How to Plan a Flexitarian Menu This Week

Created June 9, 2022

Asian Salmon with Potatoes and Broccoli Sheet-Pan Dinner

If you’re looking for a healthier way of eating that doesn’t require calorie counting or cutting out your favorite foods, consider adopting a flexitarian lifestyle. The word flexitarian comes from combining “flexible” and “vegetarian.” Rather than completely avoiding certain foods, it focuses on limiting animal-based products and replacing them with more plant-based alternatives.

What Are Things to Consider in the Flexitarian Lifestyle?

Going flexitarian is a fantastic way to transition to vegetarian or vegan diets or even cut back on how much meat you're eating. Staples of this style of eating primarily include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nut seeds, whole grains and healthy fats. Eating flexitarian also allows red meat, poultry, dairy and processed foods in moderation.

Flexitarian Meal Plan and Shopping List

When shopping for your flexitarian meal plan, try sticking with whole foods for the majority of your nutrients. They contain protein, complex-carbs and help you feel full. You can still enjoy animal-based products in a limited capacity. Give some of these flexitarian-friendly foods a shot:

Fruits (like berries, apples, peaches, cherries)
Starchy vegetables (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn)
Non-starchy vegetables (like spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers)
Oats
Nuts and seeds
Organic dairy
Non-dairy milk
Free-range eggs
Nut butters
Tofu
Tempeh
High-quality meat (like grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, or humanely raised pork)

How to Plan a Flexitarian Menu

You’d be surprised by how many scrumptious meals fit under a flexitarian lifestyle. Some of your family’s favorite recipes may be a few ingredient swaps away from being considered flexitarian. Here are some of our favorites for your flexitarian meal plan.