Vegetarian, vegan, lacto-ovo, pescetarian, fruitarian, raw foodie…. what do they mean and how can you be sure you’re feeding your guests the right food this Christmas?
Throughout my childhood I grew up in a house where we actually cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve to avoid the stress of the trying to baste with one hand and play Monopoly with the other on Christmas Day.
We also always had extended family round on Boxing Day, which meant even more cooking, less space in the kitchen and even more organising. Now we’re all adults, the space in the house seems to have shrunk again, with not only more people but different dietary requirements to cater for as well.
Now let’s be honest, even adding vegetarians to the equation does seem to take up more space! It means separate dishes to fit in the fridge, oven or on the stove (although I maintain this is not the fault of the veggie’s – it’s mainly because all the surface space is already covered in cakes, champagne and bowls of nuts). So while you’re feeling pleased with yourself for organising a big enough feast that everyone present will end up feeling so full they’ll never want to eat again, the last thing you’ll want to do is serve someone something they can’t eat.
With people using the word ‘vegetarian’ to mean so many things (I once heard someone describe themselves as partly vegetarian – what does that mean?) it’s no wonder people still get confused about what foods come under this diet. I even have a friend that claims she’s vegetarian and then says ‘It’s alright, I’ll just stick some fish on for myself’, so it’s not just the carnivores in the house that are clearly confused!
Throughout my childhood I grew up in a house where we actually cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve to avoid the stress of the trying to baste with one hand and play Monopoly with the other on Christmas Day.
We also always had extended family round on Boxing Day, which meant even more cooking, less space in the kitchen and even more organising. Now we’re all adults, the space in the house seems to have shrunk again, with not only more people but different dietary requirements to cater for as well.
Now let’s be honest, even adding vegetarians to the equation does seem to take up more space! It means separate dishes to fit in the fridge, oven or on the stove (although I maintain this is not the fault of the veggie’s – it’s mainly because all the surface space is already covered in cakes, champagne and bowls of nuts). So while you’re feeling pleased with yourself for organising a big enough feast that everyone present will end up feeling so full they’ll never want to eat again, the last thing you’ll want to do is serve someone something they can’t eat.
With people using the word ‘vegetarian’ to mean so many things (I once heard someone describe themselves as partly vegetarian – what does that mean?) it’s no wonder people still get confused about what foods come under this diet. I even have a friend that claims she’s vegetarian and then says ‘It’s alright, I’ll just stick some fish on for myself’, so it’s not just the carnivores in the house that are clearly confused!
So here is a quick guide to the various diets you might come across this festive season…
Vegetarian: A diet that is defined by not eating meat (flesh) – whether it be red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or game. The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom is the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world, establishing the term ‘vegetarian’ over 150 years ago, and in their definition they also include slaughter by-products. This may mean you want to ask your guests whether they’ll eat sweets with gelatin in (derived from the collagen found inside animals’ skin and bones) before you serve them a desert topped with candy.
There are also some sub categories:
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: Eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet.
Lacto-vegetarian: Eats dairy products but not eggs.
Here are some other useful definitions of the different diets you might come across this season:
Pescetarianism: Typically includes fish and shellfish but excludes all other meat. It is also sometimes known as ‘pesco-vegetarianism’. This can easily lead to confusion as it isn’t actually a form of vegetarianism, but rather (for some people) it can be a transition period from omnivore to vegetarian. This is a fairly new term; ‘pescetarianism’ was only recognised in 1993.
Pescetarianism: Typically includes fish and shellfish but excludes all other meat. It is also sometimes known as ‘pesco-vegetarianism’. This can easily lead to confusion as it isn’t actually a form of vegetarianism, but rather (for some people) it can be a transition period from omnivore to vegetarian. This is a fairly new term; ‘pescetarianism’ was only recognised in 1993.
Vegan: A vegetarian diet that also does not include dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product or by-product (including honey). Many vegans are committed as a lifestyle choice too; they not only avoid animals for food but all animal products such as leather, fur, silk and wool. The Vegan Society established in 1944 describes itself as “promoting ways of living free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment”.
Raw Foodist: A diet that promotes eating un-cooked, un-processed and often organic foods. Typically they eat 75 % of their food not heated above 46C (116F) degrees. Most often they are vegan (and this is considered the pure form of a raw food diet), but there are subcategories of raw vegetarianism and raw animal food diets, which means they eat some food that is cooked, but the bulk of the diet is raw.
Fruitarian: A diet comprising of only raw fruit, including raw nuts and seeds without animal products, vegetables and grains. Some people consider themselves fruitarian if their diet is 75% or more fruit.
So in a nutshell, and as demonstrated by my confused pescetarian friend, it’s always worth asking your guests a few more questions about their food dos and don’ts this Christmas. You never know – they might be as confused about the definitions as you are!
And if you need a few recipe ideas – have a look at Munch Less Meat.
No comments:
Post a Comment