Vegetarian, vegan, plant-Based: discover Who Eats What !

With food habits shifting at a brisk pace, understanding the differences between vegetarians, vegans, and those who follow a plant-based diet is crucial. This article aims to shed light on these dietary choices, their subcategories, and the reasons behind them.

What is a vegetarian ?

The Basics

A vegetarian is an individual who abstains from consuming meat and fish. They may, however, include eggs and dairy products in their diet. To further categorize vegetarians:

• Ovo-lacto-vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy products;
• Ovo-vegetarians include eggs but avoid dairy;
• Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy items yet exclude eggs;
• Pesco-vegetarians, while avoiding meat, do eat fish.

Vegetarianism in France

In France, less than 2% of the entire population strictly identifies as vegetarian. This lifestyle choice is more prevalent amongst the youth. The motivations for adopting vegetarianism range from health concerns to environmental factors and respect for animal life.

Moving on from what a vegetarian eats to what they don’t, let’s delve into veganism next.

What does a vegan eat ?

Veganism Defined

A vegan goes beyond vegetarianism by excluding all animal-derived products from their diet. This includes not just meat and fish but also eggs, dairy products, and even honey. Certain wines and spirits that are clarified using animal-derived products are also avoided.

Vegan Lifestyle Beyond Diet

Being vegan, however, is not just about diet. It represents a complete lifestyle that also excludes the use of animal-derived products (like leather or wool) and activities involving animal exploitation (such as circuses and zoos).

With a clear understanding of what vegans exclude from their daily routine, let’s look at the middle ground between vegetarianism and veganism – the plant-based lifestyle.

What does someone following a plant-based diet eat ?

Plant-Based Diet: An Overview

While similar to veganism in many ways, a plant-based diet places emphasis on whole foods derived from plants. This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. However, unlike vegans, individuals following a plant-based diet may occasionally consume meat or dairy products.

Now that we’ve explored the various dietary choices people make today. Let’s understand why it’s essential to be mindful of potential nutritional deficiencies.

Vegans, vegetarians and those following a plant-based diet: Beware of deficiencies !

The Risk of Nutritional Deficiencies

Despite the numerous health benefits associated with these diets, they come with their unique set of challenges. Vegans and vegetarians need to ensure they get enough protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12 – nutrients commonly found in animal products.

Let’s wrap up by summarising what we’ve learned so far about these dietary lifestyles.

Although vegetarians, vegans and those following a plant-based diet share commonalities; their food choices and philosophies differ markedly. As consumer behaviour continues to evolve towards these dietary practices rapidly in France – where over 3 million vegans, vegetarians and those on plant-based diets have been recorded – we can expect significant impacts on the food industry in the years to come.