Tracy Pollan is all about “Family Ties.”
Not only did she marry Michael J. Fox, her co-star in the ’80s sitcom, but she teamed up with her sisters and mother for a cookbook centered on a flexitarian diet — a mostly vegetarian diet that allows for the occasional carnivorous indulgence.
The collection of flexitarian recipes from Tracy, Dana, Lori and their mother, Corky, “Mostly Plants” (Harper Wave, out April 16), is an ode to the moderation mantra espoused by their brother, writer Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
For Tracy’s family, the health benefits of a flexitarian diet — which can include a lowered risk for diabetes, cancer and heart disease — were a major draw. Fox has Parkinson’s disease and eats a flexitarian diet along with her and their four kids, Tracy says.
“In all the research we did, we’ve seen that this diet isn’t just good for anyone, but [also] for anyone who has a lot of health challenges,” says Tracy, who will join her husband, sisters and mother at a 92nd Street Y talk on the Upper East Side on April 17. “It’s just intrinsically a healthier way to live.”
As for the rest of the Pollan ladies, who all live in upper Manhattan, the reasons behind their flexitarian and vegetarian diets range from health to humanitarian.
For Dana, the turning point was when their father brought a baby pet pig to the family’s Long Island house.
“I was just so attached, I couldn’t eat meat any more!” Dana tells The Post.
Here and in their cookbook, they share the meatiest meatless eats for filling, flexitarian meals.
Go nuts
Almonds, walnuts and their crunchy pals can add satisfying protein and healthy fats to your vegetable meals. Toss them on salads to make them feel, in Dana’s words, like “more of a complete meal,” or blend them into sauces (such as pesto) to “beef” up pasta dishes.
Chick it out
Chickpeas are a flexitarian go-to for the Pollans. Try adding them to soups and stews for heft, or roasting them in the oven till crunchy for an extra-filling salad-crouton substitute.
Fry this
Adding a fried egg to a vegetarian dish adds a boost of protein and nutrients — many of which are found in the yolk. The Pollans suggest making a hash with roasted potatoes and kale, and topping it with a sunny-side-up egg: “Comfort food at its best!”