Some people choose to call themselves as “vegan” or “plant-based” or “whole-food plant-based” in order to describe their lifestyle and diet. To be honest, I was a bit confused in the beginning and didn’t know if there’s a difference and if so, what is the difference. So during my transition phase to a healthier diet, I did a lot of research trying to find an answer to that which was: Yes, there is actually a difference between these terms. I personally think that language matters so I thought, I’d share with you what the difference is and bring some clarity.

Beging vegan

Donald Watson created the term “vegan” in 1944 to describe a person who fully quit all animal products for ethical reasons. Thus, being vegan reaches beyond a dietary pattern and also describes someone’s lifestyle that one chooses to lead day in, day out. This includes things such as vegan clothes, animal cruelty free cosmetics, etc.

Plant-based diet

A plant-based diet consists of plants and abstains from animal products. The majority of people use the term to refer to a 100 % plant-based diet. Though there are people who refer to themselves as ‘predominantly’ plant-based since they include small amounts of animal products. Thus, being plant-based refers specifically to one’s diet alone and does not describe someone’s lifestyle like the being vegan does. An example could be that a person only consumes plants in their diet and wears leather clothing.

Whole-food plant-based diet

To take it one step further, I’d also like to explain what a whole-food plant-based diet means. This term is centered on whole, unrefined or minimally refined plant foods and excludes meat, dairy products, eggs, and highly refined foods such as refined sugar, and oil. So the focus of a whole-food plant-based diet is on fruits, (starchy) vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

The “whole-food” part is crucial and has become increasingly relevant as highly processed vegan foods have become widely available; i.e. vegan burger from fast food restaurants. Therefore, a whole-food plant-based diet is the cleanest, very healthy diet if you balance your meals making sure you get enough carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and fibre.

In a nutshell

Being vegan describes not only the diet but one’s whole lifestyle. It doesn’t automatically mean though that a vegan diet is a healthy choice. Many people may start out as vegan because of ethical reasons but then adopt a whole-food plant-based diet to achieve their health goals. Thus, it’s possible to be both plant-based and vegan.

Here’s a diagram that visualizes the difference at a glance.

I hope that this post brought some clarity about the origin and meaning of these words. In my case, to be politically correct, I am vegan and follow a whole-food plant-based diet. If you’re curious to know why I became vegan and how I adapted a whole-food plant-based diet, go check out my articles.