What are the key differences between lacto-ovo and pesco vegetarians?

Question

What are the main differences between lacto-ovo and pesco vegetarians?

As non-vegetarian, these terms are confusing for me, and Wikipedia isn't clarifying the main differences between them.

Answer 1

Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat plants, dairy, and eggs, but not meat. This is a commonly seen as the "default" form of vegetarianism.

A pesco vegetarian is somebody who eats seafood (or in some cases only fish), but not other meat.

Also, somebody who eats plants, dairy, and seafood is a lacto-pesco vegetarian.

Answer 2

To understand this we have to first get "context" and "viewpoint" of the "terms", "labels" & "definitions" & cultural background/ history.

Given that the population of vegetarians in India is largest/ highest by number a well as percentage across the Globe and the longest history a well, where the "holy cow" reference originates from, please do not fight on the aspect that one of the earliest "flavor" of Veg-ism can/ should be attributed to said National/ Regional/ Cultural civilization - Mostly referred to as the Indus Valley Civilization.

So, this following is coming from that side. It's the equivalent of giving perspective on yoga or kung fu from that side, not from the American / Western side of definitions.

I was born vegetarian and have family that's been veg for 5/6 generations so consider that as the base line for original vegetarianism.

We have:

• Dairy products
• Plant products
• Honey

(as it does not involved killing/ consuming Genetic material that would lead to offspring i.e. It has zero life generation possibility - No killing)

Do not have:

• Eggs
• Chicken, Meat, Fish etc.

This is the typical "vegetarian" in India - Larges population of them, baseline.

Now, there are people in India who started to consume eggs (maybe with the advent of western medicine & fear of lack of protein and the egg lobby) and had some reasoning for it. "Pure Vegetarians" would scoff at that a well :)

So, if we walked into a placed to order food, typical pre-cursor would be we are "Pure Vegetarians" :) to avoid any egg, fish, meat etc. coming to the table.

PS: I had the repeat the same when I first moved to the US, but had to further refine/ define terms.

A large part of the above is based on Ayurvedic & Yoga fundamentals in India.

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Now, when my cousins first visited Europe (I think it was Germany/ France or so) on a trip a cafe served them some meal which they said had "no meat" but, but found it had fish in it.

They did not eat it, and when we heard about it we scoffed & laughed. But, at the time apparently those people considered it "vegetarian".

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Now, when I first moved to the US, I found large part of the "Vegetarian crowd" as defined in the US, had a mix of Egg & Fish consuming populace in addition to dairy products.

That's the time I came across the term Pescatarian.

And as I lived in the US I came across people who were off even dairy and honey etc, even if it was an animal product that did not involve killing or termination of life/ genetic material.

This was called the Vegan - Veganism.

Now the above is a context and viewpoint from generations of original historical vegetarianism.

Now, given that I lived in the US and the terms and understandings had to be re-termed from my viewpoint to the US viewpoint as my "Vegetarian" - which is how it is still referred to as in India.

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Now, coming to the American/ Western worlds terminology use,

• Vegan - Plant only
• Lacto-Veg - Plant + Dairy (+maybe Honey) = Pure Vegetarian in India
• Ovo-Lacto-Veg - + Egg to the above = Eggetarian in India, maybe vegetarian in China (as lot of dishes that Chines call veg contain eggs - We have to caution against those too)
• Pescatarian - Veg + Fish - No meat (not sure how they are about eggs, mostly yes)
• The Pesco-veg - Mentioned in Riker's answer is a new one to me, if at all such exists. Every day you learn something new.
• Flexitarian - They well, define as and how and when what they wish to have and be :)