What is vegan? Quick answer
Veganism is a lifestyle that excludes all animal products — including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey — from food, clothing, and everyday choices. A vegan diet is entirely plant-based: fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. In India, veganism is growing fast — plant-based dairy alternatives, vegan protein powders, and cruelty-free personal care products are now available online with pan-India delivery. The transition is easier than most people think, especially in India where a large part of traditional cuisine is already plant-based by default.
What Does Vegan Mean?
The word 'vegan' was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson to describe a person who avoids all animal exploitation — not just meat. In practice, a vegan lifestyle means:
- Food: No meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey. Yes to all vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and plant-based alternatives.
- Clothing: No leather, wool, silk, or fur. Yes to cotton, bamboo, hemp, cork, and synthetic alternatives.
- Personal care: No products tested on animals and no animal-derived ingredients (like beeswax, lanolin, or carmine).
Vegan vs Vegetarian — What's the Difference?
A vegetarian avoids meat but typically still consumes dairy and eggs. A vegan goes further, excluding all animal products entirely. In India, where vegetarianism is common, the main shifts when going vegan are replacing dairy milk with plant-based alternatives and cutting out paneer, ghee, and curd.
Why Go Vegan? The Three Main Reasons
1. Health
A well-planned vegan diet is associated with lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. For the approximately 60% of Indians who are lactose-intolerant, removing dairy often dramatically reduces bloating, digestive discomfort, and skin issues. Plant-based diets are naturally higher in fibre and antioxidants.
2. Environment
Animal agriculture is responsible for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Dairy farming requires ten times more land and water than producing the equivalent nutrition from plants. Switching to plant-based alternatives — including dairy-free milk — is one of the single most impactful changes an individual can make for the environment.
3. Ethics and Animal Welfare
Most vegans cite concern for animals as a primary motivation. Industrial dairy and egg production involves practices — like continuous pregnancies for cows and culling of male chicks — that many find ethically unacceptable once they learn about them.
Is Veganism Practical in India?
More practical than most people think. Indian cuisine is already rich in naturally vegan dishes: dal, sabzi, rice, rotis, idli-dosa, sambar, most street food chaat, and virtually every fruit-based dessert. The main substitutions are:
- Cow milk → oat milk, soy milk, almond milk (available on EarthBased; see our complete guide to dairy free alternatives in India)
- Paneer → firm tofu (make your own with our Nigari Tofu Coagulant)
- Ghee → cold-pressed coconut oil or plant-based alternatives
- Curd → plant-based yogurt
- Honey → date syrup, coconut sugar (Good Graze Coconut Sugar)
Is a Vegan Diet Nutritionally Complete?
Yes, with a little planning. The one nutrient vegans must supplement is Vitamin B12, which is not found in plant foods. Beyond that, a varied Indian vegan diet easily covers protein (from dal, legumes, tofu, and plant protein powder), calcium (from fortified plant milks, sesame, leafy greens), iron (from lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds), and omega-3 (from flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts).
Good sources of plant-based protein on EarthBased:
- One Good Plant Protein — Chocolate (27g protein per serving)
- One Good Plant Protein — Unflavoured (30g protein per serving)
- India Hemp Organics Hemp Protein Powder
How to Start Going Vegan in India — Practical Steps
- Start with swaps, not restrictions. Replace cow milk with plant milk in your daily chai first. Try oat milk or soy milk for a week.
- Learn the hidden dairy. Biscuits, bread, and most Indian sweets contain dairy. Check ingredient labels.
- Find your protein sources. Dal, chana, rajma, soy chunks, tofu, and plant protein powders are all excellent options.
- Stock your kitchen. Browse EarthBased's complete vegan range — from dairy-free alternatives to vegan chocolates and sustainable cleaning products.
- Supplement B12. This is non-negotiable. Take a B12 supplement daily.
Vegan Products Available on EarthBased
EarthBased is India's curated vegan and sustainable marketplace — every product listed is screened to be vegan and cruelty-free:
- Dairy-Free Alternatives — plant-based creamers, tofu coagulants, and more
- Vegan Dark Chocolate — Anuttama jaggery-sweetened bars, 62% to 99% cocoa
- Vegan Protein Powders — One Good, India Hemp Organics, Veplant
- Sustainable Vegan Clothing — bamboo, hemp, and cork fabric
- Organic Baby and Family Food — TummyFriendly sprouted porridge mixes
Frequently Asked Questions About Veganism
What is veganism in simple terms?
Veganism is a lifestyle that avoids using or consuming any animal products — including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, leather, wool, and products tested on animals. The goal is to reduce harm to animals, the environment, and often personal health.
Is veganism expensive in India?
Traditional plant-based Indian food — dal, rice, roti, vegetables, legumes — is among the most affordable food in the world. The expense arises with processed vegan alternatives. A smart vegan diet in India is built around whole foods first, with specialty products (like vegan protein or dark chocolate) as occasional additions.
Can Indians get enough protein on a vegan diet?
Yes. India has some of the richest plant protein traditions in the world — dal, chana, rajma, moong, soy chunks, and paneer equivalents like tofu. Adding a plant protein powder (like One Good Plant Protein) is an easy way to hit higher targets for athletes or those building muscle.
What does a vegan not eat?
Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy (milk, cheese, paneer, ghee, curd), eggs, honey, and any foods containing these as ingredients. Many vegans also avoid refined white sugar processed through bone char, and gelatin (made from animal bones).
How is veganism different from a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet focuses on eating mostly plants for health reasons but may occasionally include animal products. Veganism is an ethical commitment that extends beyond food to clothing, personal care, and all lifestyle choices. All vegans eat plant-based, but not all plant-based eaters are vegan.