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Are there different terms for different types of vegans?

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MelaniaTrump
MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
in Debate Club
1. Are there official terms for both kinds?
They seem worlds apart to me.
One type would never touch beans, asparagus, beets, spinach, kale, etc.
And eat lots of highly processed foods such as doritos and twinkies.
Another type are whole foods only. Lots of greens and beans.
2. What % of the population do you think are healthy natural foods only vegans vs. the vegans that will eat any processed foods.

Just seems like they should have different names.
Last time I typed the word processed it started a long debate. Hence why I ask here.
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Replies

  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
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    Neither Twinkies nor Doritos are vegan.

    Not every distinction between groups needs a name.
  • JoshuaMcAllister
    JoshuaMcAllister Posts: 500 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    1. Are there official terms for both kinds?
    They seem worlds apart to me.
    One type would never touch beans, asparagus, beets, spinach, kale, etc.
    And eat lots of highly processed foods such as doritos and twinkies.
    Another type are whole foods only. Lots of greens and beans.
    2. What % of the population do you think are healthy natural foods only vegans vs. the vegans that will eat any processed foods.

    Just seems like they should have different names.
    Last time I typed the word processed it started a long debate. Hence why I ask here.

    I understand why no vegans would eat Twinkies or Doritos but asparagus, spinach and kale? Why on earth would vegans class them as non-vegan friendly? Or do you simply mean that they don't eat natural food sources but processed foods instead?

    Agree with the above poster, I'm not sure this really requires distinction. I have however had the same thoughts about vegans who strictly follow diet only and those who stringently make sure they go near no products what so ever, soaps, make ups etc.

    I think the population percentage is irrelevant, I read somewhere that less than 6% of the worlds population are vegan, the difference in the two are that minuscule I don't see what anyone would gain from doing the math.

  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Do you just mean "junk food vegans"? I've heard that term, along with "junk food vegetarian".
    I have several friends who used to be both. They all lost weight when they started eating meat/dairy again.
  • OceanicMelody73
    OceanicMelody73 Posts: 22 Member
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    I think I'm a healthy balance between the two. I eat tons of fruits and try to eat lots of veggies, but I can be found eating boca burgers rather than making them from scratch. The real junk I have maybe once a month, but my boyfriend has frozen vegan meals for lunch at work most days.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I've heard junk food vegans called "grainatarians" since they eat less veggies (or fruit) and tend to eat more grain based products.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,862 Member
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    Yes, depending on their motive for adopting veganism. The three main reasons usually being health, animals rights (ethics) and the environment. People who do it for the health are just described as having a plant based diet. I have also heard of the term cheagan, freegan etc. Someone who is majority vegan but have brief moments when they will eat an animal product for thr sake of convenience.
  • ziggy2006
    ziggy2006 Posts: 255 Member
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    When I was eating exclusively plant-based for health, I described myself as a lowercase v vegan, because few people understood what plant-based meant. Most people understand what vegan is, though, so it was helpful in restaurants and situations where you want to convey your dietary preferences clearly and quickly. Few servers asked what the lowercase v meant, but I was happy to explain to anyone who expressed interest or curiosity.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I've heard of raw food vegans. Other than that, I don't really see a need for more distinction.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Why would a vegan not eat beans, asparagus, beets, spinach, kale???

    My understanding was that a vegan doesn't eat or use anything that comes from or harms animals. I never heard of the idea that there are different "types" of vegans. It's a lifestyle built around an ethical belief in not harming animals. I've always understood that being "mostly vegan" was like being "a little pregnant". Either you are or you're not. If you are vegan, you don't eat any animal product, you don't wear leather, you don't use personal care products that use animal-derived ingredients, you don't use brands that test on animals, etc.

    There are lots of types of vegetarians, and different reasons to become a vegetarian of one kind or another. Is that what you're thinking of?
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
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    No one's mentioned frutarians yet?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    This debate section is not turning out the way I thought it would... I had such high hopes for a place where we could discuss thought provoking topics with science and logic and get to the heart of some issues without worrying about offending posters just looking for support.

    Alas, this thread proves that is just not the case...

    I was wondering what we are supposed to be debating in this thread.

    OP, what is the debate you envision?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Lindsay Nixon's (of Happy Herbivore) distinction between plant-based and vegan might relate to OP's question (not debate topic). I don't know if anyone follows it but her, of course: https://happyherbivore.com/2013/07/what-is-plant-based-diet-difference-from-vegan/

    I do see a reason to distinguish between people who go "plant-based" for health reasons and those who do so for ethical reasons, although most of the latter whom I know eat a reasonably healthy diet including vegetables.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    This debate section is not turning out the way I thought it would... I had such high hopes for a place where we could discuss thought provoking topics with science and logic and get to the heart of some issues without worrying about offending posters just looking for support.

    Alas, this thread proves that is just not the case...

    It's because people only read Health & Fitness and ignore/don't see Debate. There's already a Fitness sub forum, but not one specifically for Health. Then again, there are people who only see Debate and want to discuss whatever their internet link-clicking takes them.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I think breatharianism should be considered a valid lifestyle choice. Remember that lady who wanted to try breatharianism for a few months and actually put up webcams in her home so she had proof she wasn't eating? She had to quit when people were sending her bad vibes to make her fail. People can be such trolls.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    This debate section is not turning out the way I thought it would... I had such high hopes for a place where we could discuss thought provoking topics with science and logic and get to the heart of some issues without worrying about offending posters just looking for support.

    Alas, this thread proves that is just not the case...

    Amen. This thread along with about 50% of the rest of them in here. This section has just become an amalgamation of General, Food, Fitness and Chit-chat. Kind of a catch-all....or maybe more like a garbage can.

    Yes, but threads in here are often given more leeway and not shut down or poofed as quickly as in the general forums.
    But yes, do agree there are many non debate topics posted here.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    OceanicMelody73 wrote: »
    The only distinction is between plant based and vegan. Vegans are vegan for health, the environment, and the animals. Plant based will still buy leather/wool/silk and only focus on the health benefits of excluding animal products from their plates.

    Oh, and this is how I think of the terms too.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Vegans who choose to eat processed foods (which wouldn't include Twinkies, because they are not vegan) still eat beans and vegetables. People who are labelled "junk food vegans" (or who self-describe that way) don't eat *just* junk food, just like non-vegans who eat processed foods don't eat *just* processed food.

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