Flexitarian diet

Question
Hello,
My husband and I are in our late thirties with 3 kids under the age of 6.  We had been struggling with our weight, energy level etc. we are interested in the Flexitarian diet, if I could get some help in menu planning on a budget, it would be a great help as Im planning a complete pantry and kitchen overhaul.  Snack ideas would be great as we are all hooked on processed food, pizza, pasta, sugary drinks.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Gabi,

That's a great idea, starting to eat healthier now so your kids grow up with good ideas of healthy eating habits :)

One great source for menu planning on a budget is the thrifty meal plan, designed for people on government assistance who must feed their family with very little money. You can get all 78 pages of shopping tips, recipes, and menus for free! Just download it here at http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodplans/miscpubs/foodplansrecipebook.pdf .
It's not a flexitarian plan but it is designed for healthy and low-cost meals.

Dawn Jackson Blatner is the dietitian who wrote the book on Flexitarianism (and I believe she also coined the term). At her website you can download recipes at no cost. http://dawnjacksonblatner.com/books/the-flexitarian-diet/ and on Amazon you can find a copy of her book for under $10.

My website has an e-book download on healthy snacks for $5.95, which includes a list of 50 snacks with their calorie content. Most of them are healthy! http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/products_and_programs

You might consider hiring a dietitian in your area to make a house call. You'll be able to have all your questions answered, get lots of help regarding overhauling your pantries, and have personalized help with meal plans. Some RD's might even have the option of going on a shopping trip to the supermarket to give you some great ideas on how to navigate the aisles to get the best bang for your buck, as well as tips on reading nutrition labels to find out what's really in that package!

I hope these are some good starting places for you.
If you have any specific questions please write me again and I'll do my best to help you out.

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