Flexitarian

The word is a healthy union of two words: flexible and vegetarian. Holistic health guru Micky Mehta swears by vegetarianism— inching towards veganism— and says a wholesome vegetarian diet can prevent and cure a host of diseases. The theory that powers the diet is that vegetarians consume fewer calories than their carnivorous counterparts and weigh 15 per cent less and have a lower body mass index.

What’s in it?

A flexitarian diet is big on switching from animalbased protein to plantbased substitutes. But flexitarians are vegetarians who like eggs and who can even enjoy an occasional steak. So, tofu, along with lentils, peas, nuts, seeds and eggs — categorised here as the “new meat” — are commonly found in the recipes. It also comes with a cheat sheet on vegetables that taste like meat. The diet starts with a five-week meal plan broken down into breakfast (300 calories), lunch (400 calories), snacks (150 calories each) and dinner (500 calories). The plan can be tweaked according to your height, weight, age and daily activity level.

Pros: Can be tweaked to become a pure vegetarian — or vegan — diet.

With all the fruit and vegetables that replace the meat, it’s a diet dense in micronutrients.

Cons: Can be restrictive for non-vegetarians as it focuses on eating less meat.