Vegan vs Vegetarian: What's the Difference?

 Certain restaurants even specialize in these types of food, especially vegan, and most of these restaurants heavily advertise their menu range even with branding on their Chef coats, menus and other things, so that more people are aware that they are vegetarian or vegan friendly.

So, what exactly is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?

Vegetarian diets essentially include food items that are not made of meat, poultry, fish, or any by-products of animal slaughter. These diets are usually made up of fruits, vegetable, pulses, grains etc. However, there are different types of vegetarians: those who do not eat any meat (animal flesh) but do consume dairy products and eggs (called lacto-ovo vegetarians), those who do not eat animal flesh and eggs but consume dairy products (lacto vegetarians), and those who do not eat any type of animal by-product with the exception of eggs (ovo vegetarians).

Vegans are one of the strictest types of vegetarians around; they do not eat any animal by-product, including dairy, eggs and meat. They do not even consume those foods derived from animals such honey, gelatin, albumin, carmine, shellac, whey etc. It is a lifestyle that attempts to reject all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation, and vegans also believe that this type of lifestyle is the best for their health as well as the environment.

At times, if a vegetarian or vegan diet is not planned well, it can cause many health problems with the lack of nutrients, which can affect both their physical and mental health. Hence planning your vegan or vegetarian diet is of the utmost importance, so that you ensure that your body gets the right amount of nutrients to keep it healthy.