Veganism is a form of vegetarianism that’s among the stricter of diet types out there. While many people use the terms “vegetarian” and “vegan” interchangeably, they are extremely different from one another.
The vegetarian diet eliminates all meat products. True vegetarians will nix anything that derives ingredients that require an animal to be slaughtered (such as candy that has gelatin or cheese made with animal rennet). However, many people refer to themselves vegetarian even though they eat chicken and fish meat.
Vegans, on the other hand, consume only plant and mineral-based foods. That means no cheese, no eggs; literally nothing with any ingredients that have been sourced from an animal. This extends to all products, including clothing and body care items.
A far cry from the processed food-laden standard American diet, the vegan diet usually incorporates loads of colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, beans, and soy. And while going vegan used to be an uphill battle, more widespread availability of vegan products (and understanding of what it is) are making it easier to do.
Perhaps a bigger challenge than finding the right food is dealing with nay-sayers. Vegans get a lot of questions about how they get enough protein, calcium, or some other vital nutrient. There are countless ways for vegans to get the nutrition they need, and none involve bacon cheeseburgers.
If you’re thinking of going vegan but don’t know where to start, take a look around our site to get a few ideas – and learn some of the pitfalls.
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