One Chart to Understand the Six Levels from Flexitarian to Vegan

The Six Levels of the Vegetarian Spectrum

1. Flexitarian: mostly plant-based, with occasional meat
2. Pescatarian: no livestock or poultry, but fish and shrimp are fine
3. Ovo-lacto vegetarian: no meat, poultry, or fish, but eggs and dairy are fine
4. Lacto- or ovo-vegetarian: a narrower version of ovo-lacto, keeping only one of the two
5. Vegan: no animal-derived food at all
6. Raw vegan / fruitarian: builds on veganism with additional restrictions on cooking or ingredients

Why It's Worth Knowing Where You Stand

Each level comes with its own nutritional concerns and its own level of difficulty when eating out. Vegans, for example, must supplement vitamin B12, while ovo-lacto vegetarians generally don't need to worry about this as much. Knowing exactly where you fall lets you learn and adjust in a targeted way.

Advice for Beginners

You don't have to jump straight to the strictest level. Think of these six levels as a path you can move back and forth on — settle first at whatever point feels comfortable, then adjust gradually based on how your body responds and what you want. It's worth stressing that this spectrum isn't a one-way street toward stricter and stricter eating. Many people move back to a more relaxed level for a while as their health or life circumstances change, and that's just as reasonable and worth respecting as tightening up further.