Vegan Vs. Vegetarian

Making the choice to become a vegan or vegetarian is a lifestyle choice. It will affect not only how you eat, but also the products you buy from furniture to clothing. Both vegans and vegetarians consume foods other than meats like fruits and vegetables, however vegans restrict their diets and purchase choices further than vegetarians.

Types of Vegetarians

• Vegetarian is a broad category that means that a person does not consume animal products such as meat, poultry or seafood. There are sub-categories of vegetarianism though that are more flexible in their dietary restrictions. The semi-vegetarian is allowed to consume fish, dairy products like eggs and cheese, and chicken. They do not eat any other meat products though. Ovo-lacto vegetarians consume eggs and milk, but they do not eat meat products. Ovo-vegetarian is the closest version of a vegetarian to a vegan. The only difference is Ovo-vegetarians consume eggs. Lacto-vegetarians consume milk, but no other animal products.

Animal Products

• Vegetarians vary their diet to consume some animal products like eggs, milk and fish. Vegans do not have the variations that the vegetarians have. They do not consume any animal products at all. This is not limited to meat products like chicken and fish. They do not consume butter, milk, cheese, eggs, chocolate, yeast or honey. Many vegans have to take vitamin supplements in order to get the protein and iron that they are no longer receiving through the foods they are eating.

Household Products

• Vegetarians are not required to extend their dietary restrictions to their household products such as cleaning supplies and furniture choices. However, vegans do extend their restrictions. They do not use products such as glues that are made from horse feet. They also do not buy furniture made from animal products like leather sofas. When they are buying cleaning products like glass cleaner they always read the labels to ensure that no animal by-products are used in it.

Cothing

• Vegetarians do not have restrictions on the clothing that they wear. Vegans, however, do not wear clothing or accessories like purses or shoes that are made from animal products or by-products. This means they cannot wear leather, suede, wool or fur goods. Instead they wear clothing that is made from textiles that are produced without harming animals. These include textiles that are both natural and man-made like cotton, nylon, polyester, spandex, linen and hemp.