(NBC) -
If your trying to get healthy and you think you should be eating less meat. But becoming a full-fledged vegetarian might be too much.
You could join the groups of more and more people who are becoming flexitarians.
A meal wasn't a meal, unless it included a piece of meat for 44-year-old Ray Heflin.
"Growing up in my family, we had meat and potatoes, meat and potatoes, that's just what we had," said flexitarian Ray Heflin.
But after his doctor diagnosed him with high cholesterol and prescribed a daily medication, Heflin says he realized his diet was probably sabotaging his health. He met with Registered Dietitian Judy Caplan, who urged him to cut out the meat.
"I think he was especially motivated after he had seen the doctor and was really upset that his cholesterol was elevated and he did not want to go on any medicine," said Caplan.
That's when Heflin tried something new ,what Caplan calls a 'flex' diet, where he would eat vegetarian on most days, but could allow himself some meat occasionally.
Caplan says more and more Americans are adopting this flexitarian way of life.
"Today people are broadening their idea of what's healthy and what they can eat, so it's not just the meat and potatoes," said Caplan.
A survey by allrecipes.com found more than one-third of their 1400 members said they ate less meat last year than they did the year before.
"You don't need to eat meat at every meal," said Caplan.
How much protein you should be getting depends on your weight, gender and age, but most people need between 40 to 70 grams a day.
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