Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or flexitarian – what’s the best diet for you?
Just because you are a vegetarian or vegan does not necessarily mean you eat a ‘healthy’ diet
Vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian and vegan – all are no- or limited-meat diets, so what’s the difference? And why do we need all of them?
They all revolve around eating a plant-based diet, but there are notable differences when it comes to what specific food groups each includes.
Even though only 3 per cent of Americans identified as vegan and 5 per cent said they were vegetarian in a recent Gallup Poll, Nielsen reports that 39 per cent of Americans in 2017 were actively trying to eat more plant-based foods.
A 2018 report by food consultants Baum and Whiteman showed that more than 30 per cent of Americans have meat-free days, more than 50 per cent of adults drink non-dairy milk and about 83 per cent are adding more plant-based foods to their diets.
While being on a plant-based diet has been shown to help people lose weight, that is not the only reason some people choose to go down that route. Some people refrain from eating meat on ethical grounds because they believe eating animals is morally wrong. Other people decide to lead a plant-based lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s important to note that just because you are a vegetarian or vegan does not automatically mean you eat a “healthy” diet.
Check out the differences between these diets below, so you don’t accidentally offer a vegan a mozzarella stick instead of turkey meatballs because they “don’t eat meat”.
Vegetarian