Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

Enjoy health benefits of a plant based diet that allows dairy and eggs; plan diet to ensure adequate nutrients

Recommended For

Animal rights, ethical, Arthritis, Blood sugar, high, Cancer, prevention, Carbon footprint reduction, Cholesterol, high, Environmental, Heart disease prevention, treatment, Weight loss.

Diet Goals

Allows dairy and eggs, omits meat

Get proteins from plant sources, dairy and eggs
Monitor food intake for nutritional deficiencies
Ensure complete amino acids without animal proteins

The greatest benefit of adding dairy and eggs to a vegetarian diet is the additional nutrients they afford the plant based eater.

Food Recommendations

Foods to Eat

Nuts, Seeds: Chia seeds, flax, pepitas, almonds, walnuts

Plant based proteins: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, quinoa, nuts

Fruits, Vegetables: Berries, avocado, leafy greens, carrots

Whole grains: Whole wheat bread & pasta, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, brown rice

Eggs: Whole eggs, egg yolks, egg whites

Low fat dairy: Skim, 1% milk, yogurt, cheeses, buttermilk

Foods to Avoid

Meat: Beef, poultry, fish, pork, sausage, lamb, deli meat

Seafood: Fish, shellfish, crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, oysters

Hidden beef, pork fat: Twinkies, BBQ potato chips, cake mix, soups

Hidden animal source: Gelatin, starburst, gummy worms, dramamine, vitamins, jello, lard

Processed meats: Sausage, hot dogs, jerky, deli meat, bacon

Hidden animal rennet: Parmesan, manchego, gorgonzola, pecorino, romano

Diet Rules

Additional Information

Research

Studies show this diet has been linked to health benefits including a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, T2 diabetes and some cancers.

Studies showed lacto-ovo vegetarians had significantly lower BP & lower risk of hypertension than meat eaters.

Several studies have shown that vegetarians tend to have lower BMIs than those who eat meat.

Caveats

Monitor food intake; ensure adequate nutrients without meat, poultry, eggs.

Vegetarian prepackaged foods & meat substitutes can be high in sugar, salt, fat; check label.

Plant sources of iron not absorbed like meat sources; add vitamin C foods to enhance.

Milk, eggs are complete proteins (all 9 essential amino acids); Vegetarian sources: Quinoa, hemp, chia seeds, buckwheat, spirulina.