A guide to choosing the right vegan or vegetarian lifestyle for you.

Thinking of eating less meat, then here is the Koktail guide to help you choose what type of vegan or vegetarian diet might work best for you.  The good news is that more and more restaurants in Thailand are adding vegetarian and vegan dishes to their menus so consuming less animal product does not mean missing out on the best of the incredible Thailand dining scene.

Types of Vegans

1. Dietary Vegans: Dietary vegans strictly adhere to a plant-based diet for health reasons. They exclude all animal products from their meals, including meat, dairy, and eggs. While their focus is primarily on diet, they may not necessarily avoid using non-food animal products like leather.

2. Ethical Vegans: Not only avoid consuming all animal products but also reject goods derived from animal exploitation, such as leather and cosmetics tested on animals. Their lifestyle extends to avoiding activities that contribute to animal suffering, such as visiting zoos or supporting businesses involved in animal exploitation.

3. Environmental Vegans: Also known as eco vegans or sustainable vegans, they prioritize minimizing their environmental footprint. They avoid foods like meat and dairy that require significant resources to produce. Environmental vegans may also opt for locally grown foods and embrace low-impact lifestyles, such as cycling or walking instead of driving.

4. Raw Vegans: Consume only raw, uncooked foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They believe that raw foods retain more nutrients and enzymes than cooked foods, promoting better health and digestion. Some raw vegans follow specific variations, like the fruitarian diet (which consists mainly of fruits) or the “Raw Till 4” approach (eating raw until dinner).

5. Religious Vegans: Adhere to veganism based on spiritual or religious beliefs that advocate non-violence and respect for all life, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

6. Ostrovegans: This lesser-known category avoids all animal products except for oysters and other bivalves. Ostrovegans argue that these creatures are not sentient and therefore do not warrant the same ethical considerations as other animals.

Types of Vegetarians

1.   Vegetarians: The most common type of vegetarian abstains from meat (including fish and poultry) but may consume dairy products like milk, cheese, and yoghurt, as well as eggs.

2.   Lacto-vegetarians: They exclude meat and eggs but include dairy products in their diet. The term “lacto” refers to milk, indicating their consumption of dairy.

3.   Ovo-vegetarians: Refrain from meat and dairy but consume eggs. Their diet may be motivated by health concerns, ethical reasons, or personal preference for eggs.

4.   Pescatarians: Primarily follow a vegetarian diet but include fish and seafood. They avoid meat but make an exception for aquatic animals, believing it to be a healthier or more sustainable choice than consuming land-based meats.

5.   Pollotarians: Limit their meat consumption to poultry and fowl, excluding red meat, fish, and seafood. This diet allows for some flexibility in animal product consumption while still reducing overall meat intake.

6.   Flexitarians: Mainly eat a plant-based diet but occasionally include meat or other animal products. They strive to reduce their meat consumption for health, environmental, or ethical reasons but allow flexibility in their dietary choices.