What Does The Name “November” Mean? More and more people are following vegan or vegetarian diets. And you’ve vegan donut calories noticed a lot of restaurant menus marking whether a dish is vegan or vegetarian. But what exactly is the difference?

The difference involves more than just whether a person eats cheese. We’ll break down what each word means, what vegans and vegetarians do and don’t eat, and what the word vegan means beyond eating. We’ll even define some related terms, including plant-based, flexitarian, and pescatarian. In general, vegans avoid eating or using things that are either from animals or made by animals. In terms of diet, this means not consuming any meat or dairy products, or other animal-derived products, such as honey. There are many reasons why a person may be vegan. While many people adopt a vegan diet for health or nutrition reasons, many vegans base their consumption choices on a belief in the importance of animal welfare.

Others may have climate-related concerns about the contribution of meat production to carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. A vegan diet is often considered plant-based—meaning it consists entirely or mainly of foods that come from plants, including vegetables, fruits, and grains. Vegan protein sources include beans, nuts, legumes, and seeds. There are many processed products that serve as vegan alternatives for these items.

There are some foods that are considered nonvegan even though they are not meat or dairy. Honey is typically considered nonvegan because it’s a product of honeybees. Some products are considered nonvegan not because they contain animal products but because they’re processed with them. For example, some sugars are considered nonvegan due to being processed using a product from animal bones. A vegan diet is often associated with healthy foods, like vegetables, but just because a food is vegan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Some processed candy is vegan, for example.

Vegetarians may avoid meat for a number of reasons, including concerns for animals, personal health, and the environment—or a combination of these factors and others. Like the diet of vegans, a vegetarian diet is often primarily plant-based. The main difference is that vegetarians eat nonmeat animal products, especially dairy products and eggs, which are often used as primary protein sources, along with non-animal sources like beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Some foods sometimes considered non-vegetarian are not obvious. Get the fascinating stories of your favorite words in your inbox.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Some people may adhere to diets that are primarily vegan or vegetarian, but may sometimes consume foods that are usually avoided in such diets. The word flexitarian refers to a person whose diet is largely plant-based, but who occasionally eats meat, fish, and poultry. Take this quiz to see if you can tell your vegan from your vegetarian meals.

Where do you weigh in on these popular food debates? What Do The Starbucks Sizes Literally Mean? What Is The Medical Term For Fainting? This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs. Healthy eating as a vegan You can get the nutrients you need from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet including fortified foods and supplements. If you choose to include foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt or sugar, have them less often and in small amounts.

See The Eatwell Guide for more information about a healthy diet. The Eatwell Guide applies to vegetarians, vegans, people of all ethnic origins and those who are a healthy weight for their height, as well as those who are overweight. The only group The Eatwell Guide is not suitable for is children under the age of 2, as they have different needs. Getting the right nutrients from a vegan diet With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs. If you do not plan your diet properly, you could miss out on essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron, vitamin B12, iodine and selenium.

Vegans who are pregnant or breastfeeding During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, if you follow a vegan diet you’ll need to make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals for your child to develop healthily. Find out more about a vegetarian and vegan diet while pregnant. If you’re bringing up your baby or child on a vegan diet, you need to ensure they get a wide variety of foods to provide the energy and vitamins they need for growth. Vegan sources of calcium and vitamin D Calcium is needed to maintain healthy bones and teeth.