While vegetarian and vegan diets both avoid meat and base their core diet in fruits and vegetables, they’re not one in the same. There are some core differences to get to know before picking out your favorite lunch spot for the group in Thousand Oaks or Agoura Hills.

Vegetarian

Vegetarianism refers to people who do not consume meat or meat-based products. Soups made with stocks or fats derived from animals, products that use animal proteins like gelatin, fish and shellfish, meats, poultry, and insects are excluded from the vegetarian diet. Vegetarians may, however, consume products that were created by animals. This means that a vegetarian may consume dairy products like milk and cheese, honey, or eggs, and still be adhering to a traditional vegetarian diet.

There are different types of vegetarian variations or vegetarian-adjacent diets out there. Pescatarians will consume fish and shellfish, but no other animal proteins, and a pescatarian may be considered a “flexitarian” or semi-vegetarian. An ovo-vegetarian will not consume meat, dairy, or fish, but will consume eggs. A lacto-vegetarian will consume dairy products, but not meat, fish, or eggs.

Vegan

Vegans typically adhere to much stricter diet standards than vegetarians. Veganism is often considered more of a lifestyle than vegetarianism, as their dedication to avoiding animal byproducts extends from diet into their clothing, furniture, and items used for any other purpose. While a vegetarian may wear a wool knit sweater, a vegan will typically opt for only purely vegan-friendly products. A vegan diet eliminates all meat as well as dairy, eggs, honey, or any other animal derived ingredient. While vegetarians avoid most or all meat-based ingredients, vegans avoid all products and ingredients that come from animals as a whole.

Whether vegan or vegetarian, finding a good lunch spot just means finding an establishment that uses all the right ingredients and respects the freshness of those ingredients. A vegan soup made with just fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices can be just as satisfying and packed full of flavor as any other soup. At our local SoLé Soups studios, we always make sure our ingredients stand out and stand strong, so vegan, vegetarian, and those with traditional diets all get to have the same delicious and satisfying lunch experience!