PLANT-BASED VS. VEGAN: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

There are so many diets thrown around these days. Simply google ‘best diet to follow’ and you’ll find articles galore supporting everything from no meat at all to nothing but meat, and an array of things in between. Over the past few years in particular, vegan and plant-based have become common words thrown around. But do we really know what they mean and how they differ? Here is a simple breakdown….

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting of mostly - or entirely - plant-based foods, or foods derived from plant sources. While a plant-based diet avoids or limits certain animal products, it is not completely vegan. Here’s why:

Most commonly, people associate vegans with diet only. Though those following a vegan diet do not consume animal bi-products in their diets, it is not just limited to food items. There are many things - aside from commonly considered leather and fur - that have animal bi-products in them. For example, nail polish remover, tattoo ink, paintballs, and some alcohols commonly contain animal bi-products. This is not to say all of these products do; it is just something to check if you’re trying to limit bi-products. Those following a vegan diet prioritize companies and goods that focus on the ethics - particularly related to animal welfare - behind their sourcing, manufacturing, and other aspects of business.

Plant-based differs from vegan in that some people will choose to incorporate a little bit of animal protein (whether in meat or egg form) into their diets, and might not be as strict when consuming non-food related goods. This does not mean everyone who follows a plant-based diet consumes meat or bi-products, but rather outlines a key difference between the labels. 

Just as those who are plant-based are not always vegan, those who follow a vegan diet do not necessarily always eat plant-based. Remember, plant-based is a diet consisting primarily of plant foods. Especially within the past few years, it has become a lot easier to eat a processed vegan diet. There are many meat/cheese alternatives that rely heavily on processing, and the majority of snacks (chips, cookies, breads) either are already vegan or are easily accessible as such. As always, decide what’s best for you (trial and error, etc.) and worry less about what label you fall under and more about how you feel, both physically and ethically.