# What the heck are vegans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071 "2001-01-15T02:33:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/1 "2001-01-15T02:33:23Z")
I’ve heard this term for a while now. I assume they’re some kind of vegetarian? What’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/2 "2001-01-15T02:49:43Z")
From what I know, vegan’s are vegitarians who also do not eat/drink anything that comes from an animal. This includes eggs, milk, cheese ect. There are special kinds of pasta and breads that don’t have eggs in them that they eat. I know there are other specifics I have forgotten, but I’m sure there are some on the board who can fill in the things I have left out. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/3 "2001-01-15T02:50:53Z")
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation you Earth people call **Lyra**. Most of us come from the sixth planet of that system. ---
**Author:** ![Short](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Short](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/4 "2001-01-15T02:51:26Z")
Vegans don’t use any animal product, vegetarians vary, but generally are allowed to use animal products if they don’t “hurt” the animal to harvest. Wool, for example, is not worn by _good_ vegans. A looser definition (that is a definition which only applies to animal products), which some people use is vegans are vegetarians without the eggs, dairy, honey (in some cases), or other animal products. Some people (not necessarily people who know what they are talking about) also use vegan to refer to strict vegetarians. That is vegans are people who manage to keep the gelatin, chicken broth and leather out of their life. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/5 "2001-01-15T02:51:27Z")
Vegans are people who use absolutely no animal products in their diet, including eggs, dairy, or honey. Often, they also don’t purchase any clothing made from animals, such as leather belts or shoes. Vegetarians avoid eating all flesh, but may eat eggs, cheese and the like. IIRC, the term for this is ovo-lacto vegetarian. Some people call themselves vegetarian, but still eat fish. I don’t really agree with the terminology on that last one, but to each their own. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/6 "2001-01-15T02:52:36Z")
kewl! multiple simulposts! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/7 "2001-01-15T02:52:41Z")
Whoops! What **blur** said! Boy are my faces red… ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/8 "2001-01-15T03:44:15Z")
Mt brother and his wife are “vegetarians” who eat fish. A lot of fish. I call them aquatarians. My Dad was one who was an avid fisherman who reviled hunters (?). I’m a grocerystoreian. But to stay on topic, my understanding is that vegans are distinct from the greater class of vegetarians by their refusal to utilize animal products. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/9 "2001-01-15T03:57:35Z")
Upon rereading, I see that verbal transmission of this thread could render me a “gross historian.” Revisionism, anyone? Who were the first vegans? ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/10 "2001-01-15T06:28:45Z")
Vegans are strange creatures, mainly for the fact that occasionally, they will eat a human placenta, thats right, I said **Placenta!** Well, not all of them, but some. They cook it up in a stew. Sounds quite yummy to me(Blech) ---
**Author:** ![avacado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@avacado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/avacado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/11 "2001-01-15T09:07:29Z")
Another variation is the “freegan”–someone who won’t financially support the meat, dairy, etc. industries, but would eat the food if it were otherwise going to waist. By the same token, many vegans and veggies might buy used wool or leather, since they’d be supporting the secondhand store rather than a given objectionable industry. I ready a short story from the '70’s with charcters who described themselves as “lacto-ovo vegetarians”. Try telling that to the airline ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/12 "2001-01-15T12:06:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > **Vega is the brightest star in the constellation you Earth people call Lyra. Most of us come from the sixth planet of that system.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\*Boy are my faces red… \*\* Careful, Attrayant!! You don’t want to give us all away. BTW I’m from plant 5, the desert planet. CB ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/13 "2001-01-15T12:08:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by choosybeggar \* > I’m from plant 5… > > CB \*\* That’s planet 5 ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/14 "2001-01-15T13:34:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beatle \* > \*\*Mt brother and his wife are “vegetarians” who eat fish. A lot of fish. I call them aquatarians. > > \*\* grrr! _speaking for all the fish who are sick of not being recognized as animals_ ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/15 "2001-01-15T18:19:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phobos \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by beatle \* > > \*\*Mt brother and his wife are “vegetarians” who eat fish. A lot of fish. I call them aquatarians. > > > > \*\* > > grrr! > _speaking for all the fish who are sick of not being recognized as animals_ \*\* I knew someone like this in college. The way he explained it to me was that he wasn’t against eating meat per se, but was opposed to farm-raised animals. He would eat fish and wild game (such as venison, for example). I’m not a vegetarian myself, perhaps someone else on the board can better explain this form of vegetarianism. ---
