Making healthy eating a fad is like saying it’s trendy to be nice. That’s how it’s supposed to be. But eating less meat does seem to be a hot topic.

A friend who lost a bit of weight told me her secret: no red meat. Even though this meant a chicken burger instead of a hamburger at Harvey’s, she lost about five pounds in a month. And my boyfriend and I have decided that we will not eat red meat in June. Although I can’t help but think temporary commitments lead to temporary results, he sees this as one step into a healthier lifestyle and will make a new commitment the following month. I’m more than willing to go along with the challenge.

But the Globe and Mail article “Tick tock, it’s steak o’clock” featured a new twist on vegetarianism. The VB6 diet would have you eating like a vegan until 6 pm and then “anything goes” after. It differs from the rule where you stop eating after 7 pm, and it has less to do with weight loss and more to do with the impact on the environment. VB6, which is part of a trend of “Flexitanarian” and “Less Meatarian” diets, was outlined in Food Matters by Mark Bittman. (Rhonda Rovan reviewed this “inspiring” book in the May issue of Best Health).

If you’re pondering a meatless meal, here are some vegetarian recipes from Best Health.

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