Flexitarians and Protein Deficiency

While flexitarians do eat some animal protein, the majority of their diet consists of non meat foods which contain less of the essential complete proteins. Flexitarians may have a higher chance of suffering from protein deficiency since they may not be adept at replacing animal protein with non meat alternatives. The complexities of eating a balanced diet increase as you eliminate meat products from your diet.

The protein content of meat is much higher than in most other foods. Non meat sources of protein include dairy products, eggs, cooked cereals, beans, lentils and soy products. Meat replacements such as tofu and tempeh are high in complete proteins. If you choose to replace meat proteins with dairy products, choose low fat alternatives. Many vegetables such as mushrooms and potatoes also contain protein. Seeds and nuts are great sources of protein as well.

A healthy minimum intake of protein for an average adult with no health concerns is approximately 56 grams or 2 ounces. A good guideline to follow is to eat 2 - 3 servings of protein per day. A single egg, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, ½ cup of cooked beans or 2 - 3 ounces of cooked meat is equal to a serving of protein. In a flexitarian diet, eating enough protein should be easy to accomplish by paying attention to what foods you are eating and serving balanced and healthy meals. Some examples of protein rich meals might include baked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, apple slices with peanut butter, vegetable stir fry with tofu or a vegetable and bean ratatouille.

Protein is used throughout the body in muscle, bone, skin, hair and basically every other part of the body. A protein deficiency can result in a failure to grow properly, loss of muscle, immunity problems, weakening of organs and even death in extreme cases. A flexitarian diet can easily provide adequate protein and avoid these problems as long as proper attention is paid to eating a balanced diet.

Many cookbooks exist with vegetarian recipes and menu planning ideas. There are also specifically flexitarian or occasional vegetarian books. Most of these address the importance of nutrition and balanced eating along with taste and variety. It is not necessary to eat meat at every meal in order to get the protein you need, and flexitarian diets can be healthier in many ways than diets with more meat. The majority of Americans eat more meat than is necessary and cutting down on that amount is not going to hurt at all. Cutting meat out completely or only occasionally eating meat is where the concern lies. However, protein deficiency is not going to be a concern for anyone who takes the time and minimal effort to be aware of which foods contain protein and then incorporates them into their diet in sufficient quantities.

Sources:

http://www.innvista.com/health/nutrition/amino/pdeficit.htm

http://www.bionewsonline.com/5/what_is_protein.htm

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/462/462_0505ELE.html