Greetings!
With the changing of the seasons and the budding of blossoms, this issue is a tribute to vegetables which will soon be available locally.
While many vegetables are available year round, this time of year local produce is more readily available. To get the great buys of the season in your area, we encourage you to visit and support your local farmers' market. Here in New England, the local "Fruits of the Farm" include a wide range of vegetables such as: cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, zucchini and summer squash.
This issue is packed with information and tips including Soup: A Flexitarian-Friendly Food, fun recipe ideas and a souper coupon giveaway. Thank you as always for being a part of our community and we hope you enjoy this issue of Soups On. |
  Soup: A Flexitarian-Friendly Food
by Rachel Begun
Do you eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but enjoy a good burger on occasion? Are you trying to eat less meat and more plant-based foods, but can't quite give up crispy bacon? You're not alone, but rather part of a growing trend of eaters called "flexitarians" or flexible vegetarians.
Flexitarians get all the benefits of eating a primarily plant-based diet, without the guilt of enjoying a hot dog at the ballpark or mom's meatloaf when visiting home. Let's face it, eating 100% vegetarian all the time is not easy. Studies show that nearly two out of three self-described vegetarians can't maintain a purely plant diet all of the time. "The flexitarian lifestyle is not about animal rights or being anti-meat, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, Author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2009). "It is a pro-plant philosophy that encourages minimizing meat consumption without eliminating it so there is more room in the diet for plant-based foods, which promote optimal health and longevity."
Blatner encourages eating more fruits, veggies and plant-based proteins for their health-promoting benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as supporting weight loss.
The benefits go beyond health, though. She points out that Americans are going flexitarian for economic and environmental reasons, too, as meat is one of the most expensive items on the grocery bill and produces more carbon emissions than plant foods.
Interestingly, soups happen to be a particularly "flexitarian-friendly food" according to Blatner. They offer plenty of vegetables and plant-based proteins, like beans, which are nutrient-dense and filling, thereby regulating appetite and supporting weight loss. And meat and fish-containing soups are a great way to fix a carnivorous craving with a small to moderate portion size.
Soup-loving flexitarians delight! It's okay to dig into chili on a lazy Sunday or savor chowder on a warm spring day. You'll still reap the benefits of a mostly vegetarian diet.
Rachel Begun, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and food and nutrition communications consultant. She provides marketing and communications expertise to the food industry as well as educates the public and media. Since being diagnosed gluten intolerant, she targets her professional skills to helping the gluten-free community and food industry.
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