What Does The Name “November” Mean? More and more people vegan blueberry biscuits following vegan or vegetarian diets. And you’ve probably noticed a lot of restaurant menus marking whether a dish is vegan or vegetarian.

But what exactly is the difference? The difference involves more than just whether a person eats cheese. We’ll break down what each word means, what vegans and vegetarians do and don’t eat, and what the word vegan means beyond eating. We’ll even define some related terms, including plant-based, flexitarian, and pescatarian. In general, vegans avoid eating or using things that are either from animals or made by animals. In terms of diet, this means not consuming any meat or dairy products, or other animal-derived products, such as honey.

There are many reasons why a person may be vegan. While many people adopt a vegan diet for health or nutrition reasons, many vegans base their consumption choices on a belief in the importance of animal welfare. Others may have climate-related concerns about the contribution of meat production to carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. A vegan diet is often considered plant-based—meaning it consists entirely or mainly of foods that come from plants, including vegetables, fruits, and grains. Vegan protein sources include beans, nuts, legumes, and seeds. There are many processed products that serve as vegan alternatives for these items. There are some foods that are considered nonvegan even though they are not meat or dairy.