Is vegetarian stricter than vegan? The definitive comparison

December 9, 2025 •

2 min read

According to a 2018 national survey in the US, two-thirds of participants had reduced their meat consumption in the previous three years, showing a broad trend toward plant-based eating. However, many still wonder about the core distinctions, specifically, is vegetarian stricter than vegan?

Quick Summary

Veganism is inherently stricter than vegetarianism, encompassing not only dietary restrictions but also a broader ethical lifestyle that avoids all animal products and exploitation.

Key Points

Veganism is stricter: Veganism excludes all animal products and byproducts, including dairy, eggs, and honey, while vegetarianism only excludes animal flesh.
Lifestyle vs. Diet: Veganism is a broader ethical lifestyle that extends beyond food to avoid animal-derived materials like leather and wool, and products tested on animals.
Variations in Vegetarianism: Vegetarianism offers several less restrictive variations, such as lacto-ovo, lacto, and ovo-vegetarianism, which allow for the consumption of certain animal byproducts.
Ethical Motivation Differences: Vegans oppose all animal exploitation, while vegetarians generally accept the consumption of animal byproducts as long as it doesn't involve slaughter.
Environmental Footprint: Due to the exclusion of dairy and eggs, a vegan diet generally has a lower environmental impact than a vegetarian one.
Nutritional Planning: Vegan diets require more careful planning and supplementation to ensure adequate intake of nutrients like B12, Calcium, and Vitamin D compared to vegetarian diets.

The Fundamental Distinction: Scope of Animal Products

While both vegetarians and vegans abstain from eating meat, the core difference lies in their approach to animal byproducts. Vegetarianism focuses on excluding the flesh of animals, but typically allows for the consumption of products that do not involve slaughter, such as eggs and dairy. Veganism, on the other hand, is defined as a way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals, encompassing all animal-derived products.

Understanding Vegetarianism and its Variations

Vegetarianism exists on a spectrum of restriction. Common types include lacto-ovo-vegetarian (consumes dairy and eggs), lacto-vegetarian (includes dairy, excludes eggs), and ovo-vegetarian (includes eggs, excludes dairy). A pescatarian diet, which includes fish, is often considered semi-vegetarian and doesn't fit the traditional definition.

The Strictures of Veganism

Veganism is the most restrictive form. A vegan diet eliminates all animal-derived products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, and ingredients like gelatin, whey, casein, or animal-derived vitamin D3. Ethical veganism also avoids non-food items from animal exploitation, such as leather, wool, silk, and cosmetics tested on animals. This broader ethical stance makes it stricter.

Ethical and Environmental Differences

The motivations also differ. Vegetarians may avoid meat for various reasons but might find consuming byproducts acceptable if they don't involve slaughter. Vegans believe animals have a right to freedom from human use and see dairy and egg industries as exploitative (e.g., male chick culling, cows sent to slaughter). Environmentally, veganism is stricter, generally resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions and resource use than vegetarianism due to excluding dairy.

Comparison Table: Vegan vs. Vegetarian Strictness


Feature	Vegan	Vegetarian
Dietary Exclusions	All animal products (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, honey) and derived ingredients.	Animal flesh (meat, fish, poultry). May include eggs and/or dairy.
Lifestyle Scope	Broader ethical philosophy avoiding all animal exploitation (food, clothing, cosmetics, etc.).	Primarily a dietary choice; non-food item consideration varies.
Ethical Basis	Opposes all animal use and exploitation.	Primarily opposes animal slaughter for meat; stance on byproducts varies.
Variations	Generally a singular, strict definition (some distinguish dietary vegans).	Several variations (Lacto-ovo, Lacto, Ovo) with different flexibilities.

Nutritional Considerations

The strictness affects nutritional planning. Vegans must be diligent about nutrients like Vitamin B12, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are more common in animal products. While both diets need planning, vegans may face a higher risk of deficiencies without fortified foods or supplements. Vegetarians consuming eggs and dairy have more natural sources for these nutrients.

Conclusion: The Spectrum of Plant-Based Living

Veganism is definitively stricter than vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is a range of diets excluding meat, while veganism is a comprehensive lifestyle eliminating all animal products and byproducts based on a philosophy of avoiding animal exploitation, extending beyond food. Both diets are moves toward plant-centric eating but differ significantly in scope and excluded products.

For more information on the philosophy behind veganism, resources are available through The Vegan Society.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference is that a vegetarian avoids animal flesh (meat, poultry, and fish), while a vegan avoids all animal products and byproducts, including dairy, eggs, and honey.

Depending on the type of vegetarian diet, yes. A lacto-ovo-vegetarian eats both dairy and eggs, a lacto-vegetarian eats dairy but not eggs, and an ovo-vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy.

Vegans do not eat honey because it is a product of animal exploitation. They believe bees produce honey for their own colony, and harvesting it is an unethical use of animals.

While both can be healthy with proper planning, a vegan diet is not necessarily healthier. Vegans need to pay closer attention to getting sufficient vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D, which are often found in the dairy and eggs that vegetarians consume.

Yes, ethical veganism extends beyond diet to a lifestyle that avoids any products derived from animals, such as leather, wool, and cosmetics tested on animals.

A semi-vegetarian diet, or flexitarian diet, is mostly plant-based but includes small, occasional amounts of animal products. A pescatarian diet, which includes fish, is one example.

A vegan diet generally has a smaller environmental footprint, including lower greenhouse gas emissions and less land and water use, compared to a vegetarian diet that includes dairy and eggs.