Veganism is the philosophy and practice of eating no food that comes from animals, including meat, milk, and eggs. For some, veganism also means avoiding the use of animal products like leather and fur.
Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism, and people who follow this practice only eat plant-based foods. If you want to give veganism a try, you'll need to give up butter, cheese, and eggs — but there are plenty of substitutes made from soy, nuts, and other vegan sources. Vegan was coined in 1944, using the first three and last two letters of vegetarian, by Donald Watson, publisher of a newsletter for strict vegetarians called The Vegan News.