Vegan vs Vegetarian Vs Meat Eaters

Vegan vs. Vegetarian

Neither vegans nor vegetarians eat meat. However, while vegetarians tend to consume dairy products and eggs, a vegan avoids all animal products, including eggs and dairy, and often inedible animal-based products, such as leather, wool, and silk. Vegetarianism is usually a diet, while veganism is a lifestyle. Vegetarians often choose their diet based on its reported health benefits or for religious or political reasons. In general, vegans have much stronger political beliefs regarding their diet, with some believing animals should be protected under many of the same laws that humans are.

I found this on Diffen   

They offer up a nice comparison chart, as well.

VS Omnivore/Carnivore


I guess I am an Omnivore, as I eat meat, poultry, seafood, and fruits and vegetables. I respect everyone else's right not to eat "meat" for their own reasons, although I do admit, if I get criticized over my eating choices, I will strike back! 

"Are we allowed to eat meat today?
Gen. 1:24-31 Man is to eat of “every seed-bearing herb on the face of all the earth, and every tree on which there are fruits containing seed,” the corn and fruit from trees; the animals were to eat of “every green herb,” vegetables or green plants, and grass etc.

From Adam’s creation until Noah, man was a strictly vegetarian.  Prior to the flood the distinction of clean and unclean were in reference to sacrifices (Genesis 7:8). 

We can see from Genesis no animal was originally designed to eat another; nothing is given to any beast of the earth for food besides green herbs of the field. Prior to the flood the distinction of clean and unclean were in reference to sacrifices (Genesis 7:8). After the flood, (the time of Noah Genesis 9:3) mans diet was changed by God himself, who then permitted ALL animals  for food (meat to be eaten; anything that moves could be for food.) God specifically commanded every living thing as food for them, the only prohibition, don’t eat it with the blood. “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”  Those who insist on our being vegetarians because of God's command are wrong, in fact it is the very opposite."

Works for me, and whatever works for you is your business, as long as you do not condemn me for my choices. I will respect you, I will accommodate you as a guest in my home, as long as you do not criticize my meat eating choices.

We recently catered the food for my son's wedding, as you all know.  The maid of honor's boyfriend is a vegetarian. I asked him what he could eat, and then made sure there was foods he could enjoy. We had Hummus in 2 flavors, cheeses, vegetarian baked beans, and there were 4 meatless salads. He was delighted, and we ate side by side. Excellent.

Were I having a dinner party, and became aware of my guest's preference, I would make a vegetarian meal. I do not think I could totally accommodate a Vegan diet, as I would use eggs, or mayonnaise, and such in preparing even vegetable main dishes. 