**Author:** ![avacado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@avacado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/avacado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/16 "2001-01-15T19:20:04Z")
Have you ever seen the “FISH ARE NOT VEGETABLES” bumper stickers? ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/17 "2001-01-15T19:20:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fnord1966 \* > \*\*Vegans are strange creatures, mainly for the fact that occasionally, they will eat a human placenta, thats right, I said **Placenta!** Well, not all of them, but some. They cook it up in a stew. Sounds quite yummy to me(Blech) > \*\* WHAT?!?! I’m near vegan myself, know several other vegans, and frequent a [vegan message board](http://www.vegsource.com/talk/veganism/) and I have NEVER heard of a vegan doing such a thing. Where the hell did you get the idea that this is a normal vegan practice? Methinks it’s more of a “new age” thing that a vegan one. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Jet Jaguar_ > **I knew someone like this in college. The way he explained it to me was that he wasn’t against eating meat per se, but was opposed to farm-raised animals. He would eat fish and wild game (such as venison, for example). I’m not a vegetarian myself, perhaps someone else on the board can better explain this form of vegetarianism.** They’re not vegetarian, they’re omnivores. If a person consumes any flesh, they aren’t vegetarian. That’s not to say that that what your friend was doing wasn’t an interesting idea–one that I might be open to myself–and a step in the right direction, but it ain’t any kind vegetarianism. There really should be a word for those kind of almost-vegetarians, since there’s a awful lot of them out there. By them calling themselves “vegetarians” that makes it so much harder for us ‘real’ vegetarians. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard, “oh, you’re a vegetarian. But you eat chicken, though, right? No, what about fish? Shrimp?” etc. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TwoBuyFour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/76d3ee/32.png) [@TwoBuyFour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoBuyFour)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/18 "2001-01-15T19:37:39Z")
J.J. wrote: “perhaps someone else on the board can better explain this form of vegetarianism.” That’s easy: it’s not vegetarianism. It’s a social or political or capitalistic statement and lifestyle. But it’s not vegetarianism. Neither is eating fish. Yes, it’s probably healthier to eat fish and not other meat. Similarly, one could just not eat red meat. Or eat just chicken. Or not eat meat during lent. But however you look at it, it’s not vegetarianism, which is very simple: they don’t eat meat. (Eggs are the only sticky point here, depending on whether one wants to call an unborn animal in an egg “meat”.) People swear off meat for various reasons. Some do it for health reasons, some for humanitarian reasons, some for religious or other reasons. The reasons behind why a person’s made their choice will give you a big clue as to what they will or won’t eat, and how far they’ll go to stay within those guidlines. A person who doesn’t believe in harming animals would not eat any animal that’s raised cruelly, or died cruelly. They might eat an animal killed humanely, hunted specifically for eating, or an animal that dies of old age. But that brings up the question of whether it’s cruel to keep dairy conditions in the common conditions, and consequently whether cheese or milk is okay. A person who doesn’t eat meat for health reasons can draw the line wherever they like. As I mentioned earlier, they could just avoid red meat, or all meat but fish, or all meat and dairy, or whatever. Anyway, I believe the OP has been answered. Vegetarians don’t eat meat. Vegans avoid consuming all animal products. Ovo- or lacto-vegetarians are in between. ---
**Author:** ![avacado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@avacado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/avacado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/19 "2001-01-15T19:47:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lunatic13 \* > > **They’re not vegetarian, they’re omnivores. If a person consumes any flesh, they aren’t vegetarian. That’s not to say that that what your friend was doing wasn’t an interesting idea–one that I might be open to myself–and a step in the right direction, but it ain’t any kind vegetarianism.** ok… This sparks another question. A few years ago, our old band played a punk rock show/pot luck. It was a lot of fun, but the flyers said “vegan or carnivore dishes accepted.” At the time I thought it was a bit of anti-meat propaganda, since I thought humans are omnivores (no matter whether we choose to eat only plants or not). All the vegans I know don’t refer to themselves as herbivores, but some like to call meat-eaters carnivores. Any thoughts? Is there any factual basis for this, or is this just some self-righteousness popping up? Cool vegans of the world, please don’t take offense, but some vegans get a little, um, fanatical about spreading their beliefs, just like some cattle farmers, some religious zealots, etc. ---
**Author:** ![relic\_11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@relic\_11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/relic_11)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071/20 "2001-01-15T20:21:03Z")
Kudos to anyone who knows what fruitarians eat! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-are-vegans/50071.md?page=2)