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What’s the Difference Between Vegan, Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets?

With all the different types of diets available today, the difference between vegan, vegetarian and plant-based diets can be difficult to keep up with. Every diet will prove to be the best diet, but it will all depend on what your specific body needs. Many people are starting to open up to plant-based and meatless diets, but even these can get confusing with the different diet names. 

We are going to study three of the major diets that get thrown around on social media and blogs around the world — the plant-based diet, vegetarian diet, and vegan diet. All of which are similar, but have minor differences that play a major role. 

The benefits continue to grow as more and more people learn about the effects of meat and other animal products on the body. We are also much more aware of alternative ways of getting the same nutrients we find in animal products, making them unnecessary in today’s diets.

Let’s take a closer look at these meatless and plant-based diets!

Plant-Based Diet

We’ll start with the straight-forward plant-based diet. Many people will see this as the most boring diet, but there are ways to spice it up and enjoy it. A plant-based diet will completely cut out all animal products. This will include meat, dairy, fish, eggs, gelatin, and other byproducts. 

With a lot of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts, a plant-based diet can still be flavorful. You’ll have to sacrifice a lot of foods you’re used to eating on a weekly basis, but your body will thank you in the long-term.

Vegetarians

Next up is the vegetarian diet, which is also referred to as a meatless diet. Most vegetarians will be lenient when it comes to dairy products, eggs, and some other byproducts of animals. They will be strict with no chicken, beef, fish, or other meat. 

The vegetarian diet starts to get confusing with the numerous variations involved. Ovo-vegetarians are allowed eggs, lacto-vegetarians are allowed dairy products, and pescatarians are allowed to eat fish, but not other meat. 

If you want to cut out meat, but still eat dairy, a vegetarian diet might be best for you due to the flexibility.

Vegans

Many people will confuse vegans with vegetarians due to the similar name, but they are actually more closely related to a plant-based diet. Vegans follow the same criteria in terms of cutting out all animal products, but have a twist that involves a total change in lifestyle.

Vegans take it a step further by vowing to stop using animal products in other areas of their life. Clothing, skincare, and a variety of other products involving the abuse of animals is cut out of their lifestyle. Even products that are heavily tested on animals will be shunned. 

Vegans run the strictest diet and are often more animal activists than the other diets — which are more focused on improving the human body. All of which are going to promote a healthy body, it’s more a decision on how strict you want to be — and that’s up to you!