That said, let's share some of my favorite vegetable dishes! Main course and/or sides.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients: 2 eggplants, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch-thick rounds 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs 2 Tablespoons olive oil 3 cups tomato sauce 2 Tablespoons Spaghetti Seasoning 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Sea Salt to taste Cracked Black Pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F Dredge eggplant slices in flour Dip into beaten eggs Coat with breadcrumbs Saute eggplant in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown Drain eggplant slices on paper towels In a bowl combine tomato sauce and Spaghetti Seasoning Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper Arrange half the eggplant slices in bottom of greased casserole dish Cover this layer of eggplant with 1/2 the seasoned tomato sauce and 1/2 mozzarella and Parmesan cheese Place second layer on top of first and repeat procedure Bake uncovered 20- 25 minutes Serves: 6 Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 383 Protein 20g Carbs 43g Cholesterol 94mg Fat 15g Sat Fat 6g Fiber 0g Sodium 242mg Sugar 12g Tips: I like to soak my eggplant slices in salted water for about 30 mins, then drain and pat dry.  Add a 1/2 tsp of nutmeg to the bread crumb mixture. very good.  Add  15 oz Ricotta Cheese, with an egg beaten in, between the layers for Eggplant Lasagna Serve with Salad Leftovers warmed up and placed on a nice hunk of Fresh Italian bread for a lunch sandwich, mmmm. This next one could be Vegan main dish. Corn and Summer Vegetable Sauté Ingredients: 1 tablespoon canola oil  1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped  1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1 garlic clove, minced  1 cup chopped red bell pepper  1 finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper  1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)  1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (2 cups cooked from dried beans)  1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed Powder 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice 1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt 1/8 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper  Directions: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat Add onions and garlic sauté 1 minute Add celery and carrots and sauté 3 minutes Reduce heat to medium Add bell pepper and jalapeño cook 4-5 minutes Add corn cook 5 minutes Stir in beans cook 3 minutes Stir in coriander sprinkle with fresh lime juice, salt and black pepper Serves: 6 Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 138.4 Protein  6.6 g Carbs 22.9 g Fat 3.2 g Saturated Fat 0.3 g Fiber  6.9 g Sodium 44.4 mg Sugar 2.0 g Vegan, I think. Main dish or side. I LOVE this stuff, minus those pesky Lima Beans, but, for those who love it, go for it. Ratatouille ngredients: 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 medium eggplant, leave skin on and cut into bite sized pieces 1 medium green bell pepper, diced 1 medium red bell pepper, diced 1 medium to large zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces 1 medium to large yellow squash, cut into bite sized pieces 8-10 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped 2 cups or 1 can lima beans, no salt added ( not in MY Ratatouille, but, guessing some may like it, and adds some protein?) 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning 1/2 teaspoon Salt Black Pepper to taste Directions: Heat the olive oil to medium high in a dutch oven or large saute pan Add onions to the oil and cook about 3-4 minutes until they become translucent Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, watch carefully so that garlic does not burn Add eggplant to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes or until eggplant starts to become tender Add bell peppers, zucchini and squash and continue cooking until all of the vegetables are tender Add tomatoes and beans, reduce heat to simmer and cover to continue cooking. Cook for 20-30 minutes on low and then add the Italian Seasoning, Salt and Pepper. Cook an additional 5 minutes after adding seasonings and serve warm. Serves: 4 Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 305.3 Protein 12.5 g Carbs 51.2 g Fat 8.3 g Sat Fat 1.2 g Trans Fat 0.0 g Fiber 15.5 g Sodium 316.0 mg Sugar 2.6 g Egg Salad 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped onion ( half of a small onion) ( optional, also, and I always opt in) 1/4 cups chopped celery ( 1/2 stalk chopped) ( Or leave out if preferred) 1 tbsp mustard ( makes them taste like Deviled Eggs, leave out if you want just good ole Egg Salad, I do) Salt and Pepper to taste Optional pinch of celery seed Mix together mayonnaise and mustard; combine with the eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to combine. Eat on bread of choice, or on top of a bed of lettuce/salad greens Makes a good party appetizer stuffed into cherry tomatoes. Roasted Vegetable Sauce and Penne Pasta Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters. 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes 1 red onion, peeled and cut into quarters Salt and Black Pepper 1 cup reduced sodium/fat chicken broth or vegetable stock ( vegetarians/ vegans use vegetable stock) 1 LB whole wheat penne pasta ( I use regular pasta so, this is a personal choice) 1 Tablespoon New York Pizza Sauce Seasoning Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Combine tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, eggplant and onion on a rimmed baking sheet Drizzle with olive oil, toss to combine Add Salt and Pepper to taste (optional) Roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and slightly charred. Toss every 15 to 20 minutes during cooking. While the vegetables are in the oven, heat the chicken or vegetable broth over medium heat and then lower the heat and keep warm until ready for use. Transfer vegetables to a blender or food processor and add broth and New York Pizza Seasoning. Blend until smooth, adding additional broth as needed to achieve desired consistency. Helpful Hint: When blending hot food in a blender, work in batches only filling blender 1/2 full for each batch. Make sure lid is securely in place before starting the blender and hold a towel over the lid while blender is on to prevent any hot liquid from splashing out. Prepare pasta as per package instructions. penne works better when it is 'al dente' or just firm. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. In a serving bowl, combine pasta and sauce. Use a little of the pasta cooking liquid if needed to keep pasta from sticking and get the desired consistency. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and black pepper, serve immediately.( Vegan Cheese?) Serves: 8 Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 295 Protein 9 g Carbs 55 g Fat 6.0 g Sat Fat 0.9 g Trans Fat 0.0 g Fiber 9 g Sodium  70 mg Vegetarian Pizza Pie Ingredients: Crust: 1 3/4 all-purpose flour, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup water Filling: 2 medium red bell peppers 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 6oz bags baby spinach 2 tablespoons Dried Shallots 2 teaspoons Roasted Garlic Flakes 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese 2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup) 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup) 1/4 cup Dried Tomato Flakes 1 tablespoon Pizza Seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 large egg white Cooking spray Directions: To prepare pie crust, weigh or lightly spoon 1 2/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor; pulse several times to combine. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and water. With processor on, slowly add oil mixture through food chute, and process just until dough begins to form a ball (dough will be crumbly). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using the remaining flour to prevent sticking, knead dough for about 3 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Press each portion into a 5-inch circle. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper to pan and cook until peppers become tender. To the pan, add spinach, Dried Shallots and Roasted Garlic Flakes and continue to cook another minute or so or until greens begin to wilt. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add ricotta, cheeses, Tomato Flakes, Pizza Seasoning, Salt, Pepper and the 2 beaten eggs to the vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. Preheat oven to 375° Working with 1 dough portion at a time, roll dough, into an 11-inch circle. Place the dough sheet into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Spoon vegetable mixture into prepared pie plate. Using the remaining dough portion, roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Place dough sheet over vegetable mixture. Press the edges of dough together with fingers and fold edges under, and gently press around the lip of the pie plate with a fork to 'crimp' the edges. With a small, sharp knife cut several slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow pie to cool for about 15 minutes. This allows the cheese in the filling to set up so the it won't run out when the pie is cut. Cut into wedges and serve. Serves: 8 Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 323 Protein 14.2g Carbs 27.5g Fat 17.6g Sat Fat 4.3g Trans Fat 0g Fiber 2.2g Sodium 450mg Sugar 2.7g Tips: I NEVER make pie crust. This recipe I would use the refrigerated pie crusts on. The last time I made pie crust from scratch,  I became so frustrated trying to lift it off the floured surface, I ended up throwing it against a wall. ( Yes, I was a thrower, read  previous blogs!)  The filling would also work well, as a casserole. Mix in a sleeve of buttery round crackers, such as Ritz, bake as directed in greased casserole dish for about 30 minutes.  I LOVE finding new recipes, and if you find something good, share it with us!!! I would love to hear from you! Most of these recipes above, and more, can be found on Spices Inc,  the site I told you all about. I am not affiliated with the company in any way, other  than I am a loyal customer and fan!!! All for today, Happy Cooking and Eating. Remember, all in moderation is the key! And, Please, Play with your Food! Off to see what other trouble I can get into today.