Types of Vegetarians

It is a false notion to think that all vegetarians fall into a single category and are one homogeneous group who do not eat meat or meat products. This is not true. Vegetarians fall into diverse groups defined by the types of animal derived products they eat.

Generally, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat. However, a person who is a vegetarian could eat dairy products such as milk, eggs, and cheese.

Vegans only eat plant-based foods. They do not eat any foods derived from animals, including milk, eggs, cheese, or even honey. They eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and grains. Vegetarianism is almost like a religion to them and some of them do not use products made from animals, such as leather, wool and silk. They do not eat white sugar as it is believed that white sugar is processed with some substance that is derived from the bones of animals to make it white in color.

Lacto-vegetarians are people who consume milk and other milk products in addition to plant-based foods. They do not consume eggs.

Lacto ovo vegetarians are people that consume eggs, milk and other milk products like cheese.

Fruitarians or frugans are another section of the vegetarian community and a subgroup of vegans, and they eat only fruit, nuts, seeds and other plant matter that is eaten without harming the plant itself. There are some that only eat plant matter that has fallen off a plant. These people follow a holistic philosophy. Thus a fructarian will eat cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin, and beans but will not eat potatoes or spinach. It is a hotly disputed topic as a fructarian diet is considered to cause unbalanced nutrition by some.

There is also a movement towards eating raw or living foods only based on the assumption that most of the nutrients are lost when food is cooked. These people believe in consuming raw food or juiced food in order to benefit from all the nutrients, vitamins and amino acids that the various foods offer, and that if the food needs to be cooked at all, it should only be cooked over 100 degrees in order to retain the nutrients.

Then there are a few categories of ‘faux vegetarians' who claim vegetarian status but are not actually vegetarians.

The flexitarians (semi-vegetarians), on a regular basis generally consume a plant-based diet but they do eat fish, poultry, and meat products sometimes.

Pesco-vegetarians eat no beef and poultry but eat fish and pollo-vegetarians, who eat no beef, eat poultry.

The reason we are even talking about these semi-vegetarian categories is because they are making an effort to eat less and this is commendable. In order for vegetarianism to become more acceptable to people, more people should start with eating vegetarian meals for just 2-3 days a week and then go from there.

Vegetarianism is a way of life and a disciplined one at that. It is essential to be educated about it and ensure that the body is deriving the benefits of all essential nutrients. It is advisable to eat a well-balanced diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and dairy products. This will ensure consumption of proteins and vitamins, which are essential for the muscle and heart, and for overall health.