Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular. This is a diet where no animal flesh is consumed. There are six main different types of vegetarians though there are many that branch off of those types. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat meat but eat dairy and eggs. A lacto-vegetarian eats dairy but no meat or eggs. A ovo-vegetarian eats eggs but no meat or dairy. Vegans, are known as “pure vegetarians”, and are the strictest in what they eat. They eat no meat, no dairy and no eggs but also don’t eat any processed food, or anything containing ingredients derived from animal products. They also refrain from eating gelatin and do not eat some foods that may not contain animal in the finished product like sugar or some wines. A raw vegan eats unprocessed foods like a vegan but the food cannot be heated over 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The last type of vegetarian is a macrobiotic vegetarian. They eat unprocessed vegan foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) and on occasion consumes fish. They do not eat sugars or refined oils. They have an emphasis on the consumption of Asian vegetables like daikon and sea vegetables like seaweed.

To become a vegetarian, you must first know what you are going to eat and know what you can not eat. When you begin, you need to track what nutrients you aren’t getting and what ones you are. For the ones you aren’t getting you should find vitamins to replace them. Not all of the daily needs for vitamins and nutrients can come from plant based foods so taking supplements is needed to avoid becoming nutritionally deficient.