Vegan is a person that does not eat foods that come from animals. This practice is called veganism. Veganism is a type of vegetarianism. Vegans avoid eating meat, poultry, and fish, as do strict vegetarians. Vegans also tend to avoid food made by animals—such as dairy, eggs, and honey—and animal by-products such as gelatin found in everyday foods. A by-product is a secondary product made in the production of something else. People follow vegan diets for environmental, ethical, and health reasons.
Daily meals for vegans should include appropriate servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein. Vegans get much of their protein from legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds. Protein from individual plant sources contains only some of the amino acids (building blocks of proteins) required by the body. But a mixed and varied vegan diet that includes many nutritious foods will supply enough protein to grow and repair the body.
Vegans, like vegetarians, must be especially careful to ensure that their diets provide sufficient protein, calcium, and vitamins D, riboflavin, and B12. Dairy alternatives, such as soy milk, often replace the nutrients from dairy products, especially calcium. Food manufacturers may fortify cereals, dairy alternatives, or meat alternatives with vitamin B12. Plant foods do not provide any of this important vitamin, though they may be rich in other B vitamins. Vegans, especially teenagers and nursing mothers, must take a vitamin B12 supplement.
A well-balanced vegan diet may offer certain health benefits over a diet that includes meat. For example, vegans generally consume less saturated fat and cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is associated with heart disease. Studies have shown that vegetarians in many parts of the world often have a lower risk of developing certain diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Most vegetarian diets also contain fewer calories than diets that include meat.
Many people choose a vegan lifestyle because they believe it is wrong to kill or exploit animals for food. Other people choose vegan diets because they believe that eating meat and animal products reduces the world food supply. They think that the grain used to feed the animals would nourish more people if eaten directly. Other vegans judge that food production from animals creates unnecessary pollution and wastes resources, particularly water.
The vegan lifestyle often extends beyond dietary choices, to other areas in which animals are used. Most vegans avoid wearing or using animal products such as feathers, fur, leather, silk, and wool. Many vegans avoid products that have been tested on animals and oppose using animals for medical experiments or in entertainments such as horse racing.
Vegetarianism has been around for thousands of years. Some of these early vegetarians also did not eat or use other animal products. But the concept of veganism developed within the last century. The first vegan organization, the Vegan Society, was founded in 1944 by a British woodworker named Donald Watson. Watson believed that developing a diet that did not cause death or suffering to animals could better the world. He published a newsletter with a few like-minded vegetarians and coined the term vegan. The American Vegan Society (AVS) was founded in 1960 by the activist Jay Dinshah. Since the early 2000’s, food manufacturers have worked to develop improved plant-based substitutes for meats and dairy products. The availability of such substitutes in grocery stores, restaurants, and even sports stadiums has made being a vegan easier than ever before.
