Many people falsely believe that being vegetarian and vegan means you only eat veggies. They are wrong. In this article, we will be outlining the differences between vegetarian and vegan. We will also tell you what we eat and why people choose to stop eating meat. 

First, the differences and similarities. The one big difference between vegetarian and vegan is that vegans don’t eat any animal by-products (eggs, cheese, milk, dairy, etc) along with meat. Some vegetarians will choose not to eat eggs as well. 

Second, the food. Some people falsely believe that being vegetarian means you only eat vegetables. Vegetarianism is a diet of substitutes. Instead of chicken, we eat tofu. Instead of beef, we eat tempeh. Many people ask where we get our vitamins, like b12. “Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products. Vitamin B12 is generally not present in plant foods (office of us dietary supplements). Some people take gummies (without the gelatin or fish oil) or eat special breakfast cereal. 

Kripa Patel a 7th grade vegetarian at West states, “Some people chose to be vegetarian or vegan as a diet or are actually allergic whereas other people do it for religious reasons and beliefs. Examples of religions that may have followers who are known to have a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle as part of spiritual practice are Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Rastafarian, and Buddhist. 

Works Cited

“Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin B12.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 19 Feb. 2020, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/.