#VeganMotivation.com » Feed VeganMotivation.com » Comments Feed VeganMotivation.com » Vegan Vs. Vegetarian – What’s the Difference [And is There Beef?] Comments Feed alternate alternate VeganMotivation.com Go Vegan, Stay Vegan ____________________ Search * Home * Recipes * Health * Fitness * Lifestyle * Moralilty * Infographics You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Vegan Vs. Vegetarian – What’s the Difference [And is There Beef?] Vegan Vs. Vegetarian – What’s the Difference [And is There Beef?] Veganism is widely cited as a form of vegetarianism, which it is, but vegans generally don’t see it like that and prefer to distinguish clearly between the two. But why? Well, one reason is that a number of sub-category diets have emerged under the vegetarian umbrella that include eating meat and using animal by-products, something vegans are keen to disassociate themselves with. There’s also the fact that most, not all, vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products, something vegans don’t do. In fact, it can all get a little bit confusing; so let’s clear it up, once and for all. Vegan Vs. Vegetarian The defining line is pretty clear, yet often confused by companies selling food products, foodies and chefs. Like vegans, vegetarians do not eat any animal flesh; no chicken, pig, cow, sea animals, nada. In addition to not consuming any animal meat, a vegan doesn’t eat eggs, dairy products or any other product derived from an animal. Vegetarians, on the other hand, tend to eat eggs and dairy products like milk and butter. Vegans also avoid using products that have been tested on animals, like make-up and skin creams, or products made from animal skins such as leather belts and shoes. But vegetarians tend to be a bit more lenient when it comes to using products derived from animals. When it comes to being a vegetarian, the definition isn’t always clear cut. You might meet a vegetarian who doesn’t eat dairy but eats eggs, or a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs or dairy but still wears a leather belt. Veganism, however, is clearly defined: no eating animal flesh, no using products tested on animals or wearing products derived from animals. Us vegans just leave animals alone and let them live their lives, period. So There’s Only One Type of Vegan, Right? Wrong. There’s only one way to be a vegan, but a couple of different variations of the diet. Sorry to complicate this, but nothing is ever simple, or at least so my mum says. For starters, there’s the raw vegan; a person who combines the concepts of veganism and raw foodism, excluding all food and products of animal origin from their diet, as well as food cooked at a temperature above 48 °C (118 °F). And then there’s the Paleo Vegan. Think the paleo diet minus the meat. For those who don’t know, a paleo diet is based on the types of foods “presumed” to have been eaten by our Paleolithic ancestors, consisting mainly of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and processed food. So a paleo vegan is basically a vegan who doesn’t eat processed foods. To most vegans, the paleo vegan diet sounds like a diet marketer’s dream (ching, ching), since 99% of vegans endeavour to eat high-quality, organic foods anyway, generally avoiding ready-meals, sugar-laden sweets, soda drinks, etc. So isn’t a paleo vegan not just a very healthy vegan? Yes. What About Other Types of Vegetarians A fair few branches have sprouted from the vegetarian tree over the years (I’ve waited ages to use that pun), giving vegans even more of a reason to distance themselves from the all-encompassing term “vegetarian” and claim “vegan” as an exclusive category of their own. Note that the majority of sub-categories of vegetarianism exist solely to define a type of diet, seeking to exclude or include certain foods based on a perception of what’s “healthy” for the individual. The fact that certain categories still include meat, and all include some type of animal protein, doesn’t seem to be a consideration, and neither does animal welfare. It’s fair to say that your typical vegetarian also gets annoyed with some of these offshoot branches. Lacto Ovo Vegetarian: A lacto ovo vegetarian diet excludes meat and fish but includes dairy products and eggs. This would be considered the standard vegetarian diet. Lacto Vegetarian This is also referred to as a lactarian. This type of diet includes vegetables and dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and kefir, but excludes eggs. Ovo-Vegetarian: An ovo-vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish and dairy products but includes the consumption of eggs. Ovo vegetarians are also referred to as “eggetarians”. Demi-Vegetarian: A