The Difference Between Vegan and Vegetarian Diets

A Meat Eater Learns More About Two Heallthy Lifestyles That Both Start with "V"

I never understood the difference between being a vegan and being a vegetarian. To me they seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Kind of like the way one pronounces the word "tomato". Is it toe-may-toe..? Or is it toe-mah-toe...? Does it really matter if you're both trying to accomplish the same goal? And so it was - I thought - with vegan and vegetarian diets.

Little did I know that vegans and vegetarians are a world apart. By definition, vegetarians are those individuals that do not eat any meat products, they will however, eat dairy products and eggs. Vegans on the other hand, do not consume any animal products at all! Or derivitives or such. So guess where an egg comes from? A Chicken! And milk? A cow! So you can cross both eggs and milk off your list. The Vegan diet walks a hard thin line. I admire both groups of people. They have both made choices that will leave them healthier and I presume happier, while living a longer life. On the other hand, there are those of us who have decided to take the short road: I happen to enjoy a hearty steak every now and then, am wild about ribs, and I enjoy dairy products. I too am happy, perhaps not as healthy, but if I keel over tomorrow at least it will be with a full stomach. Like I said, it's all about choices.

The Vegan diet doesn't seem very exciting on the surface - - lots and lots of grains, but also fruits, vegetables and beans. All are low in fat and contain little or no cholesterol. And all vegan food is rich in fiber . Let it be said, that vegans do not suffer from irregularity. In fact, with a little planning and common sense, vegans can create a diet that provides all the nutrients they need, without any reference to animal products. Lesson Number One; vegan food doesn't have to look or taste good in order to be good for you (kind of like the castor oil you took as a kid).