The difference between vegan and vegetarian

In recent times, there has been a significant increase in adherents of both practices. There are still some confusions between the terms veganism and vegetarianism. And to explain everything in detail I decided to write an article to help you better understand the differences in the terms vegan and vegetarian.

For a start, I will explain to you what the term Vegan means. Vegan is a lifestyle that loves and protects all Living Beings. Contrary to what one sometimes reads, the word vegan is not used to describe a diet/food type, and it is rather a lifestyle that a vegan follows.

Growing concern about health, the environment, and respect for animal rights has made eating care more and more attentive.

To get an idea, there are more than 100 million people who do not consume meat. However, within this universe that gains more and more followers, there are certain divisions and terminologies that differentiate The practices of each group. And the main one is: What are the differences between a vegan and a vegetarian?

Vegetarianism does not mean eating foods of plant origin. In fact, the origin of the term comes from the Latin Vegetius, which means healthy. When we hear that someone is a vegetarian, we often only associate that the person wants to protect the animals.

However, a person can adopt vegetarianism for several reasons: the main one would be for health, as the term itself implies. But ethics, religion, environment, animal protection and even aesthetics may enter into the equation. Anyone who chooses to be a vegetarian does not eat any meat anymore.

But because there are so many factors that can be associated with the decision to become a vegetarian, some different ways of seeing and practicing vegetarianism have arisen, so it is common for many people to confuse some terms of this universe, such as vegetarian and vegan. To put an end to your questions, we’ve prepared an article with everything you need to know about it.

The main contrast between the two methods is that the vegetarian does not consume meat, but still has on its menu foods of animal origin, like the egg and the milk derivatives. Vegans exclude from the diet any product of animal origin. Also, the most radical ones also exclude anything that is tested on animals or that have some animal raw material, such as certain medicines, soaps, makeup, shoes, cosmetics in general, among others.

Therefore, veganism is a philosophy of life. Being a vegan is related not only to food but to a lifestyle that seeks to avoid the exploitation of animals for the manufacture of products, whether for human consumption whether they are food or not.

Some doubts that arise at the moment of speaking:

If they have restricted vegans or even vegans and go to a restaurant, for example, they should say that they are restricted vegetarians or if this expression is not yet well known, it is best to inform them that they do not consume any animals (meat, fish, Eggs, and honey).

If you are vegetarian (any of the terms below) in supermarkets, pay particular attention to ingredients of animal origin in various foods such as cake and crackers, pastries, bread, milk, gelatine, yogurts, ice cream, pasta, butter, Cream, … These products and much more, mostly contain milk and dairy products, eggs and derivatives, or products of animal origin such as lard, l-cystine, among others.

The picture serves in very brief words, to quickly see the differences of a restricted vegetarian, for the other definitions of vegetarianism.

Benefits of excluding meat from the menu

Not eating meat (in the case of vegetarians) or anything of animal origin (in the case of vegans) does not necessarily imply a healthy diet, even because these diets do not abolish soft drinks and sweets or fats for example.

So, for successful meat replacement, the secret is a balanced intake to have the all-important daily protein need for muscle building and maintenance.

. “A low-fat vegan or vegetarian diet, and large amounts of fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamins can be beneficial because in this case, it acts directly on falling glycemic indexes and reducing cholesterol, which helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases, in addition to Of reducing the risk of developing cancer, especially colorectal cancer. ”

Also, in many cases the adherents of these diets prioritize health and by philosophy avoid using resources that affect the environment and animals, and therefore are mostly people with less sedentary habits. Many exchange their car for their bicycle, go hiking or outdoor sports to get in touch with nature.

time for healthy food clock

B12 vitamin

As we can see, there are many advantages to this type of diets. However, they also have some disadvantages, since they are diets that supply small amounts of iron to the body. To compensate for this situation, it will be a good idea to eat large amounts of green leafy vegetables since they are rich in iron.

However, an important warning: anyone who chooses to exclude meat from the diet should constantly monitor vitamin B12 levels, which are present only in animal protein, milk, cheese, eggs, and supplements. If you notice any changes, you should seek medical advice so that a correct nutrient supplementation is given. This monitoring is essential, especially in strict vegetarian diets. About the other nutrients, they can be easily found in plant foods, of which pea, chia, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, sesame, and soy are the most complete.

Lastly, the most important when it comes to vegetarianism and veganism is information. “The more the person knows the source of what he consumes, the needs of his own body and the composition of a balanced diet that can provide the necessary nutrients, the more certain it is that he is balanced about his eating habits, thus maintaining Their quality of life.

I hope it has helped to clarify the difference between the two types of food and whether they deserve or not worth experiencing. What do you think? By the way, if you’re already vegetarian or vegan, do not you want to tell us about your experience?