Vegan and Dairy-Free Diets: Know the Difference!
People might assume that vegan and dairy-free products are the same. There are indeed many similarities between the two, but they are different. All vegan foods are dairy-free, but all dairy-free products are not vegan. If you’ve planned for yourself a specific diet, you need to be aware of the difference between the two.
Defining the Two
Vegan
- Vegan foods are free from animal-based ingredients or ingredients derived from living animals, whether fish, poultry, beef, pork, or shellfish, as well as no eggs and no dairy.
- Vegan foods also avoid using honey in their products as honey is produced by bees which are living creatures.
- Not only foods, but vegans are also conscious about other products like home-care products and avoid using them if it contains any animal-derived ingredients.
- They ensure that animal-based products or ingredients are not part of their lives and work hard for it.
Dairy-free
A dairy-free diet is free from all dairy products. It avoids every product derived from animal milk like butter, cheese, ice cream, yoghurt, and whey.
Why choose to go Vegan?
There are numerous reasons out there for you to go vegan. A few reasons might be that you love animals and the environment, and you want to play your part in protecting them, so you go vegan, or it might be that animal-based foods and ingredients don’t suit you, you are allergic to them, so you choose a vegan lifestyle. Whatever the reasons might be, going vegan requires a huge commitment.
Why choose a Dairy-free diet?
People choose dairy-free products or go for a dairy-free diet because they might be allergic to dairy or suffer from lactose intolerance. At first, you might not know that you are allergic to dairy because the symptoms are mild, but if you face problems like gassy or feeling bloated after consuming dairy products, you should go for a dairy-free diet.
Know the Difference Between A Vegan Diet And A Dairy-Free Diet!
—People on a dairy-free diet can have any other animal product like scrambled eggs, fish, honey, chicken, and so on, apart from dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt, etc.
—-However, people on a vegan diet cannot consume any of these things. To state clearly–All vegan diets are dairy-free; a dairy-free diet is not vegan.
People who avoid dairy products can still have other animal-based products, provided they are not allergic to those animal products.
Let us highlight the foods that are both Vegan and Dairy-Free!
All vegan foods are dairy-free. Most whole foods are both vegan and dairy-free. For instance:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Grains
- Legumes
- Pasta
- Nuts
To Conclude....
Products labelled as dairy-free should be assumed to be vegan. For example, ice cream may be labelled as “dairy-free” ice cream, but it might contain honey or eggs, products of other animals. If you are on a vegan diet, choose products that specify “it’s vegan”. Read the ingredients of every product you buy as per your diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lacto-vegetarian. People on this diet consume dairy products but not eggs, meat, and fish.
Yes, tofu contains protein and is also a popular vegan food.
- Tofu
- Almonds
- Quinoa
- Peanuts
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
Vegans can get iron by consuming tofu, vegetables, dry fruits, bread, legumes, and whole grain cereals.
Tofu is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and iron and is popular among vegans and vegetarians. It also helps in weight loss and has no cholesterol.
