The goal of our site, Vegan vs Vegetarian, is to give you the basics of these lifestyles and what they entail so you can make an informed decision if they are the right fit for you. If so, we'd like you to help you with the basics, by providing recipes (while noting if they are Vegan vs Vegetarian recipes) and tips that make it easier to adhere to these lifestyles in a healthy manner. Both of these lifestyles require an extraordinary commitment and they require discipline when eating out, shopping, etc. Furthermore, if you are not careful with these diets, you could have deficiencies in protein, vitamins and minerals. Even if you are getting all your necessary nutrients, it is easy to have “diet fatigue” and get tired of eating the same meals, day after day.
Vegan vs Vegetarian Cooking
First, let’s define the criteria for being Vegan and where Veganism came from.
Vegan is a term that’s earliest origins are traced back to 1944 in Britian. Originally, however, it meant a person who was simply opposed to eating eggs for food. This is one tenet of the modern definition but now the definition has been greatly expanded. Most simply, it means eliminating any use or ingestion of animal products. Some interpret this as the practice of man to live without exploiting animals or the avoiding of violence against living things. How common is this? In the last decade, at least 3% of the population in the United States self-describes themselves as Vegan!
Vegetarian is a less stringent diet as it strictly means not consuming animal meat, as I believe most commonly known in modern culture. Some will describe themselves as Vegetarian will actually consume fish, which is truly more of a “pescetarian” diet. Basically, if you want an easy way to view the differences between Vegan vs Vegetarian it comes down to one major dietary issue: Eggs. Most people associate the consumption of eggs (and other products which derive from animals) but no meat to be Vegetarian, and a total avoidance of eggs, meat and animal byproduct (including gelatin and rennet) to be Vegan.
Being truly Vegan is a consuming and difficult choice. It impacts all of the choices in your life from anything like furniture and shoes (no leather!) to the fertilizer you might use for your garden, which should include no “blood and bone” products. When making the decision to become a vegan, it helps to think about why you are making the choice. Whether it is for animal rights, health reasons, or personal values it’s good to think about that because it will help you decide which one fits you best. Either way it will be tough, but as a vegan you will have even less options and have to be conscientious of your vitamins and protein intake to be sure you have a balanced diet.
We also will profile some famous people who abstained from meat and whether they chose Vegan vs Vegetarian diets. Many notable people have decided on these lifestyles for reasons varying from animal rights to long-term perceived health benefits, like reduced cancer risk. Of course, medical research varies on the evidence of Vegan and Vegetarian lifestyles ability to lower the incidence of chronic disease.
In the end, we want to give you all the options and evidence from both sides to help you make an informed decision to choose Vegan vs Vegetarian and provide price comparisons on everything from Vegan furniture to organic ready-to-eat meals, vegan smoothies, so you can find the cheapest places to shop, save money, and continue to live without eating animals! We like to have fun and give you something new on this site besides just recipes, just know you are not alone in your pursuits and the amount of famous vegans and vegetarians is growing!
Check out a related post: Is being a Vegetarian Healthy?
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