What's the Difference Between Vegan and Vegetarian?
The simplest way to think about it: vegetarians avoid meat and fish, but may still eat animal-derived products like dairy, eggs and honey. Vegans avoid all of these – no meat, no fish, and no animal by-products of any kind.
Choosing between the two should come down to your own reasons and how each fits your lifestyle, rather than pressure from others or a passing whim. Both diets have advantages and things to plan carefully around, so it's worth understanding your reasons for changing before committing.
Types of Vegetarian Diets
Vegetarianism itself isn't one single diet – there are several variations, depending on which animal products are still included:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: no meat or fish, but both dairy and eggs are eaten
- Lacto vegetarian: dairy is eaten, but not eggs
- Ovo vegetarian: eggs are eaten, but not dairy
- Pescatarian: fish is eaten, but no other meat
It's worth noting that neither the Vegetarian Society nor the Vegan Society officially recognise pescatarianism as "true" vegetarianism, since fish is still an animal product. Ultimately, though, how you define and structure your own diet is up to you – what matters most is that you're getting the nutrients your body needs and that the approach works for you.
Why People Choose Vegetarian or Vegan Diets
Common reasons people move away from meat (or all animal products) include:
- Sustainability and reduced environmental impact
- Animal welfare
- Religious, ethical or personal beliefs
- Difficulty digesting or tolerating certain foods, or a diagnosed food allergy
- General health goals
If a difficulty digesting certain foods is part of your reason for considering a change, it's worth ruling out a specific trigger first – a food intolerance test can help identify whether a particular food group, rather than meat itself, is behind your symptoms.
Nutritional Considerations for Both Diets
Both vegan and vegetarian diets can be entirely healthy with the right planning, but each comes with a few nutrients worth paying closer attention to:
- Vitamin B12: mainly found in animal products, so vegans in particular often need a supplement or fortified foods (like nutritional yeast or fortified cereals)
- Vitamin D: harder to get from plant sources alone; vegetarians who eat dairy get some from that, but vegans typically need mushrooms, fortified foods or a supplement
- Iron and zinc: found in leafy greens, legumes and whole grains, though absorption from plant sources is generally lower than from meat
- Protein: achievable on both diets through legumes, tofu, tempeh, quinoa and, for vegetarians, eggs and dairy
- Calcium: covered by dairy for vegetarians; vegans need fortified plant milks, tofu or leafy greens
If you're following a fully vegan diet and want a deeper breakdown of exactly how to plan around these nutrients, see our full vegan nutrition guide.
Making the Switch
If you're moving from a diet that includes meat, a gradual transition tends to be easier to sustain and gentler on your digestive system than switching overnight – a sudden shift in fibre intake can sometimes cause temporary bloating or changes in bowel habits as your gut adjusts. Wholegrain foods are generally well tolerated during this transition, and it's worth varying your diet across fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains rather than relying on a narrow range of substitutes.
If digestive symptoms persist beyond the initial adjustment period, it may be less about the transition itself and more about a specific trigger – our guide to bloating and trapped wind covers what's normal and what's worth investigating further.
