Since I am a vegetarian, I have a lot of people ask me, “What’s the difference between vegetarian and vegan?” Now I am here to explain the difference and also go into a little detail about the different types of vegetarians and vegans.

You could think of the different types as levels, and there are 7 different levels. Here is an interesting chart from Vegetarian Nation that puts all the levels into a simple guide for quick reference.

1 Lacto Vegetarian

A lacto vegetarian is one that does not consume red or white meats, poultry, eggs, or fish, but they do consume dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream.

2 Ovo Vegetarian

An ovo-vegetarian is one that does not consume red or white meats, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but they do consume egg products.

3 Lacto-ovo Vegetarian

A lacto-ovo vegetarian is one that does not consume red or white meat, poultry, or fish, but they do consume dairy and egg products. This is also the most common type of vegetarian.

4 Pescatarian

A pescatarian is one that restricts their meat consumption to fish and shellfish. They do not consume red or white meat or poultry. Since pescatarians still eat fish and shellfish, this type of diet is considered a “semi-vegetarian” diet.

5 Pollotarian

A pollotarian is one that restricts their meat consumption to chicken and other poultry, and because of this, they are also considered a “semi-vegetarian” diet, like pescatarians. They do not consume red meat or fish and seafood.

6 Flexitarian

A flexitarian is one that consumes a majority plant-based diet with the occasional incorporation of some meats. This diet is not necessarily “vegetarian,” but since the majority of the diet is plant-based, it can be included.

7 Vegan

Last but not least is the vegan diet. Vegans do not consume any animals or animal-by-products. They do not consume red or white meats, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy. They also do not consume (and sometimes do not use) animal-by-products, which includes gelatin, honey, silk, leather, and wool.