The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life

Book excerpt: Lose weight, increase energy, and boost your immunity—without giving up meat! "With her flexible mix-and-match plans, Dawn Jackson Blatner gives us a smart new approach to cooking and eating." --Joy Bauer, M.S., RD, CDN, "Today" show dietitian and bestselling author of Joy Bauer's Food Cures "The Flexitarian Diet is a fresh approach to eating that's balanced, smart, and completely do-able." --Ellie Krieger, host of Food Network's "Healthy Appetite" and author of The Food You Crave "Offers a comprehensive, simple-to-follow approach to flexitarian eating--the most modern, adaptable, delicious way to eat out there." --Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, senior food and nutrition editor of Health magazine "It's about time someone told consumers interested in taking control of their weight and health how to get the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle without having to cut meat completely out of their life." --Byrd Schas, senior health producer, New Media, Lifetime Entertainment Services Introducing the flexible way to eat healthy, slim down, and feel great! "Flexitarianism" is the hot new term for healthy dieting that minimizes meat without excluding it altogether. This ingenious plan from a high-profile nutritionist shows you how to use "flexfoods" to get the necessary protein and nutrients--with just a little meat for those who crave it. As the name implies, it’s all about flexibility, giving you a range of options: flexible meal plans, meat-substitute recipes, and weight loss tips. Plus: it’s a great way to introduce the benefits of vegetarianism into your family's lifestyle. Enjoy these Five Flex Food Groups: Flex Food Group One: Meat Alternatives (Beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds; Vegetarian versions of meats; Tofu; Eggs) Flex Food Group Two: Vegetables and Fruits Flex Food Group Three: Grains (Barley, corn, millet, oat, quinoa, rice, wheat, pasta) Flex Food Group Four: Dairy Flex Food Group Five: Natural flavor-enhancers(Spices, buttermilk ranch, chili powder, cinnamon, Italian seasoning, herbs; Fats, oils, butter spreads; Sweeteners, granulated sugars, honey, chocolate; Ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, vinegars, low-fat sour cream)