Veganism and vegetarianism are two terms which we usually understand refers to people going the green route. Sometimes, they are used interchangeably, but do they even mean the same thing? Veganism is actually a type of vegetarianism. It is in fact the strictest form of vegetarianism.
The Vegetarian Society defines a vegetarian as follows:
“A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs. A vegetarian does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal. This includes meat, poultry, fish, shellfish*, insects, by-products of slaughter** or any food made with processing aids created from these.”
Veganism is a vegetarian diet which excludes all forms of animal by-products or animal derivatives like fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, honey, whey, albumin. Besides vegans, there are other types of vegetarians. These are:
- LACTO VEGETARIANS: These are vegetarians who eat dairy products, but stay off eggs.
- LACTO-OVO VEGETARIANS: This set of vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs.
- OVO VEGETARIANS: These are vegetarians who eat eggs.
- FLEXITARIANS: These are temporary vegetarians who get on vegetarian diets for a while before reverting to their regular diets.
- PESCATARIANS: Pescatarians are vegetarians who eat fish, but stay off meat and other animal proteins.
- FRUITARIAN: Fruitarians eat only fruits nuts or seeds. Some fruitarianswill eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from a plant.
People get on diets for different reasons, but whatever your choice, ensure that health wise, it’s the best and healthiest choice for you.
