Types of vegetarian diets
Regardless of the type of vegetarianism, the common factor is an avoidance of meat, poultry, fish, seafood and products containing these ingredients, such as oyster sauce or duck fat. When planned correctly, vegetarian diets can result in significant benefits for both health and the environment, and are appropriate for all ages.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets are the most common and avoid meat, chicken, fish and seafood, but include dairy, eggs and plant-based foods, such as wholegrains, nuts, seeds, tofu and other soy products, beans and lentils, fruits and vegetables.
Lacto-vegetarian diets avoid meat, chicken, fish, seafood and eggs (and all products that contain them), however, consume dairy products and plant-based foods (similar to all vegetarian diets).
Ovo-vegetarian diets avoid meat, chicken, fish, seafood and all dairy products, but consume eggs and egg products. As well as all plant-based foods.
Nutrients to consider
When following a vegetarian diet, it is important to consume a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups – including dairy (milk, yoghurt and cheese or alternatives; wholegrains and cereals; fruits; vegetables, and; plant-based sources of protein (+/- eggs depending on type of vegetarian diet you're following).
There are key nutrients to consider on a vegetarian diet, and the team of experienced dietitians at Eat Sustainably have created resources to help you on your vegetarian journey. These key nutrients are protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids and, in the case of ovo-vegetarians, calcium must be considered.
Should I become a vegetarian?
While following a vegetarian diet can be a great first step to eating a more environmentally sustainable diet, there are many other ways to improve your nutrition and reduce your impact on the environment, there are many other important steps to take.
These include, trying to eat minimally processed foods, reduce plastic food packaging, eat locally and seasonally grown foods, and reduce your food waste. These are all ways to reduce the environmental footprint of your dietary behaviours. For example, if you're avoiding all meat but getting to the end of the week and throwing loads of wilted vegetables away, then reducing your food waste might be an area to work on (see tips here). Or perhaps you feel your diet already has a relatively low environmental impact but is not nutritionally adequate (see information about meeting nutrient needs), then including more foods from each of the food groups might be the area you need to focus on.
If you've decided to reduce your meat intake but are not replacing this meat with plant-based sources of protein and iron, then this may be the most important next step (learn more here). Regardless of what area you choose to improve next we know that every little step towards a more environmentally sustainable diet will make an impact on your health and the planet, so choose an area to work on and take the next step (or slight shuffle forward!).