# Sort out these dietary terms: vegetarian, vegan, plant-based **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335 "2021-05-18T01:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/1 "2021-05-18T01:37:38Z")
AIUI, vegans do not consume any animal products, including honey, and jello. (Let’s leave out clothing and shoes for this discussion.) AIUI, vegetarians don’t consume flesh from two- and four-legged animals (and possibly fish), but do eat eggs, butter, cheese, milk, honey. _Plant-based_ is the one I really want defined. It’s a new-ish buzzword, and it’'s the **based** part that throws me. Does it mean no meat or animal products? Or just that the diet is **based on** fruits, vegetables, and grains, but animal products are used occasionally/sparingly? I can’t keep up. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/2 "2021-05-18T01:46:48Z")
Vegetarians is a broad term for people people whose diet ranges from only vegetables to those may eat eggs, dairy, etc. Vegan’s abstain from all animal based products, not just food. So you could be a vegetarian who only eats vegetables but will wear leather products. I don’t really know what plant-based is supposed to be but it sounds just like people who use the term ‘mostly vegetarian’. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/3 "2021-05-18T01:57:15Z")
Plant-based is really more properly a descriptor of specific foodstuffs, particularly those which are mimicking meat/dairy/etc. So, plant-based burgers, or plant-based cheese are fine, but calling an entire diet plant-based is more or less synonymous with vegan. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/4 "2021-05-18T01:59:37Z")
Vegans will eat non-plant-based comestibles like mushrooms. No dairy products, etc., though—they are strict vegetarians. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/5 "2021-05-18T02:03:02Z")
You might be interested in [Wikipedia’s take on this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet): > A **plant-based diet** or a **plant-rich diet** is a [diet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_(nutrition)) consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#cite_note-1)[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#cite_note-and18-2)[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#cite_note-Summerfield-3)[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#cite_note-4) Plant-based foods are foods derived from plants (including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruits) with no [animal-source foods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_source_foods) or artificial ingredients. While a plant-based diet avoids or has limited animal products,[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#cite_note-5) it is not necessarily [vegan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism). ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/6 "2021-05-18T02:15:07Z")
As far as I can tell, “plant-based” is a broad term that includes vegetarian diets as well as ones that include relatively little meat. Plant-based diets don’t always exclude meat, fish poultry - but the meat/fish/chicken isn’t aren’t supposed to be the “star” of the meal. Non-vegetarian plant based diets are lower in animal products than the typical American diet- but they don’t actually exclude any category. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/7 "2021-05-18T02:16:04Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Vegans will eat non-plant-based comestibles like mushrooms. Mushrooms aren’t plant based? Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/8 "2021-05-18T02:18:20Z")
Fungi aren’t part of the plant kingdom anymore - they are their own [kingdom.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/9 "2021-05-18T02:22:39Z")
Ok. I get what’s being said. But do people on a plant-based diet not eat mushrooms or other fungi? Does that mean no yeast risen products like bread? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/10 "2021-05-18T02:27:38Z")
From everything I’ve seen, a plant-based diet means plant _based_ - not exclusively plants and nothing is necessarily forbidden. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/11 "2021-05-18T02:29:31Z")
Are there any diets that don’t qualify as plant-based then? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/12 "2021-05-18T02:33:13Z")
Yep, the one my husband follows which includes 8-16 ounces of meat at dinner in addition to the lower quantities of meat at breakfast and lunch. The “diet” in plant- based diet isn’t the “diet” that means “I’m trying to lose weight” - it’s the one that means " this is how I eat" ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/13 "2021-05-18T02:35:21Z")
That’s like my diet. I eat vegetables, but not exclusively. And nothing is necessarily forbidden, right? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/14 "2021-05-18T02:39:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Are there any diets that don’t qualify as plant-based then? Inuit cuisine, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/15 "2021-05-18T02:57:01Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > From everything I’ve seen, a plant-based diet means plant _based_ - not exclusively plants and nothing is necessarily forbidden. This is kind of how I’m taking it, namely, emphasis on the **based** part, not 100% eliminating everything related to the animal kingdom 100% of the time. More of a “style” of eating/meal-planning than a rigid set of rules wearing concrete overshoes. But being new, the term’s definition is still in flux. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/16 "2021-05-18T03:05:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > AIUI, vegetarians don’t consume flesh from two- and four-legged animals (and possibly fish), but do eat eggs, butter, cheese, milk, honey. My understanding is that there are different levels/flavors of vegetarianism. Some are ovo vegetarians (will eat eggs, but not dairy) or ovo-lacto vegetarians (will eat eggs and dairy, and often honey). Some, like Jain vegetarianism, are particularly strict (only fruit, nuts, and seeds – only foods that can be harvested without harming the plant (though Jains can also eat dairy). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/17 "2021-05-18T03:30:17Z")
True. But I didn’t want to get too complicated. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/18 "2021-05-18T03:37:53Z")
In the space of a few days Jains have been mentioned twice here on the Dope, doubling the number of mentions I can recall in my entire life. Apparently Jains also won’t eat vegetables that grow beneath the ground. That is based on a belief system, similar to Veganism. Many people who identify as vegetarians restrict their diet to vegetables because they consider it healthier. That’s what my grandmother did, but unfortunately she didn’t know what she was doing and my father and uncle were somewhat malnourished growing up. Anyway, I don’t see a difference between the plant-based concept and all the vegetarians who sometimes eat non-vegetables for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/19 "2021-05-18T03:48:29Z")
Funny this should come up now, because until the other day I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to specifying what “plant-based” means. But then I got an email from someone who found me through my work with our local cultural center, saying she was doing research for a best-selling author and was looking for cooks of traditional Hawaiian foods following a “plant-based” tradition. [The link she gave me led here](https://www.bluezones.com/blue-zones-kitchen/) and I interpreted “plant-based” as vegan. On reflection, I’m not sure I should have. However, I did connect her with a native Hawaiian cook who said it was frustrating to her that people think of traditional Hawaiian food as being heavy on meat when in fact it is “mostly plant-based” food. So now I have no idea what “plant-based” means, in terms of whether it means eliminating animal products or merely not focusing on them, but I’m glad the research project is moving forward. I asked her to let me know if they product any interesting media related to their Hawai’i visit, so maybe some day I’ll at least have a better idea of how the term is defined by the Blue Zones people. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335/20 "2021-05-18T04:00:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Are there any diets that don’t qualify as plant-based then? Sure. For dinner I’m having steak. I’m going to chuck a few token vegetables on the plate because I feel like I should but the meal is all about the meat. That is not plant based, it may contain plant based food but the plant based foods do not form the core of the diet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sort-out-these-dietary-terms-vegetarian-vegan-plant-based/942335.md?page=2)