More and more people have become vegans in the last years, but the term veganism remains unclear and ambiguous.
And this happens not only because of the family environment or long-term habits but mainly because of misinformation.
Omnivores and especially meat-eaters refuse to hear about this movement, mistakenly believing that vegans live with grass and water.
There is also, of course, the other side. The omnivorous or vegetarians who get informed and want to take the next step to explore this lifestyle that is gaining more and more supporters.
So let’s discover what exactly these terms mean.
Omnivorism
For obvious reasons, this term doesn’t need special analysis. This is the diet that contains all foods.
Vegetarianism
Although there are different categories of vegetarians (lacto-ovo vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians, and ovo-vegetarians), the main difference with omnivores is that they do not eat products and by-products of animal slaughter.
For ethical, environmental or health reasons, vegetarians exclude foods of animal origin (meat, poultry, fish, seafood) but consume their by-products (dairy, eggs, honey).
There are also other categories, such as pescatarians who include fish to their vegetarian diet.
Strict vegetarianism (Veganism)
Many vegetarians (or even omnivores) decide to take the next step and become vegans for ethical reasons. They choose to fight animal exploitation and abuse through their lifestyle. So, they pay attention not only to what they eat but also to what they buy, wear, etc. They consciously avoid leather clothing, accessories, cosmetics that have been experimented on animals, etc.
Veganism is therefore not limited to the diet but is a way of living.
Let’s see what vegans exactly eat and exclude.
They exclude from their diet all animal products and their by-products, which they replace with:
- fruits
- vegetables
- legumes
- nuts
- cereals
- seeds
- seaweed
- mushrooms.
At first glance, this diet may sound restrictive and stressful. Many people wonder if they can get all the essential nutrients such as protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron or vitamin B12. And the plain truth is yes with the proper information and a good planning.
The available vegan recipes now are endless. All you need to be is open-minded, curious to learn something different, and ready to get evidence-based information about a balanced vegan diet.
Tell us! 🙂
Which category do you currently belong in?
