While pregnant, I gained a strong aversion to meat. Once a proud carnivore, now even the smell of
chicken put me in a mad dash to the bathroom.
Without this important source of protein, I was grateful I still had an appetite for fish and shellfish.
While dining at a restaurant one evening, I asked for a salad with
chicken and asked to replace my meat nemesis with salmon. The waiter looked at me with a crooked face and
asked, “Wait, so you eat fish but not meat?
So what are you?”
Good question, I thought.
What was I? Is there a name for
people like me? With this question in
mind, I began exploring the world of vegetarian eating. Below is a summary of what I learned. And for those interested, no, I never
regained my appetite for meat. I gave
birth to my baby girl in January, and the smell of meat still makes me
ill. Sad but true.
Semi-Vegetarian: someone who is cutting back on his or her
intake of meat. For example, a pollo
vegetarian avoids red meat, but eats fish and chicken. A pesco pollo vegetarian also avoids meat,
but consumes chicken and fish.
Pescatarian: someone, like me, who abstains from eating
meat and animal flesh, with the exception of fish. For health reasons, more and more people are
adopting this kind of diet.
Lacto Ovo Vegetarian: someone who excludes meat, fish and
poultry from his or her diet, but eats dairy and eggs. Food such as ice cream, yogurt and milk are
included in the diet.
Lacto Vegetarian: someone who excludes meat, fish, poultry and
eggs from his or her diet. Dairy
products such as ice cream, yogurt and milk are consumed.
Vegan: someone who does not eat meat or use animal
products. This person does not consume
meat, fish, poultry eggs, dairy and any foods containing by-products of woold,
silk and leather. Beyond diet, some
vegans also exclude nonfood items made with animal byproducts. Some also avoid honey.
