The Most Popular Types of Vegetarian Diets: Get The Best Nutrition
Over the last several years, vegetarian diets have grown in popularity as many individuals prefer eating plant-based foods while eliminating all animal products from their diets.
There are numerous reasons why many people opt for this eating pattern. Some people prefer vegetarian diets due to various health issues like:
- allergies
- the use of medicines that restricts the high intake of animal products
- to protect against antibiotic-resistant bacteria mainly caused by the use of unwanted substances like antibiotics in animal feeding.
Also, many are part of the plant-based movement, which is why they are more concerned about animal welfare due to ethical reasons.
1. Lacto-ovo Vegetarian Diet
A Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet includes dairy products like eggs, milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt; however, it restricts eating meat or chicken, fish, beef, etc.
Originally Lacto-ovo comes from 2 different Latin words, Lacto means cow’s milk, and ovo refers to eggs. That’s why a Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet includes dairy products while excluding almost all types of animal-derived meats..
2. Lacto Vegetarian Diet
As the name hints, a Lacto vegetarian diet includes all the dairy products in its pattern. The only difference is that it excludes the intake of eggs and meats.
3. Ovo-vegetarian Diet
Ovo-vegetarian diet indicates the pattern it follows, a diet including eggs in all forms while excluding dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, meat or fish, etc.
4. Flexitarian Diet
A flexitarian diet allows using animal products in smaller amounts while focusing mainly on plant-based products. It is designed to provide a flexible dieting plan without totally restricting animal foods in a vegetarian diet.
As this diet allows the consumption of animal food in small amounts, it is why many individuals separate it from the list of vegetarian diets.
5. Pescatarian Diet
The Pescatarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes fish-derived dishes like sushi, tuna, and salmon while cutting out meat, chicken, or beef intake.
This diet may include some dairy products, depending on your preferences. Eating sea foods like fish helps you get healthy omega-3 fatty acids that most vegetarian diets cannot provide.
6. Vegan diet
A vegan diet completely restricts the consumption of animal or dairy products like meat, fish, beef, eggs, yogurt, milk, etc. This diet fully incorporates plant-based products like grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes.
There are many different vegetarian diets, some being strict or some providing flexibility on eating animal-derived products.
However, before applying any of these diets, make sure you choose the one that aligns well with your everyday routine or eating preferences and provides good nutritional value. Measuring these factors will help you stick to your diet long-term and thus enjoy maximum health benefits.
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