Become a Semi Vegetarian

A transition to a healthier diet doesn’t have to be drastic. Many people have found that improving their health by switching to a semi-vegetarian lifestyle is both easy and rewarding. A semi-vegetarian (sometimes called “flexitarian”) diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer, all without having to completely give up on having the occasional hamburger. As with any dramatic shift in your eating habits, you may want to consult your doctor before making the transition to a semi-vegetarian lifestyle.

Steps

Making the Change to Eating Less Meat

1. Make a commitment. The first step to becoming a semi-vegetarian is making a commitment to yourself to eat less meat. Focus on the reasons you want to make this change and use them to keep you motivated.
   • Reducing your meat intake can help you live a longer, healthier life.
   • Transitioning to a semi-vegetarian diet is an excellent way to lose or manage your weight.
   • You may have ethical concerns regarding the way animals are treated in the meat industry and would like to reduce your involvement with it.
2. Take it slow. Making a dramatic change to your diet may feel productive at first, but drastic changes can often be short lived. Transitioning to a semi-vegetarian lifestyle should not be a “crash diet” but rather a lifestyle change that you want to be able to manage and sustain.
   • Start by giving yourself short-term goals, like to reduce your meat intake significantly for ten straight days. These shorter goals will help keep you motivated.
   • Allow yourself to cheat occasionally. Being a semi-vegetarian means allowing yourself to have some meat from time to time.
3. Decide how much meat you want to keep in your diet. Depending on your reasoning behind making the change to a semi-vegetarian diet, the amount and types of meat you opt to include in your diet may vary. If you are making the change for health or weight reasons, you may choose to include different meats at different frequencies than if you have an ethical issue with meat production.
   • Decide on which kinds of meat you would like to limit or omit from your diet. Seafood is often allowed even among people that consider themselves vegetarians, for instance, because of the health benefits and the differences in the seafood industry as compared to farms that produce poultry or red meat.
   • By making a decision about what meat you are willing to eat and when, you will make it easier to establish a diet that compensates for some of the nutrition lost through reducing your meat intake.
   • Try to establish the frequency and type of meat you will allow early to make sticking to your diet as easy as possible.
4. Phase out types of meat one at a time. It may be difficult for you to adapt to a new diet when your previous one had more of a focus on various forms of meat. In order to make the transition easier, phase one type of meat out at a time.
   • Start by phasing out red meat. Red meat can be the least healthy form of meat in your diet, so eliminating it first can lead to a number of health benefits.
   • Then reduce your poultry intake. Reduce the amount of poultry in your diet slowly, as you find replacement protein sources to your liking.
   • Finally, reduce your fish intake. Fish can be an extremely healthy source of protein and other nutrients, but if you want to work toward eliminating meat completely or for the most part, you will eventually want to phase seafood out as well.
5. Plan your meals. It can be difficult to scrape together a meatless-meal at the last minute, so prevent that stress by planning out your meals ahead of time. A little prior planning can ensure you aren’t left without tasty options when hunger strikes.
   • Find recipes for meals you’d like to eat and use them to create your grocery list.
   • Plan your meals ahead of time so you aren’t improvising or letting your cravings take control.
6. Use meat replacements in your diet. There are many non-meat sources of protein and other nutrients available at your local supermarket and many of them are designed to serve as psychological replacements for meat as well as nutritional. In fact, with some of these meat replacements, you may find the replacement is better than the real thing!
   • Beyond Meat is a company that sells food that looks and tastes much like real meat but is actually made of gluten-free pea protein.
   • Gardein offers “fishless fish” meals that are made of vegetables but replicate the taste and texture of your favorite seafoods.
   • Quorn is a company that offers meat substitutes that are complete proteins, meaning they have all nine of the essential amino acids you need to acquire through food and previously got through meat and fish.
   • Tofurky is among the most famous meat replacements thanks their holiday roasts and they also offer a full range of vegan products that replicate hamburgers, hot dogs, and even bacon.
7. Try these meat replacement ingredients in your recipes. You may not want to purchase pre-made meatless meals and would rather do the cooking yourself. There are lots of things you can use instead of meat to ensure your meals are satisfying and nutritional.
   • Lentils are jam packed with protein and are a great source of fiber.
   • Tofu is made from soy and is not only a great source of protein but can also provide various textures to your meal depending on if you purchase soft or firm tofu.
   • Black beans are a rich source of antioxidants as well as protein and serve as a good replacement for meat in things like burritos or chili.

