Vegan v Vegetarian: A Simple Guide To Eating Habits

The content in this post is not intended for nutritional or medical advice. Please consult with your doctor if you have any questions regarding nutrition and health conditions.

What type of eater are you?

• Vegan v vegetarian
• Vegetarian v plant based
• Vegan vs meat eater
• Gluten-free diet and vegan
• Vegan v plant based diet
• Eat most things or a picky eater

I can confidently say I have gluten-free and dairy-free allergies. My allergies gradually grew more noticeable after my traumatic brain injury (TBI) while playing collegiate volleyball. I suffered from severe migraines, headaches, stomach pain, and had numerous other symptoms that replicated the persistent effects of a serious concussion.

While I won’t go into tremendous detail here about my injury, more information about this healing journey can be found here. This wellness journey catapulted me in a wellness frenzy and I grew more mindful about the foods I regularly consumed. That’s how the allergies to gluten and dairy were discovered, understanding the powerful connection between food, energy levels and easing pain. Being a mindful eater has been a huge part of my wellness journey leading to a path of natural healing and living a well balanced, happy life.

Currently, I’m a plant based diet eater who leans more toward veganism, but enjoys fish and chicken on occasion. While these food labels are EXTREMELY helpful when selecting food to eat for food allergies or to support lifestyle choices, I admit it can be confusing.

Is it vegan v vegetarian? Gluten-free or only lactose-free? Reading labels has become the new normal when grocery shopping. It’s bring your awareness to the ingredients to make sure cross-contamination doesn’t happen for food allergies when traveling or at home and that the product your consuming suits your lifestyle needs.

Understanding the food you need

When thinking of the “mind, body, spirit and travel”, understanding the food you need to refuel your well-being is crucial. I’m not a nutritionist, but through my personal journey, I’ve seen firsthand the impact food can have on your mental and physical state. Whether I was bulking up for a volleyball game or learning the intricacies of power foods to help you avoid jet lag. Food is the jet fuel for our bodies to feel healthy and good.

So, let’s break down what these labels mean so we can all get clarity on what food choices suit our health and wellness the best. Then let’s go another step further and apply these labels to our wellness travel, so our well-being can feel good at home and on the road traveling.

Vegan v vegetarian

Ve•gan – A vegan diet consists of no animal products (e.g. meat, honey, eggs)

Veg•e•tar•i•an – Is a person who eats no meat, but will eat other animal products that aren’t meat (cheese, milk, honey)

Vegan vs raw vegan

Raw veg•an – This is a type of veganism diet with no animal products. All the food is eaten in its natural form, unprocessed and uncooked. If the food is cooked, its only heated to temperatures below 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

Vegan vs pescatarian

Pes•ca•tar•i•an – A person who eats a diet similar to vegetarian, but includes fish in their diet

Vegetarian v plant based

Whole food plant based di•et – Is a diet that consist primarily of fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods. They try to buy organic and locally sourced food when possible.

Vegetarian v other things

Meat-eat•er – Someone who eats meat

Plant-eat•er – Someone who eats plants

Car•ni•vore – A person who only eats meat, and no vegetables

Om•ni•vore – A diet that consist of both plants, vegetable, meats, and animal products

Dair•y-free di•et – This diet refrain from eating any dairy ingredients from any animal. They don’t eat cheese, butter, milk, whey protein, or any food items that contain dairy

Lactose-free – Is when a person doesn’t eat the milk protein called Lactose

Glu•ten-free di•et – In this diet a person avoids all grains, pastas, cereals and wheat. They also avoid some processed foods as the gluten protein can be found in those items.

Which type of diet do you enjoy?

What diet do you enjoy? Which diet gives you the energy and nutrients you need during your travel escapades?

When planning your next wellness travel adventure, think about the foods that give your body the most energy, and the best mental clarity. Do you need a vegan travel guide (e.g. vegan food guide for Kiev), more water, or are you needing to up your protein intake? Once you understand your needs during your trip, make sure to incorporate those foods daily into your diet.

Here a simple vegan and allergy-friendly travel snack list to get you started.

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