Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family Life
  3. Families and Food
  4. Types Of Vegetarians

Types of Vegetarians

Learn about the different types of vegetarians.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Types of Vegetarians

A vegetarian diet, when properly followed, can be one of the healthiest diets out there. Benefits of the vegetarian diet include:

Food for Thought

Although tofu and other soy proteins contain some fat, they’re very low in saturated fat and contain no cholesterol.

  • Decreased obesity. Vegans are rarely obese and, on the average, ovolacto-vegetarians are leaner than those who eat meat. However, being vegetarian doesn’t guarantee a slim figure. If you eat foods that are high in fat, you can consume as many or more calories than meat eaters.
  • Less risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Vegetarians tend to have lower blood cholesterol levels and diets with lower overall saturated fat content.
  • Lower rates of hypertension. The reason for this is still unknown, but researchers think it might be related to increased potassium, magnesium, polyunsaturated fat, and fiber intake. All the same, more research is still needed to determine whether the diet itself has anything to do with the lower levels.

Vegetarian eating covers broad territory and can run the gamut from people who avoid all animal products to people who simply refrain from eating a few select animal foods. Here’s a look at the assortment of vegetarian-style eaters:

  • Vegans. This is the strictest type of vegetarian (sort of the pope of all vegetarians). Vegans abstain from eating or using all animal products, from eating meat, dairy, and eggs, to wearing wool, silk, or leather. If you’re a vegan, you’ll need to be extra careful about getting adequate protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, and zinc.
  • Lacto-vegetarians. This group eliminates meat and eggs but includes all dairy products.
  • Ovolacto-vegetarians. This group eliminates all meat (red meat, poultry, fish, and seafood); however, they do include dairy products and eggs.
  • Semi-vegetarians. This group does not eat red meat but eats most chicken, turkey, and fish, along with all dairy and eggs.
  • Pseudo-vegetarians. This group will not eat meat on the days they decide they’re vegetarian but will, however, inhale hamburgers and steak sandwiches when they get a craving.
  • Raw foodists. This group claims that heating food over 116 degrees Fahrenheit destroys the food’s enzymes, making it harder to digest and preventing nutrients from being absorbed. Raw foodists eat only uncooked, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Grains and grain products, meat, milk, eggs and other animal foods are out, as is alcohol, coffee, tea, and even vitamin supplements.
  • Macrobiotics. This is more a philosophy and lifestyle than a simple diet. Meals revolve around certain types of vegetables (no potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, spinach, beets, and zucchini), legumes, sea vegetables, soy foods, soups, spring water (no ice), herbal teas, and small amounts of fish, fruit, and sweeteners.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

What's hot

  • Eye color genetic chart Family LifeWhat Color Will My Baby'…
  • 10 Signs of Divorce Family Life10 Signs Your Marriage is Over
  • woman standing on scale Family LifeWhat's a Normal BMI for…
  • Young girl eating a oatmeal with berries after a workout Family LifeCalorie Intake for Weight…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Medical Review Policy
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.