demi-vegetarian diet excludes meat but includes fish, eggs, vegetarian cheese and milk-based products. Semi-Vegetarian (known as the flexitarian diet) A semi-vegetarian is considered to be a person who is cutting back on his or her intake of meat, but still eats meat when they feel like it (yawn). There are two subcategories to this form of, dare I say it, vegetarianism, which it really isn’t! – Pollo-Vegetarian A pollo-vegetarian diet, known as pollotarianism, includes poultry, dairy and eggs but excludes fish or other mammal meat. – Pesco-Vegetarian A pesco-vegetarian follows a pescatarian diet, which includes eggs and dairy products, and the occasional consumption of chicken and fish, but excludes red meat. Do Vegans Have Beef With Vegetarians? By this I mean a grudge, not the flesh of a cow! I just used this slang to create a controversial, clickworthy title – clever, huh? It’s not that vegans have a problem with vegetarians, but vegetarians may experience a vibe of disappointment emanating from the tofu of their vegan peers. This is borne out of frustration for not making the final step to veganism. You see, vegans see going vegetarian as a stopgap on the pathway to veganism. Indeed, like myself, many vegans go vegetarian before making the full transition. So vegans commend those who go vegetarian, but this does come with an expectation of serious intent to go vegan, and to do so as soon as possible. So, if it has been two years since you went vegetarian, expect some tough love from your vegan friends. Isn’t This Pressure Unvegan-Like? Just because we love animals, eating fresh greens and hugs, doesn’t mean we can’t get moody! Seriously, no, it’s not unfair. And here’s why… …Most vegetarians, not all, eat dairy, and or use products derived from animals. Vegans consider the dairy industry to be the cruelest sub-division of the meat farming industry. Extracting milk requires continuous torture for cows (heifers), and then there’s the fact that calves are torn from their mother the minute they are born. Male calves are either used as breeding bulls or sold for veal. The females are set aside for milk production, with substandard producers discarded and sent to market to be slaughtered for beef. Either way, if you’ve ever heard the screams of a calf being forced from its mother, or dragged to slaughtered, you’ll understand why vegans aren’t comfortable with vegetarians who eat dairy products. And then there’s eggs; click here for the full low down on that aspect of cruelty. But in a nutshell, for the sake of this post, male chicks are murdered in an industrial blender or gassed or electrocuted, hens are subjected to the slavery of laying eggs and deprived a life in a natural environment, and those too old to lay are slaughtered for meat – usually by having their heads cut off or their spines snapped. So, again, you can see why vegans aren’t comfortable with those who stay vegetarian for too long. For vegans, it’s as much more about animal rights than it is about health. I think most vegans would agree that they’d happily sacrifice some of their own health to ensure animals were treated as Mother Nature intended – even though science has proven time and time again that a well-balanced vegan diet is the healthiest option. So Are Vegetarian-Labelled Products Okay for Vegans to Eat? The answer is no. Don’t think that because a food product is labelled “vegetarian safe” that it is “vegan safe’ too. Here’s the official FSA guidelines: Vegetarian: The term ‘vegetarian’ should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of products derived from animals that have died, have been slaughtered, or animals that die as a result of being eaten. Animals means farmed, wild or domestic animals, including for example, livestock poultry, game, fish, shellfish, crustacea, amphibians, tunicates, echinoderms, molluscs and insects. Vegan: The term ‘vegan’ should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of animals or animal products (including products from living animals). On the face of it these guidelines seem pretty clear, but beware. The terms ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’ are used voluntarily by industry. Unfortunately when a product states “suitable for vegetarians”, or “suitable for vegans”, it is only an interpretation of what that company thinks is vegetarian or vegan. If you’re a vegan, make sure you look out for the Vegan Society trademark, and if you’re a vegetarian, make sure you look out for the Vegetarian Society trademark. And if the food has neither, you will have to go by the ingredients, ring the manufacturer or do some research online. vegan vs vegetarian So there you have it, the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian. If