VEGAN VS VEGETARIAN – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

By Alina Petre

Vegetarian diets have reportedly been around since as early as 700 B.C. Several types exist and individuals may practice them for a variety of reasons, including health, ethics, environmentalism and religion. Vegan diets are a little more recent, but are getting a good amount of press.

What is a vegetarian diet?

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by­-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarian diets contain various levels of fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. The inclusion of dairy and eggs depends on the type of diet you follow.

The most common types of vegetarians include:

• Lacto-­ovo vegetarians: Vegetarians who avoid all animal flesh, but do consume dairy and egg products.

• Lacto vegetarians: Vegetarians who avoid animal flesh and eggs, but do consume dairy products.

• Ovo vegetarians: Vegetarians who avoid all animal products except eggs.

• Vegans: Vegetarians who avoid all animal and animal-­derived products.

Those who do not eat meat or poultry but do consume fish are considered pescatarians, whereas part-­time vegetarians are often referred to as flexitarians. 

Although sometimes considered vegetarians, pescatarians and flexitarians do eat animal flesh. Therefore, they do not technically fall under the definition of vegetarianism.

From: https://goo.gl/n9yEy1. Accessed on 03/22/2017