I was hanging out with some friends the other day, and one girl said she’d changed her diet to a plant-based diet, that she’s now Lacto-vegetarian. Ha! I was like, which one is that again? Anyway, I asked a few questions and came to understand that a Lacto-vegetarian is basically someone who doesn’t eat meat, seafood, or any meat product, but they eat eggs and take milk. When I got home that day, I started reading about these plant-based diets and the benefits to our health. As someone who has struggled to find meal options that are easily digestible in my body, I was glad to see that the benefits are immense. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to de-cry red meat or other forms of protein. In fact, I learned is that meat is not bad for us, meat is a good source of protein the key is to cook it well and eat it in moderation. So, don’t roll your eyes just yet, there are healthy ways to stay with your meat. However, if you are like me and you are wondering about the options out there, here are a few I dug up.
The Lacto-Ovo vegetarian:
Like is said above, it simply means that people who chose this diet eat milk and eggs, but they don’t eat meat, seafood, or any meat products (including meat broth or snacks baked with meat product)
Lacto Vegetarians is almost the same as Lacto-ovo. In addition to not eating meat and seafood, they also don’t eat eggs, but they can drink milk.
Vegan:
To be vegan is to be wholly dependent on plants for food. Vegans don’t eat meat, eggs, dairy (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.). Their diet is strictly plant-based!
Pescatarian:
In my opinion, this diet is a little easier than the others. Pescatarians eat only fish, i.e., the only type of meat they eat is fish. They can also eat eggs and milk.
You should know that not every plant-based diet is good for everyone and that with some diets, you don’t get the required amount of nutrients per day if you don’t eat a lot. So, if you are thinking of changing your diet, make sure you do enough research and know what you are getting yourself into, it takes a lot of discipline, but the benefits are excellent!
Have you ever considered a plant-based diet, especially as a Nigerian? If you have, I’d love to hear which and know how it went for you. Let us know in the comment section. Pretty please! 🙂