you’re a vegan, awesome! If you’ve made the step to becoming a vegetarian, that’s awesome too, but I must ask, when are you planning on going vegan? More Posts For You * 3 Morally Sobering Reasons Vegans Don’t Eat Eggs 3 Morally Sobering Reasons Vegans Don’t Eat Eggs * Looking for Plant-Based Love? Here’s The Official Top 3 Vegan Dating Websites Looking for Plant-Based Love? Here’s The Official Top 3 Vegan Dating Websites * Why Vegans Should Eat at Meat-Serving Restaurants & Shop at Non-Vegan Stores Why Vegans Should Eat at Meat-Serving Restaurants & Shop at Non-Vegan Stores * * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * * * * * Email * Yummly * * About Peter A fitness & music enthusiast, Peter encourages others to take their health and ethics into their own hands. * Kevin Kordes I’m a vegetarian, and have a lot of meat-eating friends. But one thing I never do is make comments about their choices of food. I live in a college town (Riverside, CA) and there are a lot of militant vegans here that hand out really offensive literature downtown near the university. All of you vegan nazis should just shut up and keep your lifestyle to yourselves. When was the last time you saw a YouTube vid from a vegetarian that was militant? Well, I haven’t seen a one. But, some of the childish nonsense coming from vegans reminds me of other extremist groups. If you guys want your vegan lifestyle to catch on you had better stick to health and stay away from radicalism. * Amanda Harris Hi, I’m vegetarian, and I can’t find the type of vegetarianism I follow; Lacto Vegetarian where vegetarians don’t eat any animals or eggs, but do have dairy products. Yes, many people find the categories of vegetarianism very hilarious, but lacto-vegetarianism has been prominent in many sects of the religion I follow, and yes, there is a very big difference in Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarianism and Lacto Vegetarianism. A few religious groups and different sects of these religions follow different forms of vegetarianism, and the differences in the sects are mainly because of these types of vegetarianism. And not every vegetarian is lenient in their beliefs, most of the vegetarians I know(my whole family, extended family and like, like 90% of the people I know) support animal cruelty or use tested products, and if they do, it’s just because they didn’t know; and the reason for going vegan or vegetarian isn’t always about cruelty to animals. Not many people even have the choice of not being vegetarian (which isn’t a bad thing, especially when it’s a family thing) and being vegetarian isn’t always just a step towards veganism. And for many people vegetarianism is also defined;no meat, no eggs(unless it’s in cake, which most people do avoid(3 cheers for eggless cakes!)) and nothing that has animal enzymes(like cheese that has rennet). I’m in the process of becoming vegan, because in the country I currently live in, the cruelty towards cows is heartbreaking, while in my home country, cows are treated really well as they are quite sacred to most. + Peter Hey Amanda, thanks for letting me know. I have added lacto vegetarian into the post now; sorry for missing it out. Cows are indeed treated horrifically. The dairy industry subjects female cows to repeated rape so that they are consistently pregnant and able to produce milk. They regularly suffer from mastitis, which is a painful inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue, that can be fatal. I hope some of the posts on this blog will help you with your transition to veganism. * Jay Tee As soon as we create meat (and other animal products) in a laboratory, and then at factories, all of this will seem like nonsense. Once that happens, we can stop having all the animals created, let alone killed to be eaten. “Vegans” should be supporting the funding of these food scientists’ work, IMO. The sooner they succeed, the sooner everyone will meet your ethical standards; even those who don’t want to, or don’ t care to, or don’t even think about it! + Peter Hey Jay, it is a valid point to raise. Some vegans do support laboratory meat because they see this as a solution to stopping the cruelty involved with animal agriculture, I don’t any vegan would eat it though. Personally, I don’t support it. Why do we need to interfere with the natural processes of nature to satisfy a want that is wholly unnecessary? Approximately 70% of disease epidemics in the last 100 years have been caused by humans interfering with the way in which animals are raised; confining them to small spaces to breed and feeding them abnormal diets. If you have time check out this talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20cooZOiYE