You’re plant-curious. Now we need to find out how far to take this. Ignoring the endless subcategories of -etarians (fruit, pesca, ovo), we have three main categories of meatless eaters: vegetarian, vegan and plant-based. The categories are flexible, but we’ve written a few generally accepted definitions to help you decide what is best for you.
Vegetarians don’t eat animals. No chicken, cow or fish. Some vegetarians eat eggs, and a lot eat cheese. What sets them apart from the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is that there are never animals on their plate.
Vegans don’t eat animals, dairy or eggs. Taking the step from vegetarian to vegan challenges a lot of people because they crave cheese and eggs. Enter soybeans and canola oil. This duo can be turned into cheese, mayonaise, butter, chicken and any other bit of tastiness that an omnivore would enjoy. Food tech has helped a lot of people transition away from eating animals.
Plant-based eaters don’t eat animals, animal byproducts or processed vegan food. The big difference here is that plant-based eaters eat almost entirely whole foods.
These definitions shouldn’t persuade you one way or the other. These are commonly accepted definitions used to describe people who don’t eat animals. Each decision is very personal, and you should consider why you want to cut meat out of your diet before you decide. Planet, compassion or health? What brought you to the world of plant curious? Once you have the answer, you’ll know which way to choose. But like always, the goal is to get veggies in and the flesh out. Your choice. No pressure.
Be well,
V VA
Vegetarian Virginia 