I am a vegetarian. At home we do not cook / eat meat or fish. A large percentage of the populace in India are vegetarians. The motives for pursuing a vegetarian diet range from economical, to health, and religious reasons.

But honestly, in India, most people prefer a vegetarian diet because quality vegetarian food is readily available in abundance and is a lot cheaper than quality non-vegetarian fare. There are plenty of vegetarian restaurants in India. Even non-vegetarian restaurants in India serve vegetarian food.

By choosing your diet carefully, it is possible to live as healthy vegetarians.

Types of Vegetarians

Did you know vegetarian people can be classified into three types depending upon their food habits ? Check out the following mind map to see what type of vegetarian you really are.

Classification of vegetarians

Based on the picture above, I am an Ovo vegetarian because I eat eggs and dairy products (milk, curd, yogurt, ice cream, cakes …). I guess most vegetarians fall in this category.

Many of my relatives will say they are Lacto vegetarians because they do not eat eggs. However, I have seen them eat cakes which has eggs in them. I presume they are not aware that eggs are a necessary ingredient in cakes – and ignorance is bliss. In effect, that makes them Ovo vegetarians too.

In truth, I have yet to find a Lacto vegetarian or Vegan in person. All the people I know are either Ovo vegetarians or non-vegetarians.

What type of a vegetarian are you ?