Vegetarianism is the practice of following a plant-based diet with or without eggs and dairy products. The main foods taken include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Cereal grains
• Beans and legumes
• Mushrooms
• Nuts
• Seeds

There are different forms of vegetarianism based on their diet and they include:

• Vegan diet – meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and foods that contain these products are strictly avoided. Rennet and gelatin are also avoided.
• Lacto-vegetarian diet – meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products and foods that contain these products are strictly avoided. But, dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and buttermilk are allowed.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet – here meat, fish and poultry are avoided. But, eggs and dairy products are eaten.
• Flexitarian or semivegetarian diet – here also the main food is plant-based. But, meant, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are taken occasionally or in small quantities.
• Pescetarian diet – plant-based foods, eggs, dairy products and fish and/or shellfish are taken.

You can have your personal reasons to be a vegetarian, but, it is important to select foods so that your body gets all the necessary nutrients to run your metabolism. Great care is needed to achieve this.