Veganuary 2, 2023 - Vegan v. Plant-Based
Hi Friends!
Vegan v Plant-Based - What’s the difference?
A few years back when I started thinking seriously about starting the food truck and what I’d name it, I thought long and hard about whether or not to include the V word. I was advised against it and told it would drive folks away. I was advised to use the term Plant-Based instead, because plant base is a less loaded term.
I ignored this advice for two key reasons.
I have been to so many festivals where I stood in line at food trucks trying to see if there was anything that I could eat and having to figure out if I’d be able to piece together a meal that I thought “If I saw a food truck that clearly said Vegan on the side, I’d be thrilled” I’d know that I could have anything off that truck without having to ask them to make me something special. I realized this might put some folks off, but honestly those folks probably aren’t really looking for vegan food anyway.
2. I am Vegan. It’s an important part of my life and I wanted to include those principals in my business. So I decided to include Vegan prominently in our name and I chose not to use Plant-Based.
You may be wondering, aren’t they are the same thing? No, they are not. While vegans and plant-based folks have similar diets, the motivations and life-style behind these terms are different.
Vegan is a term for a lifestyle that revolves around the principal of Ahimsa which focuses on having compassion for all living beings and seeks to minimize harm. As such, Veganism seeks to avoid using animal products in diet as well as in other aspects of life. In addition to avoiding animal based foods, vegans seek to avoid animal products and products that are tested on animals - this commonly includes things like body products, cleaners, soaps, candles, cosmetics, clothing, etc.
People “Go Vegan” for many reasons, health, the environment, the animals. Despite the reason for ‘going vegan’ initially, most vegans ultimately choose to continue with the lifestyle for ethical reasons. This is what happened in my case. I started exploring a plant-based diet because I’d heard it was healthy. Then I learned about the environmental issues with animal agriculture which reinforced my decision to keep eating plant-based and be more sustainable. As I learned more about how animals are treated in our industrial food system, I wanted to disengage from that system entirely. I came for the health and I’ve stayed for the animals. Everyone has their own journey and their own reasons for being vegan, these are mine.
Plant-Based is a term that applies specifically to diet and health. Generally speaking, folks on a plant-based diet avoid eating most animal based foods and focus on plant foods as a means to improve health. While Plant-Based folks primarily eat plant foods, they might supplement with meat, fish, eggs, dairy, etc. That being said, plant-based can also include processed foods like chips, candy, cookies that don’t contain dairy, eggs, etc. Whole Food Plant Based is another aspect of plant-based eating that avoids processed foods and focuses on whole foods like veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes as close to their natural state as possible.
One way to think about the distinction is what I’ve seen referred to as the “Airport Test”. If caught at an airport with no vegan options available, the vegan would wait to eat until they got to their destination and could find food that is animal free, while the Plant-Based person might eat something that includes animal products and then get ‘back on track’ later. This is because for the vegan it’s important to stick to their ethical belief in doing no harm to animals, while for the plant-based person it’s about making a healthy choice and sometimes that healthy choice might include meat, eggs, dairy.
It can be confusing and there are lots of way to view it. I’ve offered a very brief overview here. You’ll find a couple additional links below that help to show the differences between Vegan and Plant-Based diets.
I hope this information is helpful to you. If you have questions, let me know. I’m happy to help.
Women’s Health - “Here’s the Difference Between Vegan and Plant-Based Diets According to Nutritionist”. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a30986333/plant-based-vs-vegan-diet/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_whm_md_pmx_us_urlx&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnsqdBhCGARIsAAyjYjRPQ3Fole0pWqDRb4l0rVQmu0uVXo0KtTCElgci7ej5YcRWfpqyEEwaAgkhEALw_wcB
The Vegan Kind -“What’s the Difference Between Plant-Based and Vegan?” https://thevegankind.com/news/whats-the-difference-between-plant-based-and-vegan