Vegetarians don't eat any food products made from meat, fish, shellfish, crustacea (such as prawns or crab) or animal by-products (such as gelatine or rennet). Vegans don't eat any food products that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs.

Some people eating a plant-based diet may choose not to eat meat and animal products for various reasons. A vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy and eggs), whereas a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish and seafood.

Both types of diet can be considered safe for all stages of life, but vegan diets may even offer additional health benefits. However, it's important for both vegetarians and vegans to plan their diets well in order to avoid health complications over the long term.

A vegan diet is another form of vegetarianism where only plant foods are eaten and all foods from animal sources are avoided (meat, seafood, dairy, eggs and sometimes honey and gelatine). Vegetarian diets can have many health benefits.