When it comes to plant-based diets, terms like “vegan” and “vegetarian” often come up, sometimes leading to a bit of confusion. Good thing is, if you’re traveling and used DMC Europe, you will not just be fed with cool tourist destinations, but also, they share educational information on vast subjects.

Though both groups avoid meat, their food choices differ in ways that are significant to understand. Whether you’re exploring these lifestyles for yourself or just curious, let’s break down the differences between a vegan and a vegetarian diet in a friendly, digestible way.

Understanding the Basics: Vegan vs. Vegetarian

A vegetarian chooses not to eat meat, poultry, or fish. Instead, they focus on plant-based foods, dairy products, and eggs, often for ethical, health, or environmental reasons.

The philosophy behind vegetarianism is often rooted in compassion toward animals or a desire to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Vegans, on the other hand, take plant-based eating a step further. A vegan diet eliminates any animal products from meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or even honey. For many vegans, the commitment goes beyond food, as they also avoid animal-derived items like leather and wool in their clothing and products tested on animals. For vegans, it’s about making lifestyle choices that cause the least harm to animals.

Types of Vegetarian Diets

Within the vegetarian spectrum, there are several types of diets. Here are a few common ones:

  • Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: This is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-ovo vegetarians avoid meat, fish, and poultry but include dairy and eggs in their diet.
  • Lacto Vegetarian: Lacto vegetarians consume dairy products but exclude eggs, meat, fish, and poultry.
  • Ovo Vegetarian: Ovo vegetarians avoid all animal products except for eggs.

Each has unique motivations and dietary preferences, but the main goal remains the same: to limit or exclude meat.

DMC Europe Discusses what Vegans Eat (and Don’t Eat)

Vegans focus solely on plant-based foods, which means fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds make up the bulk of their diet. In recent years, vegan options have become more accessible, with plant-based milk, meat alternatives, and vegan-friendly snacks available in most supermarkets.

Vegans might use almond or oat milk instead of dairy milk and opt for egg replacements made from chia seeds or other plant ingredients in recipes.