Vegan v. Vegetarian--can someone explain what those are and why people choose them?

Question

One thing in particular I've wondered: I've heard that some people don't eat, say, eggs, because the chickens who lay them are treated inhumanely. Would it make a difference if the animals were treated well? For instance, while I was growing up, we had a lot of land in our backyard, and we had free-range chickens, and we ate their eggs. Would that be acceptable to someone who's a vegan or vegetarian? I don't mean to be rude or anything; I've just always wondered about that. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

a vegetarian refrains from eating meats (including fish)

a vegan on the other hand is more detailed in refraining from food. they also do not eat eggs or milk or any dairy at that.

so when you hear someone discussing an ovo-vegetarian, thats the one that doesnt eat eggs.

and when you hear them talking about a lacto-vegetarian,thats the one that does not drinkmilk or dairy products.

and to answer your question above, a vegan still wouldnt eat the egg. its not hard to explain (just think of it like the arguement against abortions.)

Answer 2

Philly gave a very complete and apt answer, IMO.

Some vegetarians have chosen this because they want to avoid anything that might be cruel. Some believe in reincarnation, so killing an animal would be as abhorrent as killing a person. Some, like 7th Day Adventists, are trying to protect their health and follow the example of their founder, Ellen G. White. Most vegetarians will eat products with eggs, cheese and milk. Usually if they don't eat these, they call themselves vegans.

Personally, I would eat your free-range eggs because I think they are healthier for me than eggs from chickens who sit in a cage, eat, poop and lay eggs. And I use the Bible as my guideline, which favorably mentions the eating of meat, fish, eggs,milk and cheese.

Answer 3

Vegans dont use or eat any animal products so I doubt it would make a difference to them personally. The most common form of vegetarianism is lacto-ovo which includes dairy and eggs. I personally buy local farm free range and vegetarian fed eggs.

Plese note that the person above defining ovo vegetarians and lacto vegetarians etc. is completely wrong. Ovo vegetarians DO eat eggs and lacto vegetarians DO use dairy.

Answer 4

Vegetarians, as a whole, do not eat red meat. Some also choose to exclude poultry (pollo-veg) and/or seafood (pesco-veg). Because chicken and fish are indeed meat, it's debatable whether most would call it vegetarianism, but they are accepted forms.

Many veg's, in additon to actual flesh, eliminate non-meat animal products like gelatin and caesin. It varies a lot, though.

Drop all meat, but eat eggs and dairy, you're "lacto-ovo-vegetarian"
Drop all dairy products, and eat eggs, you're "ovo-vegetarian"
Drop eggs in all forms, but consume dairy, you're "lacto-vegetarian"

No eggs OR dairy, plus, no non-meat animal products, including honey, and you're, by definition, "vegan".

Go even further, and eat only plants and plant products (nothing grown with bacteria), and you're "macrobiotic" *please note, some macrobiotics DO eat meat. There's more to the philosophy than being non-meat-eaters. So, it's not technically a form of vegetarianism*

Vow not to cook your food, or do anything but pick and eat, and you're "raw-vegan", "raw-macrobiotic", or just "raw".

SO, to answer your question, there are, in fact, EIGHT forms af vegetarianism. (macro's don't count) pollo, pesco, pollo-pesco, ovo, lacto, lacto-ovo, vegan, and raw.

Source(s):

veg, myself (l-o-veg, in case you're curious)

I drink free range milk and free range eggs because I believe that the stress the animals are put through affects the milk and eggs through a stress hormone they release.

http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-aninsidelook.html

Answer 5

one theory is eggs are primarily not meant for human consumption. they are means for the chickens to produce more chicks. Eggs are therefore potentia lifeform and our consumption sort of like intervens the natural process of reproduction.

Take for example the case of a fruit. A tree produces a fruit for it to be consumed. Through consumption of the fruit one disperses its seeds which may then have a chance to grow into a true.

While the act of consumption of fruit or certain vegetables, enahnces the production of more fruit bearing trees by the dispersion of the seed, the acting of comsuming eggs act in a reverse fashion and inhibit the naturall process of growth via reproduction.

Answer 6

No, vegans don't eat any animal product. For example, that egg could have become a chicken, etc.