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What do "Vegetarian" and "Vegan" mean?
Index to this page:
- Definition of
"Vegetarianism"
- Types of Vegetarians
- Definition of
"Veganism"
- The History of Vegetarianism For
some general info on why people choose to be vegetarian, click
here.
Definition of "Vegetarianism"
There are many
different forms of vegetarianism (which often causes confusion!) A general
definition of vegetarianism is:
Vegetarianism is the practice of living on
products of the plant kingdom, with or without the use of eggs and dairy products, but
excluding entirely the consumption of any part of the body of an animal as food (including
chicken, fish and seafood). The term "vegetarian" means a person who
follows such practice, or describes such a person, creature, establishment or food
pertaining to vegetarianism.
The term "vegetarian" comes from
"vegetus", the Latin for "enlivened", and has no connection, apart
from a linguistic one, with vegetables. This is a common misconception.
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Types of
Vegetarians |
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Pesco- and Pollo-Vegetarian |
Pesco-Vegetarians eat fish, and Pollo-Vegetarians eat
chicken, but all other meats are avoided. These diets are not,
strictly speaking, vegetarian.
To avoid confusion about the term 'vegetarian', perhaps the
correct classification should be 'Pesco' and 'Pollo' Omnivores. |
'Semi' or 'Demi' Vegetarian or
Flexitarian |
'Semi' or 'Demi' Vegetarians or Flexitarians
are people who
eat mainly vegetarian food, but who occasionally eat meat
and/or other animal products (e.g. for social, practical or
cultural reasons). They are not, strictly speaking, vegetarian. |
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Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian |
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, fish or
seafood. Milk, dairy products and eggs are still consumed
(lacto - milk; ovo - eggs).
(Some Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians eat foods that contain
gelatine, animal-derived rennet, animal fat etc. but these
products are technically not suitable for vegetarians.) |
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Lacto- and Ovo-Vegetarian |
Both
Lacto-Vegetarians and Ovo-Vegetarians do not eat
meat, poultry, fish or seafood. Lacto-Vegetarians still
consume milk and dairy products, and Ovo-Vegetarians still
consume eggs (lacto - milk; ovo - eggs).
(Some Lacto-Vegetarians and Ovo-Vegetarians eat foods
that contain gelatine, animal-derived rennet, animal fat etc.
but these products are technically not suitable for
vegetarians.) |
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Pure Vegetarian |
Pure Vegetarians
do not eat meat, poultry, fish, seafood,
milk, dairy products or eggs. The diet comprises vegetables,
vegetable oils, cereals, legumes (peas and beans), nuts, fruit
and seeds. Honey is usually seen as being optional.
This diet is not as "boring" as it sounds due to the wide
range of meat alternatives, non-dairy yogurts and
ice-creams, biscuits, chocolates etc. available that are
completely free of any animal products. |
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Vegan |
Vegans are Pure
Vegetarians who exclude animal products
from their entire lifestyle (e.g. wool, leather, soaps that
contain animal fats, products tested on animals etc.). |
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Fruitarian |
Fruitarians are vegans who eat only the ripe fruits* of plants
and trees, i.e. foods that can be harvested without killing
plants or trees. These foods consist primarily of culinary
fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some Fruitarians will eat only what
falls naturally from a plant or tree.
As with other dietary practices, such as raw foodism, some
people consider themselves Fruitarian even if their diet is not
100% fruit. Usually Fruitarians who include foods other than
fruit follow a vegan diet.
* The term 'fruit' usually refers to plant fruits that are sweet
and fleshy (including plums, apples, and oranges), but
(botanically) also includes other fruits that are commonly
called 'vegetables' (including capsicum, tomato, and
cucumber), as well as nuts, legumes and grains. |
Definition of "Veganism"
In a nutshell, "veganism" may be
defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude all animal products for food, clothing, or any
other purpose.
The Vegan Society of New South Wales defines
Veganism the following way:
Veganism is a way of living on the products
of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of all products from the animal kingdom.
A
vegan is a total vegetarian who consumes no animal by-products.
Vegans go even further by avoiding both
animal derivatives and animal-tested products in their whole lifestyle. This means
an avoidance of meat, milk, eggs, butter etc., as well as leather, wool, cosmetics, soaps
and shampoos derived from animal ingredients or tested on animals.
Why? Most people who have chosen a
vegan lifestyle have done so because they have become aware of the cruelty and
exploitation involved in the making of animal products.
Vegans choose to act positively to reduce
this cruelty by abstaining from animal-derived products and thereby reducing the demand
for them. Vegans realise that it is unnecessary to inflict suffering on animals in
order to lead a healthy, happy, normal life.
Indeed, avoidance of animal products
usually results in enhanced, natural good health.
Coupled with compassion for animals is the
awareness that animal production is a grossly inefficient means of producing food which
our heavily populated world can no longer continue to support.
The History of Vegetarianism
The International
Vegetarian Union (IVU) has some interesting pages covering the History
of Vegetarianism. Topics covered include:
- Ancient Greece and Rome (800 BC - 325 AD)
- Jesus and the early Christians
- Europe: The Middle Ages to the 18th Century
- England: Early 19th Century
- Europe: Late 19th Century
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- Europe: Early 20th Century
- North America: early 20th Century
- Europe: late 20th Century
- North America: late 20th Century
- Books on the History of Vegetarianism
They also have a page on the History
of the Australian Vegetarian Societies, including an article about Early
Vegetarian Societies in Australia.
The Vegetarian
Society of the UK also has some pages on Vegetarian
History. Topics include:
- Through the Ages - general history of vegetarianism
- The development of the movement
- The History of Vegetarianism in the UK
- The roots of organised vegetarianism (EVU News)
- Marketing the Message: The Changing Face of Vegetarianism in the United
Kingdom
- Some articles from The Vegetarian magazine:
- Generating Vegetarians - a six
generation veggie family
- 100 Years Ago
- Seventy five years ago
- Veggies at war - life during WWII
- Fifty years ago - Spring 1946
- Some notable individuals:
- Sir Isaac Pitman (1813-1897)
- Henry Salt (1851-1939) (IVU)
- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) (IVU)
- Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) (IVU)
- Linda McCartney (1941-1998) - former
Patron (IVU)
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