Alright, I realize the topic is a little confusing and maybe a lot of people are saying the vegan lifestyle and the plant-based diet are pretty much the same, with no difference. Well truth is, there is a very big similarity but if you really go into it, there is quite a difference for these clean eating lifestyles, quite a few that I would like to share and clarify for those who are still confused between the two.

Let’s start off with that similarity so that it can be seen why they are often mixed and matched together and again to be fair, the vegan lifestyle and the plant-based diet really does have quite an astounding stand on something that makes it easy to mix them both.

For both lifestyles you really do avoid meats of any kind. Yes, there is no fish, beef, pork, chicken and so forth, this is pretty apparent for both vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet all around, otherwise I’d assume if you have meat in your diet, well it’s a pretty standard diet don’t you think? However I say avoid in terms of plant-based diet, as technically speaking you could have some meats but predominantly eat more plants, it technically falls under plant-based diet. This is where it gets muddled really, since both clean eating habits pretty much sing the praises of no or little meat – a lot of people tend to say: “It’s one and the same,” when in reality that’s about the only similarity between them.

The difference of the two begin to show after that major resemblance and here are a number of reasons why:

Tempeh, tofu and whole wheat are other food options in a vegan lifestyle.

The vegan belifestyle is said to be a lifestyle and not a diet for a lot of reasons. One is because it is a choice, an active choice that a lot of people have made in order to avoid using animal by products in any way. They don’t have to do this, vegans choose to do this that is why it is a vegan lifestyle. Two, the vegan lifestyle is something of a view if you will, it is deeply rooted in the belief that no animals should suffer, so even if you aren’t physically consuming animal food, you could be doing so by using animal products like a leather wallet, a fur coat and so on. Vegans believe that even products tested on animals should not be used and continue to remove that from their daily lives. 

A plant-based diet on the other hand is exactly what it sounds to be like, it is a person who primarily focuses on consuming products that are based on plants. These include but are not limited to vegetables, fruits, nuts and so forth. This is a wonderful clean eating habit and is a great way to cleanse the body plus it’s a highly sustainable diet that everyone should do, after all the world’s resources are finite and a plant-based diet is one of the answers. Additionally since you can add a little meat product in your meals from time to time, again this is almost a miniscule add on, it definitely differs in leaps from a vegan.

A vegan lifestyle on the other hand also allows consumption of somewhat processed foods and aren’t 100% plant-based. Yes that is confusing let me clarify.  A slice of whole-wheat bread is something that is agreeable to vegans however it isn’t necessarily part of the plant-based diet since it isn’t primarily a plant. While still part of clean eating, this slice of whole-wheat bread meets the criteria of no meat and animal by product thus fitting into the vegan lifestyle, however since it isn’t necessarily all from a plant, it does not fall under the plant-based diet.

Now comes another confusing part, if you are fully on the plant-based diet, it still doesn’t mean you are also a vegan however the products you are eating in your diet are considered both clean eating and part of the vegan lifestyle, it still does not make you a vegan. You could in fact have a leather wallet in your pocket as you enjoy a salad or maybe you have a wool coat on as you take a bite into that apple.

And on the other end of the spectrum just because you are vegan does not mean you are also into a plant-based lifestyle, in fact in the vegan lifestyle you could pretty much spend your life away from plant-based foods, however I do find that unlikely. In the vegan lifestyle there are options such as faux meat, tempeh and soy products too, so technically it is possible but I’m not necessarily sure I’ve met a vegan with such a lifestyle, I mean who doesn’t enjoy vegetables and then actively chooses the vegan lifestyle? It seems a little strange but again not impossible, plus I’d honestly say I would be interested to meet someone who focuses on that part of the vegan diet without consuming plant-based products, but I digress from my point.

A plant-based diet is mainly concentrated on clean eating by consuming usually unprocessed plant food.

Of course there is also the option of being both a plant-based vegan, which is an option for a lot of people, in fact I know quite a few. This falls under a rather extreme lifestyle but it seems more likely considering there are a lot of clean eating aficionados out there nowadays. Being of both the vegan lifestyle and the plant-based diet, means that not only do you consume plant-based food, you also have chosen to strike out products that have anything to do with harming animals. This is a very difficult thing to do together but oh my gosh I salute those who tread this path, it is honorable and takes a bit of research especially for the vegan lifestyle part. Additionally this may pretty much fall under the raw vegan lifestyle that quite a few extreme vegans have opted to do.

There has been a debate that you can be a vegan in fact and still be unhealthy, as there are products that often fall under the vegan lifestyle but aren’t always good for you such as French fries, some cookie products and so forth however this seems very unlikely like I said I haven’t met another vegan who doesn’t like vegetables yet. On the other hand I have yet to research anything about an unhealthy plant-based diet or lifestyle, even with the minimum consumption of meat, with all the whole products of plants, it seems that for the most part it is a super clean eating habit, however due to the animal in the diet, I really much prefer the vegan lifestyle but that is a personal choice.

As you can see there is quite a difference between the two and it would be best for you to see them for yourselves, after all it is a lifestyle choice of either being part of the vegan lifestyle or the plant-based diet, but either or I am sure if you take the time and see which best fits your life, you’ll enjoy a longer, healthier life altogether. Stay healthy!