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There are many reasons people go plant-based.
For some, it is the influence of a loved one or partner, for others it is health. More altruistically, some will do it for the animals, the planet, or a combination of both. And for some, the choice is taken out of their hands, and health or medical issues dictate the necessity.
Whatever the reason, the actual boundaries, definitions, and ideologies are as personal as they are diverse. The common perception, however, will often raise the question of ethics.
To describe yourself as ‘plant-based’ is, to some degree, avoiding this moral quandary.
By definition, a plant-based diet is just that: a diet based upon almost exclusively plants. There is leeway for a little dairy, even the rare and occasional portion of meat, and the use of any other animal products, such as wool, leather, and fur.
Veganism, on the other hand, “is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” [1]
The chasm that divides these two — with vegetarianism laying somewhere in between — is open to personal interpretation, but invariably once we take our first steps towards a cruelty-free lifestyle…
