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Demystifying the Vegetarian

When someone says they are vegetarian these days, it can mean a lot of things. In general, we think of vegetarians as someone who does not eat meat. In fact, there are many different types of vegetarians. Here is an overview some of the different types of vegetarians.

The most common vegetarian diet is the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. A lacto-ovo-vegetarian does not eat meat, but does consume dairy products and eggs. In most cases, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian will only eat free-range eggs. There are also lacto-vegetarians. These are vegetarians who eat dairy products, but not eggs. And, some types of vegetarians choose not to eat meat, but they will eat fish. These people are sometimes called demi-vegetarian or pescetarians.

Vegan is a term that is getting a lot of use today. A vegan is someone who does not eat any dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product. Vegans do not eat gelatin because it contains animal ligaments, tendons and bones. They do not eat anything that has an animal fat in it, including biscuits and cakes, or anything containing lard. Rennet taken from the stomach lining of slaughtered calves is used to make cheese, so vegans avoid cheese as well, unless it is vegetarian, in which case the rennet is not animal-based.

A sub-type of vegans are fruitarians. These are people who follow a vegan diet that contains mostly of raw fruit, grains and nuts. They do not eat processed foods and they will only eat plant foods that can be harvested without killing the plant.