Cut back on meat and lose 15% of your body weight: An interview with “flexetarian” Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D.

When I need smart, doable-nutrition advice, I inevitably contact Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D. In addition to being a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a blogger and writer, she’s the author of The Flexitarian Diet, a book that’s been widely praised for its savvy, sensible and delicious approach to nutrition. This is all to say: Dawn embodies the Svelte Gourmand philosophy of eating well and living well. Which is why I’m so excited to share my recent interview with her.

Dawn, how did you come up with the concept for your book? Do you live the “flexitarian” life yourself?
Flexitarian is the combination of two words, flexible + vegetarian. Research study after research study concludes that one of the healthiest ways to achieve optimal health and prevent and manage disease is by eating a vegetarian diet. But so many people (myself included) find it difficult to eat vegetarian 100% of the time because of social moments—like having a hot dog at a baseball game with friends. Being a flexitarian is about minimizing meat without excluding it all together. It’s the best of both worlds.

Personally, I’ve been a flexitarian for 15 years and have counseled my patients to eat like this for over a decade. I waited for years for someone to write a book on the subject but when no one did, I took it as a sign that I should do it.

If I switched to a flexitarian diet, how would I stand to benefit?
People can lose about 15% of their body weight following a flexitarian eating plan, so a 165 pound average woman would lose 25 pounds following a more plant-based lifestyle. Other health benefits include decreased risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer … not to mention, flexitarians can expect to live almost four years longer than meat eaters!

Of course, it’s also budget-friendly, too, since meat and poultry tend to be some of the most expensive items on a grocery bill and vegetarian proteins tend to be about three times less expensive.

People who eat little or no meat tend to weigh less than meat eaters. Yet we all know a vegetarian or two who seems to eat nothing but simple carbs and struggles with their weight as a result.
There are a couple of types of vegetarians who run into trouble. For example, “Mac & Cheese Vegetarians” load up on processed grains such as white pasta, which isn’t as nutritious or filling as whole grains and eat waaaay too much cheese as a protein source—which is high in calories and artery-clogging saturated fat.

And then there are “Glorified Junk Food Vegetarians.” They read labels for vegetarian ingredients because they think it will be healthier than standard versions. Well, “vegetarian” doesn’t mean low calorie or healthy. It’s entirely possible to overdo it on cookies, cupcakes, chips, and other vegetarian junk food when you should be choosing mostly real, natural, unprocessed fare.

People who gain weight on plant-based diets tend to focus too much on cutting out meat rather than focusing on foods that make vegetarianism healthy: colorful produce and other plant-based proteins like beans and nuts.

Dawn, you’re very fit. Inquiring minds want to know: what do you eat in a typical day? And what’s your weakness?
A typical day for me is:
Breakfast: Chopped apple, plain Greek yogurt, raw oats, raw honey (this is called Swiss Apple Muesli, which I learned while traveling in Germany.)
Lunch: A big salad like black bean taco salad – dark lettuce, shredded carrots, black beans, guacamole, salsa, crushed corn tortilla chips, green onions.
Dinner: Sautéed vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, onions, kale! with whole grain pasta (loving brown rice and quinoa pasta right now) and white beans. Topped with fresh basil & pine nuts.
Snacks: Nut butter & celery (my favorite snack), almonds & apple, carrots/peapods/cucumbers/grape tomatoes & hummus

I have a weakness for red velvet cupcakes and pizza. I have them when I want–but always watch the portions.

–Camille