Vegan vs Vegetarian: Key Differences & Benefits Explained

Are you curious about vegan and vegetarian diets? Both are plant-based eating styles that focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. They encourage healthy eating habits, have a reduced impact on the environment, and are considerate of animal welfare. 

Whether you're exploring these diets for health, ethical, or environmental reasons, there's a lot to know about what they include, what to avoid, and how they can positively impact your life and the planet.

Key Differences: Vegan vs. Vegetarian

The main difference between a vegan and vegetarian diet is that:

• Vegetarians eat some food products of animal origin, such as dairy or eggs.

• Vegans do not eat animal products, and some ethical vegans do not use products made from animal slaughter or byproducts, such as handbags, accessories, or apparel.

Is A Vegan Diet Healthier Than A Vegetarian Diet? 

A vegan diet is not generally considered healthier than a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets have a slight edge over vegan diets in terms of nutrient content. 

What Does a Vegan Eat?

A vegan diet excludes dairy, eggs, honey, poultry, meat, fish, and seafood. Vegan diets consist of a variety of plant-based foods, such as:

• Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, mangoes, oranges, pineapples, and other fruits. 

• Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, leafy greens (kale, spinach, collards), mushrooms, onions, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and others. 

• Grains: Rice, wheat, whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa, farro), bread, pasta.

• Legumes: Beans (kidney, black, pinto), chickpeas, lentils, and peas. 

• Nuts: Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pinenuts, walnuts.

• Seeds: Chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and others.

• Oils: Olive oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and other healthy fats and plant-based oils.

• Dairy alternatives: Plant-based milk (oat, almond, soy) and vegan cheese.

• Beverages: Tea, coffee, and fruit juices.

What Do Vegetarians Eat?

Vegetarians tend to eat all the plant foods listed above. However, some also eat animal-origin products such as eggs and dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream). A vegetarian diet excludes poultry, meat, fish, and seafood.

Summary of Various Diets

While vegan and vegetarian diets are popular, there are actually several other dietary patterns to consider that offer more flexibility depending on individual preferences and lifestyle choices. Here’s a breakdown of the different dietary patterns and what they include.

Nutritional Impact of Plant-Based Diets  

Plants contain essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals. A diet high in plant-based nutrition can have multiple beneficial health outcomes, such as:

• Reduce chronic inflammation, improving symptoms of arthritis or cancer

• Boost immune system  

• Weight loss

• Improve gut health

• Lower cholesterol

• Stabilize blood sugar levels

• Lower colorectal cancer risk 

A plant-based diet can also lower your risk for chronic health conditions, including:

• High blood pressure

• High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol and triglycerides

• Type 2 diabetes

• Cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and blood vessel disease)

• Stroke

• Many types of cancer, such as colon, breast, and prostate cancer

• Some mental health illnesses, such as depression

Nutritional Considerations  

Plant-based diets provide your body with all the necessary macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). However, these types of diets can increase the risk of insufficient protein or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. 

Therefore, people who eat vegetarian and vegan diets may need to consume fortified foods or take certain dietary supplements to obtain nutrients found mainly in animal-origin foods. 

Some dietary supplements vegetarians and vegans may be recommended to take include: 

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B12 is almost exclusively found in animal-based foods like eggs, dairy products, fish, and meat. Fortified yeast extract, nutritional yeast, bread, breakfast cereals, and soy products can provide this vital nutrient to those who don’t eat meat.

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Vitamin D

The skin makes vitamin D with exposure to sunlight. Dietary sources of vitamin D include egg yolks and fatty fish. Those who eat vegetarian and vegan diets can get vitamin D from fortified milk and cereals.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA are mainly found in fatty fish and fish oils, so fish eaters get enough of these essential nutrients. Some plant foods such as chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts contain another type of omega-3 fatty acid called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Those who eat vegetarian or vegan diets can get DHA from algal oil supplements.

Iron  

Some plant foods contain iron, such as green leafy vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. However, plant iron is less well absorbed by the body compared to heme iron, which is found in meat, mainly red meat. This can put both vegetarians and vegans (especially females) at risk of iron deficiency anemia.

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Tips For a Balanced Diet and Sufficient Nutrient Intake  

Here are some tips to eat a healthy diet while maintaining a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle:

• Avoid processed foods, high-sodium foods, fatty foods, fried foods, and foods with added sugar. 

• Read nutrition labels carefully. For example, faux meats or meat substitutes are highly processed with a high salt content.

• Eat high-protein foods like eggs and dairy products for vegetarian diets and legumes, nuts, and seeds for vegan diets. 

• Avoid too many carbs and fatty foods. Instead, eat whole grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice.

• Pick fortified foods like cereals, orange juice, and plant-based milks to provide some of the nutrients missing in a vegan or vegetarian diet. 

• Consider dietary supplements like vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, and iron supplements. 

• Consult a registered dietician dietician can provide meal ideas and answer questions about meeting your nutritional needs.

Other Considerations

Besides the health benefits, other common reasons for switching to plant-based diets include:  

• Ethical Reasons: Eating meat and using products made with animal by-products involves killing animals. Most animal foods like eggs, dairy, and meat are produced in ways that mostly ignore animal welfare. Many vegans choose this lifestyle because industrial farming is rooted in animal exploitation and causes animals to suffer without any justification.

• Environmental Impact and Sustainability: Producing meat, dairy, and eggs requires large amounts of land, water, and energy and contributes to deforestation, water pollution, and soil degradation. A plant-based diet is, therefore, widely considered the more sustainable choice for reducing our carbon footprint and the impact of climate change.

How To Transition To a Vegan or Vegetarian Lifestyle  

Switching to a plant-based diet can feel like an overwhelming change. Here are some tips for selecting foods, planning meals, or getting all the nutrients your body needs from a plant-based diet:

• Instead of focusing on the foods you exclude, add healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Start by excluding the unhealthiest foods, such as processed meat.

• Avoid relying on simple carbohydrates and processed foods.

• Fill at least half your plate with vegetables. If you eat meat, consider it a treat rather than a staple.

• Choose fruits and vegetables of different colors to get all the essential nutrients.

• Enjoy healthy dips such as salsa, hummus, or guacamole.

• Choose healthy fats and unsaturated oils such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, nut butters, and seeds.

• Eat a healthy breakfast with whole grains (oatmeal, quinoa, barley, or buckwheat), sprouts, and fresh fruit. 

• Include a variety of green leafy vegetables in your diet, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collards, and others. 

• Grill or stir-fry vegetables to preserve nutrients and flavor.

• Eat lots of salads with added proteins such as tofu. 

• Choose sweet or refreshing fruits for dessert, such as peach, melon, or watermelon.

More nutrition guidance is available from The Vegan Society.