What is a Vegetarian? Types of Vegetarians - The Veggie Table

The Veggie Table Vegetarian Recipes and Info
The Veggie Table > Vegetarianism 101 > What is a vegetarian?

Menu

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
	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
	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
	Vegans eat no animal products - no eggs, no dairy, no honey, etc.
4.	Raw/Living Foodists
	Raw or Living Foodists eat only raw food, because enzymes are destroyed by normal cooking processes.
5.	Fruitarians
	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.

What kind of veggie are you? Back to the FAQ

Interested in chatting about vegetarianism and related issues, trading recipes and cooking tips, and/or getting to know some other veggies? Pull up a chair at the Veggie Table!

Sign up for my free Veggie Table newsletter to find out about new features as they appear, including the week's new recipes and articles.

Subscribe to the free
Veggie Table
weekly newsletter

About Me ~ About This Site

Advertise on
the Veggie Table
Options & Rates

LKL's sites
	Learn English
	Learn French
	Learn Spanish
	LKL homepage

The Veggie Table - Vegetarian Recipes and Info