What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian?

January 14, 2026 •

4 min read

According to a 2019 Gallup poll, 5% of people in the United States identify as vegetarian. However, a key question for many considering a plant-based diet is, "What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian?" Understanding the core distinctions helps clarify dietary choices and broader lifestyle commitments.

Quick Summary

This article clarifies the fundamental differences between vegan and vegetarian diets, detailing the permitted foods, lifestyle aspects, common motivations, and health considerations for each.

Key Points

Core Distinction: Vegetarians exclude meat, poultry, and fish, while vegans exclude all animal-derived products, including dairy, eggs, and honey.
Lifestyle Scope: Veganism is often a broader lifestyle choice that extends beyond food to avoid animal exploitation in products like leather and cosmetics.
Dietary Variations: Vegetarianism has several sub-types, such as lacto-ovo (dairy and eggs), lacto (dairy only), and ovo (eggs only), offering flexibility.
Environmental Footprint: Vegan diets generally have a lower environmental impact (carbon, land, water) than vegetarian diets due to the exclusion of all animal products.
Nutrient Planning: While both require planning, vegans must be more vigilant about supplementing for Vitamin B12, a nutrient primarily found in animal products.
Ethical Motivation: Ethical vegans avoid all animal products to prevent exploitation, including the processes involved in dairy and egg production.
Transitioning: For many, starting with a vegetarian diet is an effective stepping stone toward a fully vegan lifestyle, allowing for a gradual adjustment.

Understanding the Core Definitions

At its simplest, the key difference between vegan and vegetarian is the extent to which animal products are avoided. While both diets exclude meat, veganism is more restrictive, eliminating all animal-derived products, including dairy, eggs, and honey.

What is a Vegetarian?

Vegetarianism is a diet that excludes all meat, poultry, and fish. However, there are several variations that allow for different animal-derived foods.

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes eggs and dairy products.
Lacto-vegetarian: Excludes meat, poultry, fish, and eggs but includes dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarian: Excludes meat, poultry, fish, and dairy but includes eggs.
Pescatarian: A variation where individuals eat fish and seafood but no other animal meat. Some consider this a semi-vegetarian diet.
Flexitarian: Not strictly vegetarian, this diet is primarily plant-based but allows for occasional consumption of meat and other animal products.

What is a Vegan?

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals as far as is possible and practicable. For this reason, a vegan diet goes beyond excluding meat to eliminate all animal-derived products. This includes:

Meat (including fish and poultry)
Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter)
Eggs
Honey
Gelatin and whey

Additionally, veganism extends beyond diet to a broader lifestyle. Ethical vegans avoid non-food animal products like leather, wool, silk, and cosmetics or household items tested on animals.

Key Differences at a Glance

To provide a clearer picture, here is a comparison table outlining the main differences between a standard lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and a vegan diet.


Feature	Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian	Vegan
Meat, Fish & Poultry	Excluded	Excluded
Dairy Products	Included	Excluded
Eggs	Included	Excluded
Honey	Included	Excluded
Core Motivation	Primarily dietary choice, often for health or ethics	Broad ethical stance against all animal exploitation
Lifestyle Scope	Primarily focused on diet	Extends to clothing, cosmetics, and entertainment
Nutritional Planning	Easier to meet most nutrient needs (B12, calcium)	Requires careful planning, often supplements (B12)
Environmental Impact	Lower than omnivorous diet	Generally the lowest environmental footprint
Flexibility	Offers more flexibility with dairy and eggs	Stricter, requires more label-checking

The Motivations Behind the Choices

People choose these diets for a variety of reasons, which often influence the strictness of their approach.

Ethical Concerns

For many, the ethical treatment of animals is the primary motivator. While vegetarians may avoid meat due to the killing of animals, vegans take this a step further by also rejecting the exploitation involved in dairy and egg production. The dairy industry, for example, requires cows to be repeatedly impregnated and separated from their calves, a process many ethical vegans oppose. Similarly, the egg industry, even for free-range operations, can involve the culling of male chicks, which vegans find unacceptable.

Health Benefits

Both vegetarian and vegan diets, when well-planned, offer significant health benefits. These can include a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol levels, and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. However, there are nuances:

Nutrient intake: A vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy may provide an easier pathway to getting nutrients like vitamin B12 and calcium. Vegans must be more diligent about supplementing or consuming fortified foods to obtain sufficient amounts of B12 and other key nutrients like iron and omega-3s.
Body Mass Index (BMI): Studies have shown that vegans may have a lower average BMI compared to vegetarians and omnivores.
The 'Health Halo': Both groups must avoid the trap of assuming a food is healthy simply because it's vegan or vegetarian. Heavily processed, high-sugar junk foods can be technically vegan but lack nutritional value.

Environmental Impact

Concerns about climate change and sustainability are significant motivators for adopting a plant-based diet. Animal agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption.

Lower Footprint: Both diets reduce an individual's environmental footprint compared to a meat-based diet. However, studies show that vegan diets have an even lower impact on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption than vegetarian diets because they exclude resource-intensive dairy and egg production.
Global Impact: A study published by MDPI in 2023 comparing Polish consumers found that vegan diets had a significantly lower environmental footprint than both vegetarian and traditional diets across multiple metrics, including carbon footprint, land use, and water footprint. You can find more comprehensive research on plant-based diet sustainability from the National Institutes of Health.(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10516628/)

Conclusion: Which Path is Right for You?

Choosing between a vegan and a vegetarian diet is a deeply personal decision influenced by a mix of ethical beliefs, health goals, and environmental concerns. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and both diets offer a path toward more conscious eating.

For those new to plant-based eating, starting with vegetarianism can serve as a flexible transition, allowing you to gradually reduce animal product consumption while still enjoying dairy and eggs. As your comfort and knowledge grow, you can decide whether a full vegan lifestyle aligns with your personal priorities. Regardless of the path, a well-planned, whole-food-focused diet is the key to maximizing health benefits.

Ultimately, every step toward reducing reliance on animal products has a positive impact, whether that means adopting a flexitarian, vegetarian, or fully vegan lifestyle. The best choice is the one you can stick with long-term while nourishing your body and respecting your values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, both vegetarians and vegans can get sufficient protein from plant-based sources like legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and grains. With a varied diet, it is possible to meet protein needs without consuming meat.

Both diets can be very healthy, especially when focusing on whole foods. The perceived healthfulness depends on dietary planning and individual needs. Some research suggests vegans may have a lower average BMI, but all animal products are not necessarily unhealthy. The key is balance in both diets.

Yes, a very common type of vegetarian is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, who eats both dairy and eggs. Another type, the ovo-vegetarian, eats eggs but not dairy.

Ethical vegans avoid honey because it is produced by bees and can involve exploitation of the insects, such as harvesting more honey than needed for the colony or replacing it with sugar water. They extend their ethical stance to all animal-derived products.

One of the biggest challenges for new vegans is ensuring adequate intake of certain nutrients, most notably Vitamin B12, which is primarily found in animal products. This requires either consuming fortified foods or taking supplements.

While it involves a strict diet, veganism is defined by the Vegan Society as a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty. For this reason, it extends to clothing, cosmetics, and entertainment.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet can be suitable for individuals at all stages of life, including infancy and childhood, provided nutrient requirements are met.

Starting slowly can make the transition easier. You could try implementing 'Meatless Mondays' or start with a vegetarian diet, gradually phasing out animal products. Focus on finding delicious, whole-food recipes and alternatives to ease the process.