Subtle differences between vegetarianism and plant-based eating… 

While there is a lot of overlap between a plant-based diet and a vegetarian diet, there are also a few key differences.

Both diets stress eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and other plant-based foods. and both diets abstain from meat.

However, there are forms of vegetarian diets which allow them to eat dairy products and/or eggs. Whereas with a plant-based diet, the goal is to exclude these foods along with meat.

There are three common types of vegetarian diets:

1. The most common type eats dairy products and eggs.
2. Type 2 eats eggs, but avoids dairy products.
3. Type 3 eats dairy products, but avoids eggs.

There are special names for each of these types of diets, but my point is simply to show you how they differ from a plant-based diet. 

Is a vegetarian diet less healthy because they eat eggs and dairy products? Not necessarily.

You see, vegans avoid these products due to their underlying beliefs about the harvesting of animal products. (And there are certainly some awful things that can happen during these processes).

On a plant-based diet, the reason for avoiding eggs and dairy products isn’t necessarily a philosophical one. Instead, it’s based more on nutrition and simplicity. The same nutritional benefits we look for in milk products and eggs can be found elsewhere.

Plus, this diet allows us to avoid lactose, which is great for many people whose stomachs naturally reject or react badly to it.

Simplicity is the other major factor. On a plant-based diet you can easily determine if a food fits by checking the ingredients.

If it contains meat, milk, or eggs, it’s out. If not, it’s probably okay. It’s really that simple.

If you’re like me, you’ll find that you really don’t miss dairy products and eggs after you leave them behind. In fact, I’ve found that eating dairy products now actually seems to throw off my digestive system for a day or so.

This could be different for dairy products rich in probiotics, but other dairy products often seem to cause my digestive system to slow down for a time and leave me feeling out of balance. So, personally, while I will have products with eggs now, I try to avoid eating a lot of dairy products, because I don’t like how they make me feel.

Sorry, dairy farmers…

If you’re interested in making the switch to plant-based eating, I’ve written a book that will help guide you through that process…

Still have more questions? Follow the links below to find answers to other common questions people have about following a plant-based diet.