A Who's Who of Vegetarians
If a vegetarian's coming over for dinner, here's where you'll find some survival solutions!
Most people think vegetarians eat everything except meat – but, in fact, people who call themselves vegetarians range from demi-vegetarians, who even eat chicken and fish, to fruitarians. But do you know your 'lacto' from your 'ovo'?
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It's probably worth checking because according to the latest national surveys, over 5% of the British population say they're either vegetarian or vegan. What's more, one in ten girls aged 15-18 (10%) report being vegetarian, as do 8% of all students! This means one of your friends or visitors could well be veggie&133 so who's who amongst them all?
First of all, there are two groups who aren't recognised by The Vegetarian Society&133 demi- or semi-vegetarians refuse meat, but may eat fish or poultry; pesco-vegetarians on the other hand exclude all meat and poultry, but do eat fish and dairy products.
Among officially recognised vegetarians, there are lacto-ovo-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians and vegans.
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians, who account for most UK vegetarians, avoid all meat, fish and poultry, but do eat dairy products and eggs. Lacto-Vegetarians are similar, but they refuse eggs. Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy products, eggs and honey.
Finally, there are two real minority groups: fruitarians and macrobiotics, whose diets are widely felt to be unsuitable for children and most adults. Fruitarians actually only base their diet on fruit – they also eat nuts and grains. Zen macrobiotics may sometimes aim to gradually eliminate everything except brown rice!
Nutritionial Requirements
Perhaps surprisingly, vegans, lacto-ovo- and lacto-vegetarians have been shown in some studies to be even healthier than meat-eaters. They tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, some cancers, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
Most vegetarians get enough nutrients by basing their diet on grains (rice, wheat, oats), vegetables, vegetable oils, pulses (such as beans and lentils, including soya products), nuts, fruit and seeds. So the old perception that vegetarians are all pale, wan and lacking in nutrients is usually way off the mark! However, for vegetarians, particularly vegans, there are nutrients at risk. Vegans need to pay careful attention to nutritional requirements such as protein, calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin B12, as animal products are the major source. Ovo-vegetarians need to be concerned about getting enough calcium and zinc. Those following a lacto-ovo diet usually don't have these nutrients at risk.
Vegetarians of any type tend to eat more portions of fruit and veg than the average person, which Collette Walsh from the Vegetarian Society believes has a knock-on effect on weight. Provided vegetarians don't overdo cheese and other high-fat dairy products and opt for wholegrain products wherever possible, they are actually likely to be eating the low fat, high-fibre diet that the government recommends for optimal health.
In case you end up deciding to go veggie yourself, The Vegetarian Society recommends making a gentle switch initially.
If you're only worried about catering for vegetarian friends or family, London-based nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says it's worth cooking vegan simply because it's so much easier to please everyone. Base your meal on anything from lentils to tofu as non-animal sources of protein. Try houmous, bean soups, tofu stir fries, or even bean burgers with sprouted seeds.
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