10/06/2026
🌱 vs. : Understanding the Difference
Both vegetarian and vegan diets exclude animal flesh, but they differ in the extent to which animal products are avoided.
A vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but may still consume dairy products and eggs.
Some people who describe themselves as vegetarians also eat fish, although they are more accurately referred to as pescatarians.
A vegan goes further by excluding all animal-derived products, including dairy, eggs, honey, and any other ingredients obtained from animals.
📚 A Brief History
The idea of avoiding animal products is not new.
More than 2,000 years ago, around 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras advocated kindness toward all living beings and followed what would today be considered a vegetarian diet.
The term “ ” was created much later, in November 1944, when Donald Watson and five other non-dairy vegetarians, including Elsie Shrigley, met to discuss a lifestyle free from animal exploitation.
They chose the word “vegan,” formed from the first three and last two letters of “vegetarian.”
Donald Watson later explained that it represented “the beginning and end of vegetarian.”
🌍 Why Do People Choose These Diets?
People adopt vegetarian or vegan lifestyles for many reasons, including health, environmental concerns, and ethical considerations regarding animals.
Every step taken to reduce animal suffering is meaningful and deserves respect. However, the ultimate goal remains to stop exploiting, using, and killing animals altogether.
This is why is such an important part of a truly compassionate way of life. It challenges the idea that the interests of animals matter less simply because they belong to a different species.
should know no species. 🐾💚
Isabella
