Whether you have been eating a vegetarian diet for years or you are new to meatless diets, becoming vegan is both a challenging and rewarding experience. For those of you who are new to meatless diets, there are varying levels of meatless eating.
Types of Meatless Diets
The most strict being raw vegan and the most liberal meatless diet is pescatarian. Of course, there are also a growing number of “flexitarians”, which is more liberal than pescatarian in the fact that they still eat meat. They do, however, also incorporate a large amount of meatless meals into their diet. Before proclaiming yourself vegan, it is important to fully understand all the levels of meatless diets and how to follow these diets.
What is a Flexitarian?
We will start with the most liberal, the “flexitarian”. This is not yet a fully recognized term in the meatless world. However, the trend is rapidly growing in popularity, strongly due to the Meatless Monday movement. A “flexitarian” chooses to fill his or her diet with mostly meatless meals, however will still indulge in meat from time to time. Most flexitarians choose this diet for health reasons and also to lower their carbon footprint by consuming less animal products.
Are Pescatarians Really Meatless?
The next level of meatless dining is pescatarian, which is a fully recognized, albeit controversial, term. Pescatarians do not eat any other animal flesh other than fish or seafood. While almost all pescatarians group themselves in the vegetarian category, most fully vegetarian and vegan counterparts scorn this since pescatarians still eat fish and seafood. Pescatarianism is mainly based on the health benefits of omitting red meat and farmed animals.
Ovo-Lacto Vegetarianism
The term "vegetarian" is an umbrella term that takes in both ovo-lacto vegetarians and vegans. The most popular meatless diet by far is ovo-lacto vegetarianism. These vegetarians do not eat any animal flesh, but will indulge in dairy, eggs and honey. The proper term for a vegetarian who eats these items is an ovo-lacto vegetarian. Switching to a vegetarian diet can be tricky. Some new vegetarians without support might lean toward a high carbohydrate diet, not knowing how to reach the gentle balance of a proper diet without meat. Education is the answer, and in this decade there is an abundance of help for the newbie vegetarian.
Vegan Vegetarianism
A vegan follows one of the more strict diets, and refrains from the consumption of any animal flesh or products made from the work or byproduct of animals. This means no dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt, cream, butter), honey or eggs are consumed by vegans. Most vegans choose their diet for their beliefs, wanting to help protect animals and eliminate animal cruelty. A few choose the diet for health reasons, as while it is always possible to eat poorly on any diet, it is easier to make the right choices on a vegan diet. A typical vegan meal will consist of some kind of protein, in the form of tofu, beans, legumes, quinoa or other non-animal source. Shakes and natural supplements are also popular in the vegan community to maintain a balanced diet; however they are not necessary if you are prepared for a little bit of meal planning and education.
With the popularity of these diets growing, there are hundreds of product lines that offer vegan and cruelty-free products, as well as a multitude of online resources for your perusal. The following websites have great information for new and experienced vegans:
http://vegontherun.wordpress.com/
http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/
The number one most important thing to remember when commencing a new diet is to make sure you are eating a balanced diet. Do your homework, check with your doctor and check the labels of what you’re eating! An informed eater is a healthy eater.
Ashley Morgan - Ashley Morgan is a freelance writer living in Miami, FL. She grew up in the travel and hospitality industries, with a travel agency and ...
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