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What is a Vegetarian?
Even if you don't know any vegetarians yourself, you've probably heard the term. What exactly does it mean? What foods do they and don't they eat? The answers are
here!
In general, a vegetarian is someone whose diet does not include
certain animal products. There are five main types of vegetarians:
| 1. |
Semi-Vegetarians aka Flexitarians |
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Semi-vegetarians limit their intake of either certain types of
meat or the amount of meat. For example, they might eat no red or white meat (beef, pork,
venison, etc), but eat fowl and fish. Or they might only eat
meat once or twice a week. Someone who only eats fish can also be called a
pescatarian. (Purists would say that
semi-vegetarians are not vegetarians at all, but I have included
them in order to show the complete hierarchy.) |
| 2. |
Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians |
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The most common type, ovo-lacto vegetarians do not eat any
animals, but do eat eggs and dairy products.
Subcategories:
* Ovo vegetarians (eat eggs but not dairy)
* Lacto vegetarians (eat dairy but not eggs) |
| 3. |
Vegans |
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Vegans eat no animal products - no eggs, no dairy,
no honey, etc. |
| 4. |
Raw/Living Foodists |
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Raw or Living Foodists eat only raw food, because enzymes are
destroyed by normal cooking processes. |
| 5. |
Fruitarians |
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Fruitarians eat only fruit, fruit-like vegetables (e.g.,
tomatoes, cucumbers), and sometimes seeds and nuts. |
For me, one of the most difficult parts of being a vegetarian is
trying to make non-vegetarians understand that I cannot/will not eat
anything that was cooked with meat, even if the meat is removed or
invisible. For example, vegetable soup made with chicken broth, pizza with pepperoni removed, lard-refried beans, and
vegetables cooked in the same pan as a turkey are not acceptable to
me, and I imagine to most vegetarians.
Back to the FAQ
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Laura K. Lawless
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