Believe it or not – becoming a vegetarian is way easier than you think.
People choose to be a vegetarian for reasons ranging from health benefits, religious beliefs to environmental as well as ethical concerns. There are many types of vegetarian and here are some of the main ones:
1. Flexitarian/ Semi-Vegetarian This is the easiest step to start with. If you believe in the concept of getting nutrients from plants instead of animals, you probably are a flexitarian! This diet is to help reap the benefits of vegetarian eating while still enjoying animal products in moderation. If they do eat meat, they would choose organic, free-range or grass-fed where possible.
"I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends. But at the same time, it's all about balance." — Meghan Markle
2. Pescatarian Fish but no other meat. This practice avoids any kinds of meat but seafood. They often think that moderate consumption of fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids is necessary for optimum health. For anyone who prefers Mediterranean or Japanese cuisines, this could be effortless as you can always find something you like – sushi, Tuna Poke, or seafood pasta?
Ellen DeGeneres was a vegan for a while but began to eat fish again potentially due to health reasons.
3. Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian The general vegetarian most people think of. A lacto-ovo-vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat any kind of animal products but eggs and dairy products. This type of vegetarian can find baked goods easily in the market as most of the baking involves eggs, milk, cream and butter, which they have no concerns about.
“The nanny we hired was not vegetarian, so I had to be in charge of the vegetarian meals for my wife and daughter. I want to ensure that the entire family has a clean and wholesome diet." — Andy Lau
4. Ovo-Vegetarian It’s a diet that excludes any meat and dairy products but not eggs. Some believe egg is an important source of protein and they would go for organic, free-range option for egg products.
Diary-free baked goods are becoming more common now. Maybe MEN IN BLACK, AVOCUDDLE, RABBIT FOOD and PISTACHI-O can be one of your favorite!
“If they’ve come from an ethical farm I’ll eat them, or I get eggs from my friends who have chickens.” — Leona Lewis
5. Vegan The term vegan refers to more than just the diet. It is a lifestyle that avoids eating and using all types of products derived from animals, as well as any by-products such as leather, wool and silk. Honey is also considered not vegan-friendly.
Vegan baking uses substitutes to replace the key ingredients in traditional dessert recipes such as plant milk, dairy-free cream, coconut oil and flaxseed. Vegan cakes relatively contain more nutrients and have fewer calories.
“I saw the earthquake on TV, then I decided to go vegan and wish that there would be no more natural disasters.” — Vicki Zhao
6. Raw Vegan They believe that foods cooked above above 48 °C (118 °F) have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body. This diet excludes all animal products as well as any food that is processed or altered from its natural state.
“I eat vegan, but I mostly eat raw. If I have a cooked meal, I feel my energy drop. So when I first started shifting my diet, it wasn’t as much a moral or an ethical pursuit but an energetic pursuit.” — Woody Harrelson
No matter what diet you're on, it's important to understand your body and have fun while doing it! There are plenty of options available for you to live a better plant-based life. And there are a lot to discover in your body and a diet is never a limitation, it is a new lifestyle.