Remember the first time you heard the word vegan and thought it was some kind of religious sect? We’ve all been there at one time or another. Here’s the lingo that will put you in the know:
Vegan: vegetarians who avoid consuming all animal products, including eggs, milk, cheese). Some vegans also avoid using products that are derived from animals, such as leather and many cosmetics.
Vegetarian: someone who only eats vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and excludes the consumption of animal products derived from animals that have been killed (such as lard, tallow, gelatin).
Ovo-lacto vegetarian: someone who keeps a vegetarian diet, as described above, and will also eat animal based or sourced products such as honey, milk, cheese and other dairy products, as well as eggs.
Lacto vegetarian: someone who keeps a vegetarian diet, also described above, and will also eat milk products, but not eggs.
Flexitarian: someone who is flexible about the degree to which he or she practices vegetarianism or veganism. In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian as the year's most useful word, and defined it as a "vegetarian who occasionally eats meat."
Macrobiotic diet: A diet that emphasizes locally grown, whole grain cereals, pulses (annual legumes such as certain kinds of beans), vegetables, fruit, seaweed, and fermented soy products. Meals are designed to strike a balance between yin and yan properties. See http://www.kushiinstitute
.org for more information.
Raw food: food that has not been heated above 116 degrees F (46.7 degrees C). People who eat raw food argue that cooking destroys enzymes, and/or portions of each nutrient.
