Starry Nine-Patch

While researching different diets, I ran across three terms that initially seemed to describe the same thing: vegan, vegetarian and plant-based. It took a while, but I think I have them sorted out. All three revolve around the use of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes. A plant-based diet avoids meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs and heavily processed foods. A vegetarian diet may or may not include dairy or eggs. There are vegetarian diets that allow for some fish or poultry, or even (on rare occasions) red meat. Vegan diets seem to be more about ethics than nutrition. For instance, a vegan won’t touch honey out of concern for the treatment of bees. (This puzzles me. I’ve seen what beekeepers do to keep their hives healthy, and am convinced domestic bees are far better off than their wild cousins.) Vegans eat Doritos, Oreos, Skittles, Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids. Not the best choice for weight loss – or healthy teeth.