10 Differences between Veganism and Plant-based Diet

Posted by John W. Torres on April 26th, 2021

Individuals are heavily becoming diet-conscious, hence vegan and plant-based diets are not alien concepts to them. In the current times, vegan and plant-based are probably the most popular diet concepts. While both the diets are basically plant-based Vegetarian Diet, they still carry some differences. But before discussing the difference between them, let’s understand what is a vegan diet and a plant-based diet, respectively.

 

Vegan Diet:

Being a vegan goes beyond the food you eat. People who are vegan avoid all forms of animal products and animal-cruelty. Neither they eat food derived from animals like eggs, milk, meat, honey, poultry and other dairy products, nor they wear or use any items like leather, wool, fur, feathers, silk which are generated from animals. They also avoid toiletries and beauty products that contain animal substances and are tested on animals. Thus, veganism is generally defined as living in a way that avoids consuming, using, or exploiting animals as much as realistically possible.

Plant-based Diet:

A plant-based diet as the name suggests includes food sourced from plants. Some people also call it, “whole foods, plant based” to describe food sourced from whole plants which have undergone minimal or no processing. A plant-based diet includes vegetables, nuts, seeds, canola and olive oil, fruits, and whole grains. A plant-based diet is a healthy option and is known to reverse ailments such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.

Although both the diet options are very similar, they do have some differences between them. Following are 10 differences between the two:

  •  Lifestyle: As mentioned above, veganism is much more than following a diet chart. A vegan is someone who aims to be aware of the animal rights and avoids all forms of animal cruelty. Vegans avoid foods derived from animals, are against the use of clothes, shoes and accessories made from animals and also avoid personal use items which have been tested on animals. Thus, veganism is a lifestyle in itself and much hard to follow. Whereas, a plant-based diet is a concept for health-conscious people who consume plant based whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole-grains, and plant derived canola, sunflower or olive oils.

  •  Processed foods: Another major difference between a vegan diet and a plant-based diet is in the consumption of processed foods. In a vegan diet, one can have a number of processed food items, whereas in a plant-based diet processed foods are a big NO!

  •  Contents: The contents of a vegan diet are more defined and strictly against foods like meat, eggs and dairy. While a plant-based diet restricts mostly meat, and still allows dairy and eggs as part of it.

  •  Motivation: A plant-based diet is mostly opted by health-conscious individuals who want to improve their health and have a healthy lifestyle. Whereas, transforming into a vegan lifestyle is for individuals who are motivated by the love of animals and do not want to go against animal rights.

  •  Preparation: Preparation of both the forms of diet needs time and efforts as the foods are sourced, chopped and presented in their whole or vegan state. A vegan need to be very careful while preparing food and should avoid making radical changes in their diet all at once. Hummus can be consumed in both the diet options, specifically in veganism it can be taken as a dairy supplement instead of butter or spreads. While in a plant-based diet one needs to be careful about processed foods.

  •  Supplements: Both the diets are based on plant derived nutrients, fibre and proteins. But some vitamins like Vitamin B12 and vitamin D3 are only available in animal derived foods. Therefore, while following a vegan lifestyle, the consumption of supplements is a must to avoid deficiencies in the body. Whereas, plant-based diets are not totally animal-free, hence the use of supplements is occasional.

  •  Commitment: Vegan lifestyle is comparatively difficult to follow and combine with an active social life. People who are vegan generally find themselves confused and clueless whenever they go out for meals in restaurants. The options for vegans are very less and only available in special vegan friendly restaurants. Whereas, people who follow a plant-based diet have a comparatively hassle-free social life and experiences because their diet mostly avoids meat products.

  •  Maintaining the lifestyle: Since vegan is a much-restricted diet and lifestyle option, it requires a lot of lifestyle changes. So, if anyone in your family follows it, special requirements and preparations need to be met on a daily basis. This includes mindful grocery, clothing and essentials shopping including toiletries, beauty and cosmetics also. Whereas, following a plant-based diet only requires a family or a person to exclude meat products from their diet and include more plant-derived options. Thus, maintenance of veganism is very hectic!

  •  Personal preferences: Because a vegan diet has strict prescriptions of excluding all forms of animal derived food items, the option of preferences is not available. Whereas, following a plant-based diet allows more room for preferences like some people include meat in small quantities, some eat eggs and dairy but avoid meat, and some only eat whole food plant-diet. Therefore, plant-diets are a bit flexible.

  •  Health benefits: It is commonly known that eating less meat is always a good choice. Thus, the initiation of a plant-based diet is proving to be beneficial in health aspects such as in lowering the risk of breast cancer. Moreover, eating a plant-based diet of whole foods is considered much healthier than vegan options of processed foods, ice-creams and candies available in the market. These kinds of “vegan” foods contribute to chronic diseases instead. Visit Vmeals.ae for healthy, easy, and delicious meal options and diet plans.

Thus, these are some fine lines but major differences between the two forms of diet concepts trending in the world today. They might seem appealing and healthy at first but consulting with your dietician before planning to start any one of these is always the better way!

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John W. Torres

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John W. Torres
Joined: April 26th, 2021
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