What What

Vegetarian : What?

Posted By: Smidge "The Boss" | August 28, 2010 | 2 comments

Everyone knows someone that is a “vegetarian”. We (non-vegetarians) constantly pummel them with questions and inquiries of allowances in their diets and demand in-depth reasons and answers. The fact of the matter is that if you are not a vegetarian of some sort you just may not understand the terminology or definitions of Vegetarianism. Lets rectify that.

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.

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.

Raw vegan/Raw food diet

A raw foods diet consists of unprocessed raw 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 their enzymes and thus a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body, whereas uncooked foods provide living enzymes and proper nutrition.

Proponents of a raw food diet claim that there are many benefits to eating raw foods, including weight loss, more energy, clear skin, improved digestion and improved overall health. Many people clarify that they eat a “high raw” or a certain percentage of raw foods in their diet, such as “75% raw diet”. A few people include raw, unprocessed dairy products in their diet, but most follow a raw vegan diet. The raw diet has seen an increase in popularity in recent years with raw food restaurants opening in several major cities. It still remains to be seen if this trend is here to stay or is merely another passing fad.

A raw food diet includes:

*all raw fruits and vegetables
*nuts and seeds
*sprouts
*roots, root vegetables and squashes
*fresh herbs and raw spices
*seaweeds

The raw foods diet includes these foods in their unprocessed and uncooked state and omits most other foods. Raw foodists also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices and most people include a limited amount of foods that have undergone some processing, as long as the processing involves does not involve heating the food over 115 degrees. Some of these processed raw foods include:

*cold pressed oils
*raw nut butters
*Raw nut “milks”
*fermented foods such as miso, kimchee and sauerkraut
*pure maple syrup

Pescatarian

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 and a pescatarian is not technically a vegetarian, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet. Pescetarians often believe that moderate consumption of fish or fish oils, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, is necessary for optimum health, although vegetarian alternatives, such as flax seed oil, are available.

Macrobiotic

The macrobiotic diet, revered by some for its healthy and healing qualities, includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables in specific proportions, 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.

Well, I hope that clears up any confusion. Are you thinking about transitioning into vegetarianism? Here are some recipes that will help :

VEGETARIAN RECIPES

Enjoy!