Vegan, Vegetarian and Plant-Based – What’s the Difference?

The terms vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based are often used to describe different dietary choices, but they have distinct meanings. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:

Vegan: Vegans avoid consuming any animal-derived products, including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt), eggs, honey, and other ingredients that come from animals. Vegans also avoid using or wearing products derived from animals, such as leather, fur, and wool. Veganism extends beyond diet and encompasses a lifestyle that aims to exclude all forms of animal exploitation.

Vegetarian: Vegetarians generally abstain from consuming meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. However, there are different types of vegetarian diets:

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: This is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-ovo vegetarians avoid meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, but they do consume dairy products and eggs.

Lacto-vegetarian: Lacto-vegetarians avoid meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs. However, they do consume dairy products.

Ovo-vegetarian: Ovo-vegetarians avoid meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and dairy products. However, they do consume eggs.

Pescatarian: While not technically vegetarian, pescatarians avoid meat but include fish and seafood in their diet.

Plant-based: The term “plant-based” refers to a diet that emphasizes whole plant foods while minimizing or excluding animal products. Plant-based diets focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. However, plant-based diets can be flexible, allowing for occasional consumption of animal products, although they are typically minimized. Some people follow a plant-based diet for health reasons or environmental concerns, rather than ethical reasons.

It’s important to note that while these terms describe different dietary choices, individual preferences and interpretations may vary.