9 Types of Vegan Diets - Which is Right for You?

Veganism has grown tremendously in the past decade. Along with that growth has come various different types of vegan diets.

A vegan diet is a diet which consists of no animal products, and vegans abstain from eating animals or animal products like milk or honey. But even with all this abstaining, there are plenty of options out there, and plenty of different vegan diets.

Some may even be new to you. For example, have you ever heard of a freegan or pegan?! Read on to find out what that means!

Whole-food Vegan Diet

Whole-food Vegan Diet = a vegan diet consisting of mainly whole-foods.

Individuals who follow a whole-food vegan diet favor a diet rich in whole foods.

These whole foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Whole-food vegans try to avoid processed vegan food.

Junk-food Vegan Diet

Junk-food Vegan Diet = a vegan diet heavy on processed vegan food.

While few vegans sustain themselves on a diet of just vegan junk-food, the rapid development of vegan junk food means that vegans can once again enjoy a burger, ice cream, and hot dogs.

Some call these vegans, junk-food vegans. These vegans eat lots of processed vegan food and mock meats. That said, just because you enjoy these delights from time to time, doesn't mean you're a "junk food vegan".

Raw Vegan Diet

Raw Vegan Diet = A vegan diet consisting of food that has not been cooked above 104° F.

A raw vegan diet is where individuals will only consume uncooked vegan food.

As the name suggests, they eat their vegan food raw. This stems from the belief that cooking food at high temperatures results in the loss of important vitamins.

That is not to say that all raw vegan food is cold. Raw Vegans can heat their food to 104° F.

Gluten-free Vegan Diet

Gluten-free Vegan Diet = a diet consisting of vegan food without gluten.

A Gluten-free vegan diet consists of a diet where no animal products or gluten-containing ingredients are consumed. For those of you not too sure what gluten is, gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (durum, spelt, wheat and einkorn), rye and barley. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape and acts as a glue that holds food together.

Some individuals, known as celiacs, are affected by an autoimmune disease called "celiac disease". They cannot eat gluten without becoming ill.

Fruitarian Vegan Diet

Fruitarian Vegan Diet Definition = a vegan diet consisting solely of fruit, nuts, and seeds.

A fruitarian diet is a type of vegan diet where individuals only eat fruits, nuts, and seeds. Though, this is a bit debatable as some fruitarians won't even eat nuts and seeds.

Yet, some vegans who follow a fruitarian diet also consume beans, lentils and peas.

While there are many strains of fruitarianism, fruit is the main focus of this vegan diet.

Raw Till 4 Vegan Diet

Vegan Raw Till 4 Diet = a vegan diet where you consume raw food until 4pm.

Raw till 4 is exactly what it sounds. With this diet, vegans eat a raw vegan diet until 4pm.

Some people believe that eating raw food is better as many nutrients can be lost by cooking food. Yet, as not everybody wants to follow a completely raw vegan diet, this diet enables vegans to enjoy a hot vegan meals in the evenings.

On the Raw Till 4 Vegan Diet there are no restrictions on cooking vegan food at a higher temperature after 4pm.

Paleo Vegan Diet (Pegan Diet)

Paleo Vegan Diet Definition = A diet consisting of what vegan cavemen would have eaten.

The paleo vegan diet is a variation of the paleo diet. The paleo diet is also known as the caveman diet.

Individuals who follow this eat like humans from the Paleolithicum era. The Paleolithicum era was the early stone age, and the argument for this diet is that we evolved on this food plan.

Followers eat "pure", unprocessed foods. This includes plenty of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds. Strict paleo vegans or "pegans" do not eat legumes, grains, or anything else that was not eaten in the early stone age.

Freegan Diet

Definition of a Freegan Diet = A diet that consists of vegan food you find and don't pay for.

Freegans follow a freegan diet to protest waste in capitalist society.

They do not buy food but live off what is thrown away by supermarkets and individuals. Seen as a movement which has stemmed from dumpster diving, freegans get their vegan food from multiple different sources, not all of which are legal.

Essentially a freegan diet is one which the follower consumes vegan products that have been found rather than purchased.

Types of Vegan Diets - Wrap-up

Clearly there are so many types of vegan diets that people follow. Obviously, being vegan doesn't mean you have to strictly follow one of these diets. Additionally, just because the type of diet exists does not mean it's healthy or suitable for everyone or anyone. But, hey, to each their own, right? I'm not going to lie, you'd never catch me in a dumpster diving for food.

What about you? Which diet appeals to you the most. Leave a comment and let me know!