A friend of mine told me she's a vegan. Another friend is a lacto-ovo vegetarian. How many types are there, and what's the difference?

It's generally accepted that there are five different kinds of vegetarians, but you'll meet people of just about every variety with a few twists thrown in! At all levels, some are stricter than others, for example, avoiding gelatin and meat-based soup broth, while others do not. In addition, some people say they are vegetarians, but they still eat fish or chicken. A true vegetarian eats no animal flesh.

Here are the basic categories in order of how commonly they appear in the population:

• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both dairy products and eggs but no form of meat, including fish and other seafood.
• Lacto vegetarians eat dairy products but not eggs or any form of meat.
• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy products or any form of meat.
• Vegans eat all plant-based foods: no meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey or other animal by-products. They also often avoid wool, silk, leather, etc.
• Raw foodists eat only uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, etc. Some are more selective than others, for example, fruitarians. Some include raw dairy products, while others are vegans.

It is advisable that whenever making changes in your diet, you research nutrition information and talk to your health care provider or someone knowledgeable in nutrition."