Genetically engineering meat isn’t going to be without its risks, and like our greedy approach to animal agriculture, the risks won’t be realized until millions get sick, or worse, die. Meat aside, look at the health problems and environmental devastation being caused crop spraying with pesticides and mono-culture farming in general. Moreover, science has proven that a plant-based diet is the healthiest, and the only one capable of reversing coronary heart disease, the biggest killer in the US, and of preventing many of the other big killers like diabetes and prostate & ovarian cancer The World Health Organization finally admitted last year that eating processed meat is as bad as smoking, so why pour billions into developing a new type of processed meat in a lab that will ultimately harm us? What we should be doing, instead of trying to recreate meat, is spending money on educating people about the real dangers of meat and dairy. The truth and the science is out there but for far too long lobbyists/big business has done its best to hide it in the name of profits. o Cai Bro, we have the science and ability to go towards an entirely plant-based diet. Why waste the research on lab-grown beef? That srill will be mad expensive and for many many years unreglated—theyll put stuff in there we couldn’t now, to minimize cost, keep prices up, and maximize profit. I’d rather they just invest in making plants more economical and lessen the impact of horticulture on the environment. # Peter I completely agree! o gtg944q “The World Health Organization finally admitted last year that eating processed meat is as bad as smoking…” This is incorrect and frequently misinterpreted. The WHO stated that eating processed meat (like smoking) causes cancer. Their findings (like all findings in this particular study) make no statement as to the _likelihood_ of cancer from a certain activity, only the confidence they have that the relationship between the activity and cancer is non-zero. They have high confidence that both of these things will increase your risk for cancer, but smoking is (of course) far more hazardous to your health than processed meat. # Peter The official line is: Processed meat was classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. Red meat was classified as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans. Now, you can bet your bottom dollar the fact that WHO even came out with this information means the the information was negotiated, heavily sugar coated and vetted by those with interests in not putting the public off of meat completely. So for me, the fact that they even released this was HUGE. For those who follow the independent science outside of the news, this is old hat anyway, and very dumbed down. Science has known for years that meat consumption increases IGF1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor) to dangerous levels and therefore promotes cancer. I quote: A number of epidemiologic studies have shown consistently that high circulating levels of a potent mitogen, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, are associated with increased risk for several common cancers, including those of the breast (2), prostate (3), lung (4), and colorectum (5). jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/92/18/1472.full I’d rather not take the risk, and if I was a meat-eater I certainly wouldn’t eat any type of processed meat. One must also consider that all meat causes inflammation in the body, with one of the least inflammatory being wild Kangaroo meat I believe. To quote Dr Gregor: We’ve known for 14 years that a single meal of meat, dairy, and eggs triggers an inflammatory reaction inside the body within hours of consumption. This results in a stiffening of our arteries. Within 5 or 6 hours, the inflammation starts to cool down, but then what happens? Lunchtime! At that point we can whack our arteries with another load of animal products for lunch. In this routine, we may be stuck in a chronic low-grade inflammation danger zone for most of our lives. This can set us up for inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers one meal at a time. http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-leaky-gut-theory -of-why-animal-products-cause-inflammation/ @ gtg944q Exactly. They’re making a statement of how sure they are that something is carcinogenic, not _how_ carcinogenic it is. Your statement that “processed meat is as bad as smoking” implies that they are equally carcinogenic. This would be like saying “jaywalking is as deadly as playing Russian roulette”; they are both certain to increase your risk of death, but participating in one is far more likely to result in