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Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan

December 11, 2010 Posted by Admin

The key difference between vegetarian and vegan is that vegetarian is a person who does not consume meat, poultry, seafood or fish while vegan is a person that does not consume any product that is derived from animals. 

Vegan and vegetarian, or veganism and vegetarianism are two words that most people find confusing. While both these terms refer to exclusion of animal meat from the diet, veganism can also refer to a certain way of living. In fact, veganism is a type of vegetarianism.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Who is a Vegetarian 
3. Who is a Vegan
4. Relationship Between Vegetarian and Vegan
5. Side by Side Comparison – Vegetarian vs Vegan in Tabular Form
6. Summary

Who is a Vegetarian?

A vegetarian is a person who does not consume meat, poultry, seafood or fish, or any byproduct of animal slaughter. He or she lives on a diet that consists of grains, pulses, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds and other non-animal-based food sources. However, you may have noticed that some vegetarian tend to consume eggs and dairy products while some don’t. This actually depends on the type of vegetarianism they follow.

There are four main types of vegetarians:

Lacto-ovo Vegetarians: consume dairy and egg products

Lacto Vegetarians: Consume dairy products, but not eggs

Ovo Vegetarians: Consume egg

Vegans: Avoid all animal and animal-derived products

Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan

Furthermore, people who do not eat meat or poultry but eat fish are referred to as pescatarians, whereas part-time vegetarians are often known as flexitarians. However, these two categories do not technically belong to the category of vegetarians as they consume animal flesh.

Who is a Vegan?

As explained above, vegan is a type of vegetarian. In fact, veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism. A vegan is a person that does not consume any product that is derived from animals. These products include dairy products and other animal products. Some vegans go to the extent of not eating even honey and yeast.Key Difference - Vegetarian vs Vegan

Veganism often goes beyond just food as vegans also avoid the use of all personal and household products such as wool, leather, fur, etc., which are made using animals. Some also avoid buying products tested on animals. Thus, it is not incorrect to say that veganism is a way of eating and living that rejects the exploitation of and cruelty to animals. A vegan is more or less an animal activist.

What is the Relationship Between Vegetarian and Vegan?

Veganism is a form of vegetarianism. But veganism is more strict than vegetarianism since it avoids all forms of animal-derived products.

What is the Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan?

Vegetarian is a person who does not consume meat, poultry, seafood or fish while vegan is a person who does not consume any animal-derived product. Although a vegetarian meal does not include meat, poultry, and fish, it may include animal-based food such as eggs and dairy products.  However, a vegan meal does not contain any animal products such as milk and cheese. In fact, some vegans even go to the extent of not eating even honey and yeast.

Furthermore, vegetarianism mainly includes a diet or a way of eating. In contrast, veganism is a way of life since it also extends to use of personal and household items. This is because a vegetarian does not mind using animal-derived products such as leather and fur. However, a vegan opposes all forms of animal exploitation. Thus, a vegan is more or less an animal activist.

Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan in Tabular Form

Summary – Vegetarian vs Vegan

The difference between vegetarian and vegan stems from the type of products they use. There are various types of vegetarians. Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism. It rejects the consumption of animal-derived food products as well as animal-derived personal and household products.

Reference:

1.“What Is a Vegan and What Do Vegans Eat?” Healthline, Healthline Media, Available here.
2. “What Is a Vegetarian?” The Vegetarian Society, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Pvmp plan (Premium Vegetarian Meal Plan)” By Rahul Sharma – Annayu (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Soy-whey-protein-diet” By Peggy Greb, USDA ARS – released by the Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, with the ID K9093-1 (next) (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: lacto-vegetarian, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, vegan, vegan and vegetarian, vegan definition, vegetarian, vegetarian definition

About the Author: Admin

Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management.

Comments

  1. mandi martin says

    November 15, 2011 at 1:02 am

    uhm…..you can definitely be a vegan without being a “compulsive animal activist all your life”. Some vegans only extend their beliefs in what they eat, but not necessarily what they wear or buy. 

    Reply
    • Chris Edwards says

      November 8, 2016 at 9:49 pm

      You can find exceptions on either side as you say, but as a general rule, this article is correct.

      Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 9, 2017 at 8:35 pm

      These people are considered “plant-based”, not vegan.

      Reply
  2. Chandra Sekhar says

    March 21, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    ovo vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy products, lacto vegetarian takes dairy products but not egg, ovo lacto vegetarians take both egg and dairy products, please rectify and update

    Reply
    • Chris Edwards says

      November 8, 2016 at 9:49 pm

      Rectify? Article was correct, but didn’t break it down into the multiple types of vegetarians there are.

      Reply
  3. Thalia Ninoshka Tartak says

    August 19, 2016 at 4:18 am

    s a Vegetarian I do care about animals, so this article is false and full of fallacies. I met some Vegans that do it cause they are concerned with their diet. I do not wear animals clothing or eat animals so stop spreading lies.

    Reply
  4. Thalia Ninoshka Tartak says

    August 19, 2016 at 4:18 am

    As a Vegetarian I do care about animals, so this article is false and full of fallacies. I met some Vegans that do it cause they are concerned with their diet. I do not wear animals clothing or eat animals so stop spreading lies.

    Reply
    • Chris Edwards says

      November 8, 2016 at 9:48 pm

      You can find exceptions on either side as you say, but as a general rule, this article is correct.

      Reply
  5. Olivia says

    January 9, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Vegans DO NOT consume or use ANY animal products in food, clothing, ect. Saying that a vegetarian that eats either eggs or milk is considered vegan is false. They are just a vegetarian that eats one or the other.
    Also, not all “vegans” care about animals. Those people are called plant-based.

    Reply

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