Sunday, September 21, 2008

What type of vegetarian are you?

These definitions come from about.com.

1. Pescatarian - The word “pescatarian” is occasionally used to describe those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Although the word is not commonly used, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet.

2. Flexitarian/semi-vegitarian - You don’t have to be vegetarian to love vegetarian food! “Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat.

3. Vegetarian (lacto-ovo vegetarian) - When most people think of vegetarians, they think of lacto-ovo-vegetarians. People who do not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish or animal flesh of any kind, but do eat eggs and dairy products are lacto-ovo vegetarians (“lacto” comes from the Latin for milk, and “ovo” for egg).
Lacto-vegetarian - is used to describe a vegetarian who does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarian - refers to people who do not eat meat or dairy products but do eat eggs.

4. Vegan - Vegans do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin. Many vegans also refrain from eating foods that are made using animal products that may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as sugar and some wines. There is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet.

5. Raw Vegan/raw food diet - A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). “Raw foodists” believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body.

6. Macrobiotic - The macrobiotic diet, revered by some for its healthy and healing qualities, includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and allows the occasional consumption of fish. Sugar and refined oils are avoided. Perhaps the most unique qualifier of the macrobiotic diet is its emphasis on the consumption of Asian vegetables, such as daikon, and sea vegetables, such as seaweed.


Huh. I'm a Flexitarian. Well, if you want to get all techie about it, I am a
Primarily-Localvore(ish)-Flexitarian/Pescitarian.

3 comments:

Christy said...

My mom, step-dad, and one of my sisters and her boyfriend are all lacto-ovo vegitarians. I would be more of a flexi if my husband didn't insist that a meal is only a snack unless it includes meat...

I prefer a lot of vegi meals (especially when traveling). Usually when I make a meal I put most of the meat on hubbies plate.

FoxyJ said...

Sometimes I joke that I'm a "lacto-ovo-baco vegetarian", because I love bacon and ham. I can give up just about everything else, but it's kind of funny that I have an unhealthy love of processed meats.

I think we're mostly flexitarian. We eat meat about once a week or so now, and it's usually sparingly. Like a salad with some bits of chicken or beans with some bacon for flavoring. We've always eaten some veggie dishes a few times a week, since my husband and I were raised with "health nut" parents. But over the last year we've made a bigger commitment to transition to mostly meatless, for both environmental and health reasons. My husband is actually more on the bandwagon and I've been hanging back a little, I think because I read a lot of food blogs and I love to cook. Anyways, I like this blog and I think I'll become a follower :)

I would like a post sometime dedicated to good food for travelling and tips for eating out. We live about 12 hours from family, and have learned that trying to stop for food along the way is necessary, but we don't have a good plan for how to do that and still eat veggie. Also any good car food that small kids can eat and that isn't just peanut butter sandwiches.

Millie said...

Pescatarian here. :)