death than the other. @ Peter I take your point, but your jaywalking example is not a good comparison. The fact is, a moderate smoker may be less likely to die of cancer than a serial processed meat eater, and of course vice versa. They have both been put in the same category of carcinogen because potentially they both have the same capacity to cause cancer. Also consider that they said this: In the case of processed meat, this classification is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer. * Sigh up There’s a similarity between the two: They’re just like the religious people: dumb. * Heinrich Zentgraf Ok so. I want to make the change to vegetarianism. Could someone guide me in the right direction to some form of comprehensive diet plan please? * Liz Excuse the stupid question. I am trying to go vegetarian — slowly. My husband is a big opponent. However, what is wrong with a few eggs, if I raise my own chickens? Or cheese, if I raise my own goats? No one is being torn away from mommy, and the few cupfulls I need are always after the babies are older. Is that ok? + Author Kayla Perrin That is certainly better. If you’re not killing the chickens when egg production declines, nor selling the male kids to be killed so you can consume milk, then your situation would be vastly better than commercial egg & milk practices. + Erwin Anciano It’s all okay. Don’t let any crack pot Vegans convince you otherwise. Mankind was born onto this earth to take what they need from it with impunity. Anyone who opposes this is in some fantasy dreamland. You consume others in order to live. This is the natural way of things. It’s a truth nobody can escape, unless you want to go the laboratory meat route, and vegans don’t want that either. If not you aren’t eating animals, you are simply diverting it to consuming plants. It’s not any better. Vegans like to pretend it is just so they can claim some moral high ground, but it’s the same shit. If harming animals is wrong, Vegans should kill off all the predators in the world who are cruelly killing other species’ babies for lunch. But they can’t do that now, can they? Veganism is idiotic sophistry at its finest. o Peter “Mankind was born onto this earth to take what they need from it with impunity”. This selfish, greedy attitude is the reason we have destroyed the very planet supporting our existence: see here: http://www.veganmotivation.com/32-reasons-give-up-eating- meat-today/ Modern science now knows that a vegan diet is the healthiest diet for humans, thus the reason so many physicians are turning to plant-based medicine to treat the root cause of common health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and of course coronary heart disease; because as we know a plant-based diet is the only diet capable of reversing the world’s number one killer – (see here: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/study01/) You might do well to listen to this heart surgeon too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX58PyQwrcI So, since you look at life from a purely primal perspective, this should make a vegan diet the default for you, since it will give you the highest chance of living the longest. Of course harming animals is wrong, when it’s so unnecessary. Sure, if we had to eat meat to survive then fine; but we don’t. So why inflict torture, pain and suffering onto other sentient beings when you don’t need to? We have evolved to the point where we know that to thrive as a species, and to protect the health of our planet, a plant-based diet is the intelligent, progressive choice. Why would you choose to inflict suffering onto another being unnecessarily? Would you do that to a child? And yes, the comparison is relevant. Why? Because science has shown that animals feel parallel levels of fear, stress and anxiety and pain to humans. We don’t need to eat meat. Period. Moreover, modern animal agriculture is a completely unnatural way to eat meat, thus the numerous diseases it has caused (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20cooZOiYE). Not to mention the amount of antibiotics required to sustain the practice — 80% of all antibiotics sold in the US are used for raising livestock. Even Amazonian hunter-gatherer tribes, who eat meat, only take the very minimum from nature. They take what they need and don’t kill unnecessarily in the name of greed. They sure as hell aren’t pro deforestation to support animal agriculture to feed greedy societies hell bent on eating as much saturated fat as possible and ending up on prescription medication in an attempt to fight off an early death from heart disease. “Vegans should kill off all the predators in the world who are cruelly killing other species’ babies for lunch”. Got news for you buddy. You aren’t a carnivore. You aren’t even an omnivore. You evolved to be able to eat COOKED meat. Carnivorous predators need to eat meat. You don’t. Look at the science. * EvaVeggie I was a vegetarian for many years and I just didn’t get it. Finally went vegan three months ago. Here’s what kept me from taking that step for so long: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZe-h2vy5hA + Peter Great video, Eva. Thanks for sharing your story. * Geanie Marie I’m not currently a vegetarian, and am just looking into this lifestyle. This was an interesting article and very informative. I do have one question though. You say people shouldn’t drink milk , but I wonder what would happen to all the milk if no one drank it – just throw it away? And what would be the point of a dairy cow. Would people cease to raise them? Because it would way too much trouble to milk a cow every day if not for the milk. Sorry for the possibly dumb questions, just trying to understand this.. + veganmotivation Hey Geanie, cows are artificially impregnated (raped) in order to make them continually produce milk. If we stopped drinking milk then the dairy industry would lose half of its income over night and we’d put a stop to this unnecessary, cruel practice. As for the milk, it belongs to the calves, not us. There are plenty of alternatives. Just this morning I had organic hemp milk for breakfast; not just delicious but also a rich source of omega 3. + Rosa Borisova I agree 100% with Peter.If may only add that the only milk we need is the milk from our own mothers…thats it. Jus enough to boos your immune system …enough for the rest of your life. Just as any other mammal species. * Terry Phillips It’s funny, I’d sooner become a meat eater that didn’t consume dairy than a vegetarian that consumed milk, cheese, etc. Nothing makes my body feel worse than dairy, I’m lucky to find it so easy to be vegan! * Jenny I know there’s a big difference…but wouldn’t you consider vegetarianism positive in the sense that it’s a stepping stone to veganism? + Peter Absolutely. It is a positive step, and one that often comes before going vegan. But most vegetarians still eat dairy products, which is a massive no for vegans because of the torture involved in obtaining milk from cows. So in that respect vegans will continue to encourage vegetarians to make that last, crucial move to veganism. + veganmotivation Absolutely. It is a positive step, and one that often comes before going vegan. But most vegetarians still eat dairy products, which is a massive no for vegans because of the torture involved in obtaining milk from cows. So in that respect vegans will continue to encourage vegetarians to make that last, crucial move to veganism. Get Updates (it's free) Recipes, nutrition tips & general plant-based awesomeness! ____________________ ____________________ SUBSCRIBE! vegan health supplements Others Are Reading Looking for Plant-Based Love? Here’s The Official Top 3 Vegan Dating Websites Looking for Plant-Based Love? Here’s The Official Top 3 Vegan Dating Websites The 8-Step Ethical Girl’s Guide to Cruelty Free Makeup The 8-Step Ethical Girl’s Guide to Cruelty Free Makeup 60 Benefits of Going Vegan That Will Change Your Life 60 Benefits of Going Vegan That Will Change Your Life 7 Motivational Documentaries That’ll Make Even The Toughest Carnivore Go Vegan 7 Motivational Documentaries That’ll Make Even The Toughest Carnivore Go Vegan Popular Recipes Oh Yumble! It’s My Dairy-Free Blackberry Crumble Oh My! Check Out These Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Brownies Easy End-of-Week Vegetable Soup [INS: :INS] Join the conversation * Allison Wunderland on 20 Brilliant Vegan Gift Ideas Your Friend Will Love You For * Peter on How One Inspirational Vegan Mum Educated Her Child’s School Over Chick Hatching * Peter on Why I’m Vegan But Still Have a Leather Belt [MUST READ] * Jayvee on Snack Time! 6-Seed Choco-Date Cookies * NaziLinda on Why I’m Vegan But Still Have a Leather Belt [MUST READ] * v on Why I’m Vegan But Still Have a Leather Belt [MUST READ] * Ania on Snack Time! 6-Seed Choco-Date Cookies Vegan Cuts 300x250 Let's Socialize 702 Fans Like 987 Followers Follow 1,226 Followers Follow [INS: :INS] Info * Contact * Privacy Policy * Website Terms More * About Us * Meet The Team * Write For Us Like IFRAME: https://www.facebook.com/plugins/page.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebo ok.com%2Fveganmotivation&tabs&width=340&height=214&small_header=false&a dapt_container_width=true&hide_cover=false&show_facepile=true&appId Copyright © VeganMotivation.com 2016. Powered by Mother Nature. [tr?id=995529863839871&ev=PageView&noscript=1]