Plant-based vs Vegan
You’ve probably heard of the term ‘vegan’ by now, and if you’ve spent any time browsing your local grocery stores, restaurants or even foodie Instagram, you might have seen the term ‘plant based’ growing in popularity, too.
As more and more Aussies are leaving animal products off their plates, we’re seeing these buzzwords pop up just about everywhere when it comes to food. But are they the same thing? Different? Somewhere in between? Don’t worry, we’re here to tell you all about it.
Let’s start off with the basics.
Veganism is more commonly known for its dietary aspect, but the ethics behind it run much deeper than diet.
The word ‘vegan’ was coined by the Vegan Society back in 1944, and in 1949, the movement was given its official definition:
“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living with seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment.”
At its heart, veganism is a lifestyle; a movement against animal exploitation that is based on harm reduction where possible.
‘Plant based’ is a dietary term that most commonly refers to food that does not contain any animal products. Examples of foods that are NOT plant based include beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, beeswax, gelatine, carmine/cochineal, and any other products derived wholly or partially from animals.
People who follow a plant based diet may choose to do so for various reasons including health and environmentalism, but are not necessarily doing so for the animal rights movement. Those following a plant based diet may still purchase products that vegans would not, such as leather, fur or cosmetics tested on animals.
Essentially, you could say that vegans eat a plant based diet as it helps reduce harm to animals, but not everyone who eats a plant based diet is vegan.
Why are foods called vegan if it isn’t a diet?
Often, it’s for simplicity and ease of communication. More people are familiar with the term ‘vegan’ than they are with the term ‘plant based.’
In fact, Australia has no current food labelling standard for the term ‘plant based’, and some foods containing animal products have been marketed as being plant based as they are mostly made of plant-derived ingredients. At this point in time, using the word ‘vegan’ to describe food that doesn’t contain animal ingredients is just more straightforward when asking about food options at a restaurant, for example.
Which one is stricter?
Well, that depends on how you look at it.
Veganism encompasses all aspects of your lifestyle, not just your diet. While being mindful of your entire lifestyle can seem a lot stricter than just focusing on your diet, it’s important to remember that veganism, by definition, is “as far as is possible and practicable.” In other words, vegans acknowledge that we don’t live in a 100% vegan world, and that it is impossible to avoid all animal exploitation.
Medications, modes of transportation, devices for communication and many other unavoidable aspects of modern life include animal products or testing, and being vegan means simply doing the best you can within your means.
In the same breath, plant based diets can be restrictive or more lenient depending on the person and their motivations.
Many people forgo consuming animal products for the sake of their health, and some choose to eat only whole or minimally processed foods, too. Where vegans might enjoy indulgent treats as long as they don’t contain any animal products, someone who is plant based for their health might not.
Some of those who follow plant based diets only do so temporarily or as needed, and others may follow the diet long-term but allow themselves ‘cheat days,’ whereas this would go against veganism’s ethics of avoiding harm.
How can I learn more?
Thinking about going vegan? Or maybe you want to test the waters with a plant based diet? Here are some of our favourite resources to help you get started:
Vegan4Life by Animal Liberation Queensland
VegKit by Animals Australia