Simplifying Food Preferences
The purpose of this post is break down the terminology for various nutritional preferences. Many of the terms can be confusing or misunderstood, so we hope this helps you distinguish one from another.
Vegan:
does NOT eat meat, dairy, eggs, honey, or any animal products
does NOT wear or use products made from animals (e.g. wool, leather, etc)
Fruitarian: strictest form of veganism, eats 75% raw fruits and 25% nuts and seeds; does NOT eat cooked food
Plant-based:
eats mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, oils, processed foods (e.g. bleached flours, white rice, etc)
AVOIDS meat, eggs, and dairy (does NOT mean they do not eat these foods)
Whole-food plant-based:
same as plant-based, EXCEPT that highly processed foods and oils are AVOIDED
Engine 2:
2 variations - Fire cadet 28 day plan (less stringent) and the Firefighter
Fire cadet 28 day plan:
Week 1: no dairy, processed, or refined foods (white bread, pasta, chips, soda, etc)
Week 2: build on week 1 by removing meat, chicken, fish, and eggs
Week 3: build on weeks 1 & 2 by removing all added or extracted oils (e.g. olive, coconut, canola)
Week 4: keep building on weeks 1-3 by consuming more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds
Firefighter plan:
Eats only whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes for 4 weeks
Removes all animal products and refined foods from the beginning
Whole30:
removes allergens and pro-inflammatory foods (added sugar, processed food and oils, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy or additives) for 30 days
eats fresh fruit, vegetables, some eggs and lean protein (preferably organic, grass-fed), healthy fats (e.g. avocado, nuts)
*after 30 days, one of the foods that was eliminated is re-introduced at a time over several days to determine which food may have caused a problem
Vegetarian (Lacto-ovo vegetarian):
eats fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, eggs, dairy
does NOT eat meat (including fish)
Lacto-vegetarian: a vegetarian that consumes diary
Ovo-vegetarian: a vegetarian that consumes eggs
Pescatarian: a vegetarian that eats fish, but no other meat
Flexitarian:
mostly vegetarian
WILL eat meat on occasion when vegetarian food is not available
Gluten-free:
does NOT eat wheat, rye, barley, spelt, bulgar, couscous, farina (wheat), graham flour, kamut, matzo, semolina, and triticale (cross of wheat and rye)
Note: oats do NOT contain gluten themselves, but are often contaminated with gluten; beer DOES contain gluten
Mediterranean:
eats fruit, vegetables, nuts, breads and other cereals, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil (NOT butter), grilled/steamed chicken and seafood (vs. red meat)
consumes low-moderate amounts of dairy products, fish and poultry; eats little red meat; consumes eggs 0-4x/wk; drinks some wine
varies from country to country (Greece, Crete, Southern France, and parts of Italy); some dietary differences within a country (e.g. Italy)
Paleo:
eats fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, oil from fruit or nuts (e.g. olive, walnut), lean meat (e.g. grass-fed, wild game), and fish (high in omega-3s),
AVOIDS grains, legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, peas, peanuts), dairy, refined sugar, salt, potatoes, and highly processed food
Keto:
LIMITS carbohydrate intake to 50g/day (if healthy) or <30g/day if metabolically ill (e.g. diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome*)
sufficient protein - 1.5g/kg IDEAL body weight
approximately 75% of dietary intake comes from fat (including saturated fat and monounsaturated fats [MUFAs])
*metabolic syndrome: 3(+) of the following:
central/abdominal obesity (men>40 in, women>35 in)
triglycerides > or = 150 mg/dL
HDL<40 (men) or <50 (women)
BP > or = 130/85
fasting glucose > or = 100 mg/dL
Aikens:
eats meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, full-fat dairy (e.g. cheese), healthy fats (e.g. olive oil, avocados, nuts), and low-carb vegetables (e.g. kale, broccoli)
AVOIDS bread, pasta, potatoes, chips, cookies, and candy
Standard Aikens 20: 4 Phases: phase 1 is 2 weeks, phases 2-4 vary in length based on preference, weight, and carbohydrate tolerance
Phase 1 (induction): protein, fat, and 20g of carbohydrates from vegetables sources
Phase 2(balancing): reintroduce foods back into diet until you learn the amount of carbs you can eat while continuing to lose weight
Phase 3 (fine-tuning): begins when you have 10 lbs left to lose; determine how to maintain weight loss while losing remaining weight
Phase 4 (maintenance): followed for life to ensure you don’t regain the weight you lost
Aikens 40 (newer version): more relaxed rules and does not exclude food groups initially
Allows 40g of carbohydrates in the beginning (vs 20 g in the standard Aikens)
Limits butter and fats you can eat, but no strict guidelines for meats or other proteins
Herbivore:
plant-eater
Omnivore:
plant and animal eater
Carnivore:
meat-eater