Vegetarian Diets

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

  • About
A vegetarian diet is one consisting entirely or mostly of foods derived from plants. Reasons that people follow vegetarian diets may be based on concerns for nutrition and health or on ethical, moral, religious, or cultural beliefs.

There are several types of vegetarian diets. The vegan diet is the most restrictive. It includes plant products only. All animal products, including dairy and eggs, are off limits. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products in addition to plant products but will not eat other animal products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs in addition to plant products. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy and egg products as well as plant products.