2023-05-20 10:58:04
The size of the plant foods market is expected to exceed $162 billion by 2030, compared to $29.4 billion in 2020, and the global demand for animal protein and dairy products will grow, which is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by the end of the current decade.
A senior consumer analyst at Bloomberg says:Bloomberg) Jennifer Bartachos “The plant-based food industry will become more mainstream as a viable food option,” predicted American Gastroenterological Association member Miguel Freitas, in an article on the Forbes website (forbes), that “plant foods will be the dominant dietary pattern in the United States in the future.”
What is known as “flexible vegetarian diets” is still not understood, and most people have some incorrect ideas. it has been found reconnaissance It was conducted in 2022 and included more than a thousand Americans between the ages of 24 and 39, “more than a third of whom (36%) are unaware of what a flexible diet means.”
Benefits and caveats
The Flexitarian Diet is a diet that combines “flexibility” and “vegetarianism” without strict rules or calorie counting; It appeared in 2008 when The Dietician was published Don Jackson Blatner A book calling to be followed “in order to lose weight, enjoy better health, and prevent diseases.”
The author says that this diet is suitable for people who do not dispense with eating meat, poultry or seafood, but who eat most of their food from plants. has come in Second place Among the list of the best diets for the year 2023.
It is a system in which the consumer adheres primarily to a plant-based diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, but with occasional fewer animal products.
Consider it experts “A way to achieve health benefits without having to throw out your favorite foods,” in addition to many more benefits that she mentioned review conducted in 2016; such as “a lower risk of heart disease, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, long-term weight loss, help prevent cancer, promote muscle and bone health, and positively affect the gut microbiome,” in addition to its benefit to the environment as it “reduces carbon emissions from consuming meat,” according to study conducted in 2022.
Despite its potential benefits, there are some Caveats That must be taken into account, as reducing meat consumption can lead to a deficiency of some nutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc and calcium. Also, in some cases, it may not be suitable for people with irritable bowel syndrome.
Rumors surrounding flexitarian diets
be seen experts There are some common “myths” about the flexible diet that confuse its followers, such as:
There is a common notion that vegetarian diets, including flexible ones, are the most affordable; Perhaps that is why some people may be reluctant to follow them. but Marco Springmanresearcher in food at the University of Oxford, says, “This is not entirely accurate,” based on that Discuss He took part in it in 2021, and found that a healthier and more sustainable diet, such as flexitarianism, for example, “could cut the food bill by more than a third in fact, not just in high-income countries, but everywhere.”
This is due to the lower costs of basic ingredients such as fruits, vegetables and legumes; As for the high cost, it comes from “excessive spending on prepared meals or highly processed foods such as veggie burgers.”
Not a pure vegetarian diet
The aforementioned survey showed that most Americans do not see the flexitarian diet as a true vegetarian diet, “although it depends on eating plants primarily, but with the incorporation of moderate amounts of meat and dairy products,” says Freitas, explaining that “the word (vegetarian) ) does not mean that it is only from plants.
And he adds that “a flexible diet can provide the same health benefits as a strict vegetarian diet, but without completely depriving it of animal products,” through some additional benefits achieved by “the high diversity of the gut microbiome that results in it,” according to study conducted in 2022.
Restricts intake of dairy products
According to the survey, “88% of adults in the United States believe that dairy products are not included in the flexitarian diet,” but the truth is that the flexitarian diet “includes all food groups that promote variety and balance, including dairy products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt. An important bone-strengthening combination of calcium and vitamin D.
Freitas stresses that dairy products are not only included in the flexible diet pattern, but are also an essential component of its components because they are good sources of complete protein, help reduce the need to eat meat, and reduce harmful emissions to the environment, according to Freitas. for some research.
Low protein and not suitable for children
Another impression still prevails, which is that the flexible system is not suitable for children, although it is issued study task conducted in 2016, and indicated that the flexible diet is not only for adults, and that “a flexible vegetarian diet that includes some meat, fish and dairy products, can meet the nutritional needs of anyone over the age of two years.”
The study believes that combining some animal protein sources with plant protein sources is “important for children to obtain the appropriate amounts of complete, high-quality protein.”
The survey also showed that 66% of adults in the United States believe that “even if a flexible diet includes dairy products, it may not be enough to provide a complete, high-quality protein.”
But Freitas says that “it’s easier to consume adequate amounts of high-quality protein when following a flexible plant-based diet approach that includes a moderate amount of animal products.”
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