What Is The Difference Between Vegan, Vegetarian And Flexitarian?

Do you know the difference between vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian? You may have heard these terms recently, but you don’t understand what they mean. Although similar to those not familiar with the subject, they present substantial differences.

By themselves, these diets favor vegetables, in addition to caring for the environment and respecting animals. To clarify your doubts, we will tell you in this article what are the main characteristics of each one.

What’s the difference between being vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian?

These diet styles are on the rise for a number of reasons. However, we can describe the consumption and life practices of each group with different characteristics. Let’s see what they are.

vegans

Vegans are those who base their diet entirely on vegetables. That is, they do not consume dairy, cheese, eggs or honey. However, the term goes further, as in fact, the way you eat determines your lifestyle.

It arises from the ethical and moral reason that humans and all other species are equal. In this way, vegans repudiate the abuse of animals, so they do not use leather shoes or belts, skin and hair care products and even medicines derived from them.

Likewise, they are against places where there is exploitation, such as zoos, horse races, circuses and rodeos, among others. In addition, they are aware of the environmental impact generated by the livestock activity.

In this regard, several studies have shown that livestock farming massively exploits natural resources, potentiates the greenhouse effect, acidifies soils and accumulates excessive waste in rivers and seas.

Learn more: What does an egg-vegetarian diet consist of?

vegetarians

The vegetarian diet is based on plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, seeds and oilseeds, but it also includes dairy products, eggs and honey. In this sense, meat and meat products are the only foods that are totally excluded.

According to the Argentine Society of Nutrition, within this group there may be different subgroups. The most known are:

• Ovolactovegetarians – vegetarians who consume vegetables, eggs and dairy products in their diet
• Ovo vegetarians – include vegetables and eggs in your diet.
• Lactovegetarians – eliminate eggs from their diet but consume vegetables and dairy products.

There are people who adopt vegetarianism for the rest of their lives, but it may be that some of them do so because they want to eliminate all animal products from the diet in the future. So, it can be said that it is an almost necessary transition to get to veganism.

Flexitarians

This way of eating is about flexibility, as this group can include all those people who, in general, follow a vegetarian diet, but sometimes agree to consume meat, whether fish, seafood, poultry, beef or others.

This group includes those who do not consume meat occasionally or who prefer one type of meat over others. It is also usually a preliminary step for those who are introducing a vegetarian diet and use this form of eating as an initial step.

As you will see, this lifestyle is one of the most popular in recent times. In fact, you can be a flexitarian without even knowing it. In this case, eating animals does not mean transgression and does not generate a feeling of guilt.

Are these diets safe?

Years ago, diets that excluded animal products were believed to be nutrient deficient. However, scientific evidence suggests that, in a planned diet, the only substance deficient is vitamin B12.

It is synthesized by microorganisms that inhabit the intestines of animals, so the only food sources that contain it are meat, eggs, milk and its derivatives. In the case of vegetarians and flexitarians, although they consume some of these products, they do not complete the daily needs recommended by professionals.

As a result, in these population groups, prolonged deficiency of this vitamin can cause anemia, nervous system defects, fetal development delay, memory loss and other complications. To avoid these problems, it is advisable to use supplements.

Differences between vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian

As you can see, these forms of eating have marked differences. Flexitarianism can be said to be the beginning of a lifestyle that can progress to vegetarianism and, if you prefer, veganism. In any case, this is not inevitable and a person does not necessarily go through these steps.

Consider that whatever your diet among these options, it should always be planned so that it is full of nutrients and does not generate deficiencies and future problems. Remember that if you follow these plans, it is advisable to consult your doctor or nutritionist for advice on the matter.