Are you considering going vegetarian or toying with the idea of following a vegan diet? An easy assumption to make about the term vegetarian is that it simply means someone that doesn’t eat meat. However, there are various types of vegetarianism, ranging from occasionally adding meat or fish to their diet to people who only eat raw fruit and vegetables. Learning more about the different types of vegetarianism is an interesting topic. Similarly, it is important to understand the options if you consider switching to a vegetarian lifestyle. Here is an overview of the different types of vegetarianism.
Types of Vegetarianism: Semi-Vegetarian Diets
Some types of diet are considered semi-vegetarian, meaning people follow a predominantly plant-based diet but occasionally include some meats, fish, or animal products into their diet. There are three main types of semi-vegetarian diets.
Flexitarian
The term ‘Flexitarian’ is relatively new, and flexitarians are often criticised for lacking commitment to vegetarianism. A flexitarian is a person that generally follows a vegetarian diet but will occasionally eat fish or meat. Some people follow this type of diet for a short period as a stepping stone until they fully transition to a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian
Pescatarians do not eat red meat, poultry or fowl, although they do eat seafood and fish. Pescatarians’ diets also include dairy and eggs. Similar to the flexitarian diet, it is a type of semi-vegetarian lifestyle. Many people do not consider this a vegetarian diet at all.
Pollotarian
Another controversial variation of a semi-vegetarian diet is pollotarian. Those who follow a pollotarian diet do not eat red meat, seafood, or fish. However, their diet does include poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
Types of Vegetarian Diet
Lacto-Vegetarian
Lacto is derived from the Latin word ‘lactis’, which means milk, and a lacto-vegetarian is a vegetarian that includes dairy products in their diet, such as milk, yoghurts, and cheese. However, they do not eat meat, poultry, seafood, fish, eggs, or products made using eggs. Some following this type of vegetarian diet do so due to religious beliefs that include respect for animals.
Ovo-Vegetarian
An ovo-vegetarian does not eat any fish, meat, or dairy products, although they do include eggs in their diet. Due to concerns over chickens’ welfare, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and ovo-vegetarians will usually only eat free-range eggs.
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian
According to the Vegetarian Society, Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is the most common type of vegetarianism. Although lacto-ovo vegetarians eliminate all meat, poultry, fish, and seafood from their diets, they eat eggs and dairy products. An advantage of this vegetarian diet is it is easier to follow than many other forms of vegetarianism.
Types of Vegetarianism: Vegan Diets
Vegan
Technically, the term vegan not only refers to the diet but also to the lifestyle. Vegans do not eat any animals, including meat, fish, poultry, fowl, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, or any ingredients derived from animals or animal products. A vegan will also not use or wear anything made from animal by-products, such as leather or wool. More people than ever are following a vegan lifestyle.
Raw Vegan Diet
A raw vegan diet consists entirely of raw and unprocessed food. In addition to not eating food derived from animals, they will also not eat food that has been heated above 46 degrees Celsius. They believe this harms the food and significantly reduces its nutritional value.
Macrobiotic Diet
One of the types of vegetarian diet that many people do not know is the macrobiotic diet. Those following this diet eat only unprocessed and unrefined foods that predominantly include fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The macrobiotic diet’s emphasis on eating Asian vegetables is unique.
Learning More About Vegetarian Diets
Vegetarian and vegan diets involve excluding some types of food. Therefore, it is important for those who follow these diets to learn as much as possible about the diet and ensure they include all the essential food groups in the foods they eat. For example, those who want to become vegan should learn about vegan fats and proteins.
One way to learn about different vegetarian lifestyles is to read vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. They encourage a tasty and varied diet with delicious recipes, and many also give tips on eating a healthy and balanced diet. Reading some can help you decide which of the types of vegetarianism are best suited to you.