Under the umbrella of plant-based eating are lots of variations, below is just my understanding of the most common ones:
- Whole Foods Plant-Based: A person who eats foods primarily plants in their “whole” state because of the health benefits. For instance they may avoid pasta and bread because they are made from grains that have had some beneficial parts removed before being milled and ground into flour. They may avoid foods such as juices, sweeteners and oils because they view these products as processed extracts of plants and therefore, not whole. The recipes on this site most closely follow this eating style
- Vegan: A person who does not eat any part of an animal or it’s flesh, eggs or animal milk products. Some vegans also avoid purchasing items made from animals such as leather shoes, belts, and furniture. Being vegan doesn’t automatically equal a healthy diet, some vegans eat highly processed foods such as meat and cheese substitutes, Fritos and Oreos which are usually high in “SOS” salt, oil, and sugar.”
- Raw Vegan: A person who generally eats foods in their raw, minimally processed state. These foods have been prepared at less than 118 degrees F. Some raw vegans eat just fruit or fruit juices. Raw vegans who eat just vegetables and fruits find themselves hungry a lot because fruits and vegetables are so low in calories.
- Vegetarian: A person who does not eat animals or their flesh but may eat eggs, and milk products.
- Pescetarian: Persons who eat fish and seafood as part of an otherwise vegetarian eating style. This choice can be based because they feel that fish is more healthful than other meats or that fish takes up less of the earth’s resources than cattle, pork and poultry.