What type of vegetarian are you? find out the answer here!

You might think vegetarians are people who avoid all types of meat, fish and poultry. In fact there are many types of vegetarians. The most well-known of these are lacto-vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians, and vegans. What is the difference between the three? Check out the full explanation in this article.

Vegetarian types

Before you decide to become a vegetarian, here are the types of vegetarians you should adhere to:

1. Vegan

Do you eat only vegetables, fruits, and whole grains? You must be a vegan. This is a strict vegetarian breed. Vegans avoid all animal products, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin, which are made from animal bones and connective tissue. Even honey for many vegans is on the "forbidden list" because it is a bee product, which means it is an animal product.

Vegans avoid animal products not only in their diet, but in every aspect of their lives. Vegans may avoid leather, wool and silk goods, fatty soaps, and other products made with animal ingredients.

Due to the strict diet, experts recommend that your daily meals should include:

6 servings of whole grains, most likely from bread and calcium fortified cereal
5 servings of nuts, and types of protein, such as peanut butter, beans, tofu, potatoes and soy milk
4 daily servings of vegetables
2 servings of fruit
2 servings of healthy fats, such as sesame oil, avocado and coconut.

2. Semi-vegetarian

Do you avoid red meat, but still eat fish and poultry? You may belong to this group. Semi-vegetarians, also known as flexitarian, generally eat less meat from mammals. You may only eat chicken or fish or even both.

If you are semi-vegetarian, you must make sure you are consuming enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It is also recommended to avoid high-fat and high-calorie foods.

3. Vegetarian lacto-ovo

Do you avoid all types of meat but still eat dairy products and eggs? You are most likely a lacto-ovo vegetarian. This type of vegetarian is most common in Indonesia. People with this type of vegetarian do not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood and all kinds of animals but they still eat eggs and dairy products.

If you don't eat meat products at all, experts caution that you should consume adequate amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin D, riboflavin, iron, protein and zinc to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

4. Lacto-vegetarian

Do you avoid all meat and eggs but only eat dairy products? You are most likely lacto-vegetarian. This diet does not include red meat, white meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However, lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt.

If you are a lacto-vegetarian, experts recommend that your daily diet should have:

2 to 3 teaspoons of oil
2 servings of nuts and seeds
3 servings of milk
2 to 4 servings of vegetables
2 to 3 servings of green leafy vegetables
2 to 3 servings of nuts and protein
1 to 2 servings of fruit
1 to 2 servings of dried fruit
6 to 10 servings of whole grains.

You also need three daily servings of dairy products and cereal to add vitamin B12.

5. Other types of vegetarians

There are 2 other types of vegetarians, namely:

Ovo vegatarians. If you are vegetarian and eat eggs, then you are in the ovo vegetarian type. Yes, this type of vegetarian still eats eggs, but does not eat red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products at all.
Pesco-vegetarian. Apart from consuming plant products, the vegetarian pesco also eats fish. This type of vegetarian does not consume animal products other than fish. So, red meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products are foods to avoid if you are a vegetarian pesco.

So, what kind of vegetarian do you fall into?