HealthyRetired · Food
Must eating more plant foods mean giving up every food you enjoy? Flexitarian eating offers a practical middle path: make plants the foundation of your meals, while leaving room for some fish, meat, eggs or dairy.
A Guardian feature about Ghent’s plant-food culture prompted this article. [1] Its subject raises a useful question for our own kitchens: could changing a few familiar meals work better than trying to change everything at once?
A Belgian idea worth borrowing
Ghent’s official tourism website highlights its Thursday Veggie Day campaign and the choice of vegetarian dishes in both specialist and ordinary restaurants. [2] A dedicated day gives people a simple opportunity to try something different.
We can borrow that idea without copying an entire city. Choose a weekly meal, put it on the calendar and find a recipe you actually want to eat. There is no need to wait for Thursday. Your chickpeas do not own a diary.
What does flexitarian mean?
The word combines “flexible” and “vegetarian”. It usually describes someone who eats mainly plant foods but sometimes includes meat or fish. Unlike vegetarian eating, it does not exclude those foods entirely. There is no single universal rule for how many meat-free days qualify. [3]
For HealthyRetired, a useful interpretation is to make vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds regular ingredients, then decide where animal foods fit. The label is less important than the meals behind it.
Health depends on what replaces the meat
Removing meat does not automatically improve a meal. Replacing it with beans, tofu or lentils is a different nutritional choice from replacing it with white bread, chips or sweets.
The American Heart Association emphasises the quality of plant foods: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes and nuts form a stronger foundation than sugary or heavily refined alternatives. A plant-based label alone is no guarantee of a healthy product. [3]
Its dietary guidance also allows fish, low-fat dairy and modest amounts of lean meat within a healthy pattern. It recommends more plant protein, unsaturated oils, and less processed meat, salt and added sugar. [4] Flexitarian eating can follow that pattern; the name itself does not promise disease prevention or a longer life.
Replace the protein; do not simply remove it
A meat-free dinner needs more thought than taking the chicken off the plate. Give the meal a clear protein ingredient: lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, eggs or dairy, according to your preferences. Include different protein foods across your diet. [5]
Try lentils in tomato sauce over wholegrain pasta, tofu with rice and vegetables, or a chickpea stew with bread. If you enjoy fish, you can still have it on another day. Flexibility should make meals easier to sustain, not turn dinner into an examination.
Keep an eye on nutritional gaps
Eating a little animal food does not automatically guarantee that every nutrient need is met.
Vitamin B12 deserves attention when animal foods become infrequent. Use reliable sources, including suitable fortified foods, and discuss whether a supplement is needed. Iron from plant foods is less readily absorbed; vitamin C alongside the meal helps. Calcium can come from dairy, fortified alternatives or calcium-set tofu. [5]
If you have a diagnosed deficiency, follow your clinician’s treatment plan rather than assuming a change of diet will correct it. People with prescribed dietary restrictions need advice suited to their condition.
A gentle way to begin
Choose one familiar meal and adapt it. For example, make a bean chilli, a vegetable-and-tofu stir-fry, or lentil soup with wholegrain toast. These are suggestions, not a prescribed menu.
Keep notes on taste, convenience and how satisfied you feel. A recipe worth repeating is more useful than an ambitious dish you never want to cook again. You can also make smaller changes: serve a smaller meat portion and add beans, or learn one satisfying meat-free lunch before changing dinner.
When shopping, compare ingredients and nutrition labels rather than relying on the words “vegan”, “natural” or “plant-based”. Look at protein, salt, saturated fat and added sugar. [4]
A flexible habit for healthy retirement
Flexitarian eating leaves room for family traditions, restaurant meals and personal preference. You do not fail because you occasionally eat an animal food, and you do not succeed simply by adopting a fashionable name.
The useful question is: what can I add to my usual meals that makes them more varied, nourishing and enjoyable? Start with one answer you can put on a plate.
Sources and further reading
[1] Rachel Dixon, The Guardian, 21 October 2026. Feature that prompted this article: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/oct/21/veggie-thursdays-vegan-surprises-ghent-plant-based-paradise
[2] Visit Gent. Vegetarian food and Thursday Veggie Day: https://visit.gent.be/en/tag/vegetarian
[3] American Heart Association. How does Plant-Forward Eating Benefit Your Health? https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/how-does-plant-forward-eating-benefit-your-health
[4] American Heart Association. Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/aha-diet-and-lifestyle-recommendations
[5] NHS. The vegetarian diet: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegetarian-diet/