Vegan vs. Vegetarian: What’s the Difference?

by Alice Shopland, founder of Angel Food

When I first went vegan 20 years ago people would often pronounce ‘vegan’ as ‘vay-gun’ and think that us vegans are all gluten avoiders too. (“No we don’t have anything vegan but you could have this gluten-free pasta with eggs and cream.” Umm, no thanks!) I haven’t heard ‘vay-gun’ for a few years now, which I guess is a sign that we’re becoming mainstream. It’s been a long time coming: the term "vegan" has been around since 1944 when it was created by Donald Watson, who co-founded the Vegan Society in the United Kingdom. Watson sought to create a word that would describe a lifestyle excluding all forms of animal exploitation. He created "vegan" from the first and last letters of "vegetarian," symbolising the logical conclusion of vegetarianism.

Vegetarians

Vegetarians don’t eat meat or byproducts of animal slaughter. However, they might include other animal products in their diet, such as dairy, eggs, and honey, which don’t directly require the death of an animal. Vegetarians often make their choices for health, environmental, or ethical reasons, but their stance on animal products tends to be less comprehensive than that of vegans.

Ethical Vegans

Ethical vegans, like me, try to avoid all animal products, both in diet and in other areas of our lives. This includes not eating meat, dairy, eggs, or honey and avoiding items made from silk, wool, leather, feathers, and other animal-derived materials. Ethical vegans also steer clear of products tested on animals. This lifestyle stems from a commitment to opposing animal exploitation in all its forms.

Within the vegan community, there can be tension between abolitionist vegans and welfarist vegans. Abolitionists advocate for complete and immediate abolition of animal exploitation, while welfarists support incremental changes to improve animal welfare as a step toward a shared end goal.

Freegans

Freegans are often anti-capitalist and prioritise reducing waste. They aim to be vegan when they have a choice but may consume animal products if it prevents waste—for example, by dumpster diving for discarded food that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Beegans

Beegans follow a vegan lifestyle but make an exception for honey, beeswax, and other products from bees or insects. Their reasoning varies, but it often involves viewing these products as less exploitative or harmful than other animal-derived goods.

Dietary Vegans

Dietary vegans focus solely on eliminating animal products from their diet, often for environmental or health reasons. They might still use animal-derived products in clothing or other areas of their life. Many dietary vegans later transition into ethical veganism once they begin to question the broader use of animals as commodities.

Some people in this group prefer the term "plant-based" to describe their diet. However, ethical vegans sometimes feel this term dilutes the deeper ethical commitment associated with veganism.

Raw Vegans and Fruitarians

• Raw vegans eat foods that are either completely uncooked or heated to a maximum of 48°C, preserving natural enzymes.

• Fruitarians take a more restrictive approach, consuming only fruit, seeds, and nuts. This diet is often framed as the ultimate ethical or natural way to eat, but it’s not for everyone.

Ostrovegans

Ostrovegans avoid all animal products except bivalve shellfish, such as oysters and mussels. The reasoning is that bivalves lack sentience, though this is a debated topic. Personally, I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt and avoid consuming them.

Flexitarians and Open Omnivores

• Flexitarians are consciously reducing their consumption of animal products, often for health or environmental reasons. Their diet is predominantly plant-based but occasionally includes meat or other animal products.

• Open omnivores are a newer category. These individuals aren’t yet flexitarians but are exploring more ethical ways to eat and are open to incorporating more plant-based meals into their diets. A 2023 study by ProVeg found that 35% of Europeans identify as open omnivores, compared to 27% as omnivores, 27% as flexitarians, and 12% as pescatarians, vegetarians, or vegans.[1]

[1] Evolving Appetites, (2023). Smart Protein Project and ProVeg International.