If you start to explore different approaches to human nutrition, you might come across the acronym: WoE - Way of Eating.  There are so many different approaches, some of which may seem similar at first glance, but once you look more closely there

Let's start with the Standard Diet - sometimes referred to as the ‘SAD’ (Standard American Diet).  This is the mixed diet followed by many people living across the world, consisting of a range of fruits, vegetables, grains and pulses, nuts and seeds, meats, fish, dairy, eggs, processed foods and fast food with no limitation on sugar, salt or fat.

Next up is paleo - the paleo diet is based upon assumptions about what recent human ancestor eat.  Its proponents encourage minimally processed foods including vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat and fish.  Many paleo eaters avoid dairy, added sugar and grains.  Unfortunately, for many it encourages high consumption of meat.

The next one isn't actually a way of eating, it's more complex than that:  vegan - the vegan diet forms part of a wider philosophy on how to live.  Vegans avoid eating all products made through animal exploitation including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, sugar and honey.  In addition, they avoid all animal products such as leather and products whose manufacture involves animal cruelty, such as some cosmetics.  The vegan way of eating is primarily based on ethical reasoning rather than health considerations and therefore can include processed foods.

What about vegetarian?  Vegetarians usually avoid meat and fish.  However, some vegetarians do include fish or seafood in their diet - this varies considerably.  Vegetarians do consume dairy and eggs alongside a range of fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts & seeds but can become very reliant on dairy.

A newer term, coined by researchers and doctors in the nutrition field is plant-based.  Plant-based eaters avoid animal products including milk and eggs, although some many choose to consume small amounts on occasion.  The diet consists mainly of vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, pulses and fruits. 

and finally…

Whole-food Plant-based (we saved the best until last!) - this is the way of eating that has the most evidence of being a safe, healthy diet for all humans.  Followers of this way of eating base their food choices on the best scientific research regarding the complexity of nutrition.  They believe that it is important to get nutrients ‘in context’ within whole-foods rather than eat a diet of nutritionally-bereft food particles and then attempt to make up for any inadequacies by taking supplements.  This way of eating focuses on vegetables - particularly leafy greens and cruciferous veg, root vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, spices, fungi and seaweeds.  Known as WFPB, followers avoid processed foods, added salt, sugar and oils as well as animal products.  

“SoS” or “No SoS” - this indicates that there are no added salts, oils or sugars in the diet.

Key researchers in the field of WFPB diets are Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Greger and T. Colin Campbell.