A vegetarian diet is a meal plan that does not include any meat, poultry, or seafood, and is made up of foods that come mostly from plants. Vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into the following groups:

• The vegan diet, which excludes all meat and animal products.
• The lacto-vegetarian diet, which includes plant foods plus dairy products.
• The lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, which includes both dairy products and eggs.

There are several varieties of a vegetarian diet, including the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, lacto-vegetarian diet, ovo-vegetarian diet, and vegan diet. A semi-vegetarian diet is a meal plan that contains little animal protein but mostly plant-based foods. Vegetarians do not eat fowl, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, or other animal meats, such as bison, or exotic meats like ostrich or alligator. Vegetarians also do not eat products containing gelatin or rennin (an enzyme found in calfs stomachs that is used to produce many cheeses).

People who follow vegetarian diets can get all the nutrients they need, but they must be careful to eat a wide variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs. Nutrients vegetarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12. Vegetarians can get protein from beans, pulses, eggs, and other sources of protein. Good sources of iron for vegetarians include pulses, dried fruit, dark green vegetables, wholemeal bread and flour, fortified cereals, and nuts. Vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 include fortified cereals, soy products, and nutritional yeast. To get the most out of a vegetarian diet, it is recommended to choose a variety of healthy plant-based foods, including whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.