Jules Neumann - Vegan Meal Prep: Tasty Plant-Based Whole Foods Recipes Including a 30-Day Time-Saving Meal Plan

Veganism is not just a diet; it is a lifestyle choice that requires a fair amount of thought and can be based on health, ethics, or religious beliefs.

A vegan diet is plant-based. The difference between the vegetarian and vegan diets is that while vegetarians only eliminate meat, vegans cut out all animal products. This includes dairy, eggs and food ingredients and supplements derived from animals- such as gelatin, albumin, and squalene. (Though ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but not dairy, while lacto-vegetarians consume dairy but not eggs.)

Ethical considerations that may lead a person to veganism include desiring not to support a practice that harms or kills animals or concern for the environment. People also become vegan for health reasonsmany believe that the human body was not designed to consume animal products. For example, animal products are high in saturated fats and contain animal hormones that may cause imbalances in humans. Lactose intolerance and concern over harmful animal pathogens and bi-products are also common. In addition to various harmful components that are naturally found in animal products, many products also undergo processing treatments in production and end up containing high concentrations of preservatives.

Although a vegan diet provides most required nutrients, extra care must be taken to ensure that some nutrients such as amino acids and vitamin B12, which are more readily available in animal products than in plants, are consumed in sufficient quantities.