If you’ve been reading about vegetarian diets recently, you’ve certainly come across a variety of unfamiliar vegetarian names and categories, such as “vegan,” “ovo-lacto vegetarian,” and “semi-vegetarian.” You’re probably wondering what all the fuss was about. After all, what’s so tricky about not eating meat from a conceptual standpoint?
And you were correct!
The differences between these vegetarian sub-categories are minor, yet they are all essential to the people who belong to them. These aren’t random lines for them; they’re crucial nutritional or ethical judgments.
Let’s take a look at a few of these organisations:
A VEGETARIAN is a person who eats only plants.
A vegetarian is a general phrase for someone who does not eat meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Vegans and numerous sub-categories of vegetarians are included in this category; nonetheless, it often refers to someone who has fewer dietary restrictions than a vegan.
SEMI-VEGETARIAN INGREDIENTS:
Semi-vegetarian is a phrase used to describe someone who is not strictly vegetarian. Semi-vegetarian refers to someone who eats meat only on occasion or does not consume meat but eats poultry and fish.
VEGETARIAN-OVO-LACTO:
Ovo-Lacto vegetarians are vegetarians who eat eggs and milk but do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. This is the largest vegetarian group.
VEGETARIAN OVO:
Ovo-vegetarian is a phrase that refers to someone who would be vegan if they didn’t eat eggs.
LACTO-VEGETARIAN INGREDIENTS:
Lacto-vegetarian refers to someone who would be vegan if they did not consume milk.
VEGETARIAN:
Veganism is the most stringent form of vegetarianism, and the concept is to avoid all animal goods and byproducts. Some people even avoid honey and yeast altogether. Others refuse to wear any animal-derived clothes.
Spend some time determining which vegetarian group you will be a member of. It would help if you thought about both dietary and ethical considerations while making this lifestyle choice.