Reducing and Replacing Nutritional Needs

1. Replace unnecessary meat in your diet. Becoming a semi-vegetarian means that you can occasionally incorporate meat into your diet, but for the most part you will want to avoid meat as the primary source of your daily protein needs.
   • Increase your intake of vegetable proteins like nuts, seeds and beans.
   • Seafood may be an option as a healthier replacement for red meat if you’re willing to keep it as a part of your regular diet.
2. Find another source of zinc. Protein isn’t the only thing your body gets from eating meat. There are a number of other important nutrients your body needs that you will need to find alternate sources for. One such nutrient is zinc, which helps your body heal and maintain your immune system.
   • Men should take in about 11 milligrams of zinc per day, women need about 8.
   • Some great sources of zinc are Crimini mushrooms, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and cashews.
3. Incorporate another source of vitamin B-12. Another important nutrient you will need to replace is vitamin B-12. Your body uses vitamin B-12 to make red blood cells and maintain a healthy immune system.
   • Vitamin B-12 is only found in meat and shellfish, so you may want to consider keeping seafood as a part of your diet plan.
   • Dietary supplements like daily vitamins can help prevent a vitamin B-12 deficiency.
4. Use another source of iron. Iron is essential to your body’s ability to carry oxygen in your blood and the primary source of iron in most diets is red meat. As you phase red meat out of your daily intake, you will need to find an alternate source of iron.
   • Men and women under 50 are recommended to take in 8 milligrams of iron per day. Women over 50 need 18 milligrams and men need between 19 and 50.
   • Great sources of iron are cooked soybeans, lentils, oatmeal, cooked spinach and pasta.
5. Find another source of Omega-3 DHA and EPA fatty acids. These fatty acids are important to keeping a healthy heart, focusing your mind and even your vision. They also promote liver restoration and help convert glucose to energy.
   • Fish oil is an excellent source of all of these fatty acids, so if fish is still a part of your diet, you won’t need to worry about maintaining healthy levels.
   • Fish oil supplements are another way to ensure you have the correct amount of each of these fatty acids.
   • Other good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts.

Overcoming Cravings

1. Ask yourself if you’re hungry. You may not feel satisfied at first after eating a meal that is extremely light on meat or lacking it entirely. This isn’t uncommon; your body will need time to adjust to your new diet. It’s important to create a distinction between whether or not you just want more food, or if you’re actually hungry.
   • Ask yourself what exactly you’re hungry for. If you’re hungry in general, you may really need to just eat more healthy food.
   • Wait a few minutes after asking yourself if you’re hungry and see if the craving subsides. It often will.
2. Pay attention to your cravings. If you find yourself craving something regularly, it could be a sign that your body is deficient in a nutrient that you need. Once you have identified what you’re lacking, you can find alternate sources of that nutrient to help curb your cravings.
   • If you are constantly craving red meat, your iron levels may be low and your body is trying to compensate. Try incorporating more oatmeal, spinach or other iron source into your diet and see if the cravings begin to subside.
   • Daily vitamins can help ensure you have the correct balance of nutrients so you can avoid nutrition deficit cravings.
3. Don’t let yourself get hungry. Often, cravings set in when you’re in need of a snack or haven’t had a meal in a long time. If you make sure to eat healthy foods regularly, your stomach will feel full and you’ll be less likely to suffer from sudden cravings.
   • Plan to eat healthy snacks throughout the day to avoid letting hunger take hold.
   • Don’t skip meals. It can be extremely difficult to stay on your diet when you're starving, so try not to skip meals so you never feel too hungry.
4. Take advantage of umami tastes. Umami is the fifth taste after bitter, sweet, sour and salty. Umami makes foods taste complex and satisfying and can be an excellent way to reduce meat cravings in your diet.
   • Mushrooms and tomatoes both have naturally occurring umami flavors and drying them concentrates them even more. Add them to your meals to prevent meat cravings.
   • Green tea also has an umami flavor and can actually help curb the appeal of the missing meat in your diet.
5. Give in occasionally. The point of eating a semi-vegetarian diet is that you occasionally still get to indulge in some meat. Sometimes, the best way to overcome a craving is simply to give yourself a treat.
   • Red meat is the least healthy meat, but still offers a number of beneficial nutrients. Having a little red meat from time to time can help maintain a balance to your diet.
   • Fish and other seafood are healthy sources of many nutrients and are even considered acceptable to some vegetarian diets. Incorporating seafood could help curb cravings and keep a healthy balance to your diet.

Warnings

• Before you decide to make a lifestyle change please consult your doctor and see a good nutritionist as they will be the people to advise you the best way to carefully transition to the vegetarian lifestyle based on your current health condition.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Choose Low FODMAP Foods As a Vegetarian
• Eat Healthy as a Vegetarian
• Accommodate Vegan and Vegetarian Guests
• Become a Vegetarian
• Gain Weight As a Vegetarian
• Become a Vegan
• Be a Vegan Teenager
• Be Vegetarian in a Non Vegetarian Country
• Live Without Dairy Products
• Be a Gluten Free Vegetarian

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