Lacto Vegetarian

Enjoy health benefits of a plant based diet that allows dairy; 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

Omit meat and eggs

Eat proteins from plant sources and dairy
Monitor intake for nutritional deficiencies
Ensure complete amino acids without animal proteins

The greatest benefit of adding dairy to a vegetarian diet is the additional nutrients dairy affords the plant based eater.

Food Recommendations

Foods to Eat

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

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

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

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

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

Beans, Legumes: Lentils, soy, black beans, peas, chickpeas

Foods to Avoid

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

Poultry: Chicken, turkey, duck, goose

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

Eggs: Whole eggs, egg yolks, egg whites

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

Gelatin: Starburst, gummy worms, dramamine, vitamins, jello

Diet Rules

Additional Information

Research

Studies show that a balanced lacto vegetarian diet can help improve heart health, promote blood sugar control, aid weight loss, reduce risk of certain types of cancer.

Lacto vegetarian diet can help lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease.

Vegetarians tend to have a lower BMI; consume fewer calories and eat more fiber than meat eaters.

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 is a complete protein (all 9 essential amino acids); Plant sources: quinoa, hemp, chia seeds, buckwheat, spirulina, soy.