What is a Flexitarian Diet?
Updated: Jul 18, 2025
In today’s world, it can be hard to keep track of all of the different eating patterns available. This article discusses what goes into a Flexitarian diet, also known as the semi-vegetarian diet, and different ways to follow a more Flexitarian lifestyle. A Flexitarian diet focuses mostly on plants with occasional meat and fish. Here we’ll talk about ways to follow a more Flexitarian approach while making sure we get all the nutrients we need.
Eat Mostly Plants
The Flexitarian diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Plants are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fats. Fiber slows digestion and controls the release of appetite hormones, leaving you feeling full for longer. It is recommended to eat 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables, about 3 servings of whole grains, 1 serving of legumes, and 1 serving of nuts per day. Here are some examples of each of the different food groups, where each individual example equals a serving:
Fruits
1 medium apple, 1 medium orange, ½ cup berries, ¼ cup dried fruit, 1 small banana, ½ of a medium avocado
Vegetables
1 cup raw leafy vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach, greens), 5 to 8 florets of broccoli or cauliflower, 6 baby or one whole medium carrot, ½ cup peas, ½ of a medium potato, ½ of a large sweet potato
Whole grains
½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup cooked 100% whole grain pasta, ½ cup cooked hot cereal (oatmeal), 1 slice 100% whole grain bread, 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal
Legumes
½ cup lentils, ½ cup edamame, ¼ cup tofu (about the size of a deck of cards), ½ cup various beans (black, navy, kidney, cannellini, Great Northern, fava, pinto, soy, black-eyed peas, chickpeas)
Nuts
1 oz nuts (35 peanuts, 24 almonds, 18 medium-sized cashews, 15 pecan halves, 14 walnut halves, 12 hazelnuts, 12 macadamia nuts, 8 medium-sized brazil nuts)
Consciously Include Meat-Based Products if Meat-Based Products are Desired
This diet is non-restrictive, so the amount of meat-based products eaten is up to the individual. Some may choose to eat meat twice a week, while others may almost always follow a vegetarian diet with the exception of a rare meat-focused meal. If choosing to include animal-based products in your diet, we recommend focusing on lean protein sources, which include chicken, turkey, fish, or eggs.
What are the Benefits of Following a Flexitarian Lifestyle?
In recent scientific studies, vegans, vegetarians, and semi-vegetarians were more likely to have a lower body weight, a lower risk of developing certain cancers, and a lower risk of developing diabetes compared to non-vegetarians. Similarly, the higher fiber content of the Flexitarian diet can be protective against relapse of certain inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease. When people swap plants for meat, their diet quality improves because they are consuming more vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats than they would if they were eating meat.
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