The "Beef" Between Vegans & Vegetarians

Vegan or vegetarian? You may ponder as you scrutinize the person picking at his bevy of leafy salad greens. Most carnivores would just lump the two together under the same umbrella term of “Who Not To Invite To This Year’s Barbecue,” but there is actually an important difference between the two. Here is a helpful guide to clarify what exactly the difference is between vegan and vegetarians, so you can accommodate everyone’s tastes at this summer’s cookout.

Vegetarians avoid all types of meat (including sea animals, cows, pigs, chickens, and the like). Their diet consists mainly of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, dairy products, and eggs. Vegetarians usually stick to a meat-free diet because of moral or political reasons, religious beliefs (such as Hinduism or Jainism), or health concerns (vegetarian diets are high in fiber and low in saturated fats). Furthermore, there are different subsets of vegetarians. Some are lacto-vegetarians (who consume dairy), ovo-vegetarians (who consume eggs), or semi-vegetarian (who consume seafood & poultry but not red meat ). Though vegetarians may avoid some animal-based products like gelatin, for the most part, they are fine with using fur, wool, leather, and other animal-derived products as long as they are not for consumption. Those wishing to become vegan will often first become vegetarian before making the transition, which brings us to...

Vegans. Technically speaking, veganism is a type of vegetarian diet. But veganism itself extends far beyond just what you eat. Like vegetarians, vegans don’t consume animal flesh. However, they also avoid any animal by-products. In terms of diet, this means they avoid eggs, dairy (including milk, yogurt, cheese, & ice cream), gelatin (which use animal bones) and honey. This is because even though these items don't contain animal flesh, they are still taking things away from animals without their consent. Vegans also avoid certain components that most of us take for granted because we don't realize how they exploit animals. For example, they stay away from clothing derived from animals such as leather, fur, down, and silk products; instead they usually go for the faux alternatives. They also avoid lanolin, which are the oils produced by sheep in their wool and often found in everyday products such as gum and lipstick. And finally, they steer clear of companies that exploit animals for entertainment or for experimentation (such as cosmetic companies) and opt for cruelty-free options instead. Though some vegans may tout the health benefits as their reason for going vegan, it’s often a stricter sense of ethics that makes people go vegan. They believe that animals and humans are equals and refuse to partake in any activity that brings mental or physical harm to animals.

So is there a beef between vegans and vegetarians? Occasionally, yes. Some vegans are frustrated with vegetarians who don’t make the final step to becoming vegan. Though vegetarians may believe that they are doing their part to be cruelty-free by abstaining from eating meat, there is as much--if not, more-- torture involved in industries that create animal-derived products. For example, the milk industry pumps cows full of hormones to get them to produce more milk than they naturally can, often leading to infection. Furthermore, the egg industry keeps hens trapped in cages barely big enough for them to turn around in and forces them to continuously lay eggs. Animal advocate Gary Francione says, “There’s more torture in a glass of milk than a pound of steak.”

Either way, if you’re looking to transition to either a vegetarian or vegan diet for any reason, now is the time to start. Just think of all the lives you’d be saving: the vegetarian lifestyle saves more than 100 animals a year, while the vegan lifestyle saves around 200 animals a year. And if you’re worried about looking for substitutes for all your favorite animal-products, don’t fret. The industry for food substitutes and faux animal skin clothing is booming. Here’s to the salad-eaters!

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