it only rarely. Here you can find out how healthy this form of nutrition is.

What is a Flexitarian?

Flexitarians live a kind of “gentle” vegetarianism. This means that although they basically eat everything, they reduce their meat consumption. The consumption of fish is also reduced. There are various reasons for flexitarism, which can range from animal welfare to health considerations. Flexitarians are also known as flexible vegetarians or part-time vegetarians (from the English: flexitarian = flexible + vegetarian).

Reasons for a Flexitarian Diet

There are many motives for becoming a flexitarian. These include:

• Ethical reasons (e.g. animal welfare, environmental awareness)
• Religious reasons
• Health reasons (e.g. reducing overweight, maintaining healthy weight, reducing the risk of various diseases)

How Do Flexitarians Feed?

Unlike vegetarians and vegans, flexitarians basically eat everything, including meat. But the consumption of meat is very conscious, for example, corresponding products are only consumed three times a week. In addition, the food used is usually of very high quality, e.g. often in organic quality or from a nearby farm with species-appropriate husbandry. Many flexitarians extend the conscious consumption to fish as well, in order to counteract the overfishing of the seas. In general, the diet of a flexitarians is more oriented towards that of a vegetarian. The following foods are increasingly eaten:

• Cereals
• Fruit and vegetables
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Pulses

What Distinguishes a Flexitarier?

Currently, about twelve percent of all Germans can be considered flexitarians – but many of them are not even aware of this. For them, a conscious diet is simply part of a life in which one pays attention to one’s health, and they therefore tend to cook fresh and regional food. Studies show that meat consumption tends to be lower in higher educational and income groups than in lower income groups.

Differently than Veganer, to which often already a kind of religious attitude food is alleged opposite, Flexitarier represent their nourishing way rather rarely loudly outward. They have merely decided for themselves that the flexitarian diet suits them, but do not criticize any other style.

What Criticism Do Flexitarians Experience?

It is precisely the fact that the principle is so flexible that makes vegans in particular criticise it as “half-baked”. According to this, flexitarians with the limited meat consumption allegedly only want to calm their conscience, but do not care whether something can actually be changed socially by it. Moreover, by only proportionately refraining from eating meat, there would always be the risk of “relapsing” and becoming an excessive meat eater again.

Is It Healthy to be a Flexitarian?

The president of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), Prof. Dr. Helmut Heseker, assumes that flexitarians tend to live healthier lives. The DGE recommends eating about 300 to 600 grams of meat per week – this amount can be easily achieved with a flexitarian diet. At the same time a lack of nutrients and vitamins is avoided. According to Heseker, those who generally take care to eat little meat – especially red meat – also reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.

What Should I Pay Attention to If I Want to have a Flexitarian Diet?

Actually, you can’t go wrong with a conscious, flexitarian diet – a nutrient or vitamin deficiency is not to be expected. However, there are some nutrients that not only flexitarians but many Germans in general are deficient in – these include vitamin D, for example. Whether the corresponding nutrient storage is empty can be clarified by a test at the doctor. To counteract this, it usually takes about 15 minutes in the fresh air – ideally in sunshine. If this is not enough, supplementation can also be useful after consultation with the doctor.

A similar case that occurs mainly with women, even if they are not flexitarians: Iron deficiency. Here too, a medical test helps to clarify how full or empty the body’s memory is. But no matter how this test turns out – no one should start on their own to compensate for a supposed deficiency with dietary supplements. Close consultation with the doctor is the best way to do this.

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