What’s On Your Plate? The Many Different Types of Diets

The food industry has grown and changed drastically over the past 50 years. And as it continues to grow, there are many different types of diets which have popped up from people with different ideas on what’s healthy. My personal belief is that everyone has a different body and blood type, so a diet that works for one may not be suitable for another.

When we hear the word “diet”, we might think of those cheesy 80’s fad diets which force you to starve yourself, eat awful food, take pills or injections, and yo-yo back and forth between your desired weight and the weight you were when you started.

But a diet can also mean your general eating habits. Here are just some of the different types of diets which have arisen in the past century to help you determine what your diet type is.

Carnivore

This is a person who eats exclusively meat. Humans can’t survive on a diet of meat alone, so if this is your diet you might want to consider one of the options below…

Omnivore

An omnivore is someone who eats pretty much anything edible. So long as it’s food, and suits their taste buds, they’ll happily consume it!

Vegetarian

This is a person who does not eat any kind of animal flesh or meat of any kind, including fish and seafood. They may eat eggs and dairy products though.

Lacto-Vegetarian

This is a person who does not eat any kind of animal flesh or meat of any kind, including fish and seafood. The do not eat eggs but do consume dairy products.

Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian

This person does not eat animal flesh of any kind, but does eat dairy products and eggs.

Pescatarian

A pescatarian is like a vegetarian, only they will also eat fish and other seafood. This is mostly for the omega-3 fatty acids, or as a transition phase between an omnivore and a full vegetarian diet.

Flexitarian

A flexitarian is basically a vegetarian who doesn’t want to be rude! A flexitarian generally follows a vegetarian diet, especially when preparing their own food, but if offered a meat-based dish from a friend or host, they likely won’t refuse.

Paleo

Someone on the paleo diet eats only the nutrients which were available to our ancestors in the wild. This includes animal flesh, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They avoid processed foods, as well as grains and dairy products.

Pollo-Vegetarian

A pollo-vegetarian will eat poultry like chicken or turkey, but avoids red meat and fish.

Pesco-Pollo-Vegetarian

This person will eat chicken, turkey, or fish, but not red meat.

Vegan

A vegan avoids anything from animals. This includes meat, obviously, but it also excludes dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, and more.

Many vegans also make a conscious choice to avoid animal products in their lifestyle as well, including wearing cool vegan fashion and avoiding any other items made with animal by-products (which isn’t always easy!)

The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean “non-dairy vegetarian”, though he also opposed eating eggs.

The Weekday Vegan

This person eats clean, healthy, vegan food all week, but once the weekend rolls around, it’s party time and they’ll eat whatever they like!

The Weekend Vegan

The weekend vegan eats whatever they like all week, but during the weekend they eat vegan. These people are usually professionals who don’t have time to make their own food during the week.

Raw Foodie

A raw foodie eats only raw foods. The idea behind this one is that once food is cooked above a certain temperature, it loses some of its nutritional value.

Macrobiotic Eater

A macrobiotic eater is mostly a vegan, except they also occasionally eat fish. The focus is mostly on avoiding refined sugars and oils, and eating only unprocessed foods, especially Asian vegetables.

The Vegan-ish

A veganish eater vegan for one weekenjoys a vegan diet, but will occasionally cheat. Oprah popularized this term when she and her staff went vegan for a week, all 378 of them!

What diet type are you? Have you thought of changing your diet recently? Let us know!

Yours in health, consciousness, and cool fashion, this is Renia Pruchnicki of Truth! Live Your Truth, and Respect Others’!