It is not quite sufficient these days to just say that you're a vegetarian. It is like saying that you like music, which doesn't say much at all until you mention that you like soft rock or reggaeton (or whatever). In the same way, with the numerous subcategories of vegetarianism now, you simply have to specify whether you are a vegan or an ovo-vegetarian or a pescetarian, and so on.
Vegan or Veganism is quite a strict form of vegetarianism 'cause beside the customary meat, the diet also excludes all animal products such as dairy products and honey. Which means you cannot eat that scrumptious chocolate cake which has butter and milk, nor can you have that mouthwatering cheese pizza, and you can just about forget your regular creamy icecream.
Raw veganism is an extreme sub-form of veganism which focuses mainly on raw foods and excludes foods which are cooked above 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Included in the diet besides raw vegetables and fruits, are nuts, grains, legumes, sprouts, seeds, plant oils, herbs, etc. Vegan diet with at least 75% raw foods is sufficient to be called raw veganism. Its versions include fruitarianism and sproutarianism. Fruitarianism, as named, is having ripe fruits occupying atleast 50% of the diet.
A lacto-ovo-vegetarian does not eat meat or animal flesh of any kind, but consumes dairy (lacto) and egg (ovo) products. Yes, you can have that chocolate cake! and the cheese pizza too!!
Eggetarians or Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but not meat or dairy products.
A lactovegetarian diet includes all dairy products made of milk but excludes eggs. Here, you will have to google out the recipes for that eggless chocolate cake, and not-to-worry, there are many out there - but, of course, you will have utilize your own baking skills... Some lactovegetarians also exclude root vegetables like garlic and onions.
Semi-vegetarianism is a not a vegetarian diet as it includes limited amounts of poultry, fish, and/or seafood and excludes some meat (particularly red meat). It includes:
Pollotarianism / Pollo-vegetarianism where besides vegetables and fruits, you get to eat poultry meat (chicken), eggs and dairy products; but you will have to give up on seafood and other red meats.
Pescetarianism diet - you can have seafood, but not poultry or red meat. You may or may not include eggs and dairy products in the plan.
Flexitarianism, as the names suggests, is the most flexible, involving the consumption of mainly vegetarian food, but allowing for occasional exceptions which may expectedly or unexpectedly come up in the form of some social, cultural, practical or nutritional reasons. I belong to this category :). What else can you do when you find yourself hungry while traveling in the streets of Bangkok where you won't find anything vegetarian except during the Vegetarian Festival? Or you are invited to a house party where everyone eats non-vegetarian food - surely you can't be so cruel as to let the hostess slog extra hours just to prepare vegetarian dishes for you!
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