Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diet : Benefits, Downsides, and Meal Plan

A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is one that is primarily plant-based and excludes meat, fish, and poultry while including dairy and eggs.
“lacto” refers to dairy products, whereas “ovo” refers to eggs.
Many people follow a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet to avoid eating animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons.
This video discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, as well as lists of foods to eat and avoid, as well as a sample meal plan.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diet

According to research, a well-planned and balanced lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet can benefit your health in a variety of ways.
Could aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes
Lacto-ovo vegetarians are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, while eating meat is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the protective effects of vegetarian diets may be unrelated to the absence of meat.
Vegetarian diets reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by increasing your consumption of healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts while decreasing your consumption of saturated and trans fats.

Furthermore, they have been shown to improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, which is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, plant-based diets contain a lot of fiber, which slows digestion and improves blood sugar control. Vegetarian diets have also been shown to lower hemoglobin A1c, a long-term blood sugar control marker.

Can help with healthy weight loss

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets can help you keep a healthy weight or lose weight.
Vegetarian diets are typically high in fiber and low in calories, which may contribute to feelings of fullness and help to prevent overeating.

Indeed, studies show that vegetarian diets can help prevent and reverse obesity and obesity-related diseases.
A study of nearly 38,000 people discovered that vegetarians had a lower BMI than omnivores. A higher BMI was associated with high protein and low fiber intakes, implying that fiber-rich plant-based diets may aid in weight loss.

Enhances heart health

Eating meat, certain types of fat, and refined carbohydrates has long been linked to atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart disease.
A vegetarian diet has been shown to reduce your chances of developing coronary artery disease. This is especially true when animal foods are restricted, as with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet.
Plant-based diets have been shown to improve blood flow to the heart, blood vessel health, and blood pressure — all of which may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Cancer risk may be reduced

Vegetarian diets have been linked to a lower risk of various cancers. A meta-analysis of 96 studies discovered that vegetarians had an 8% lower risk of dying from cancer than omnivores.
According to research, eating a diet high in plant foods like fruits and vegetables can significantly lower your cancer risk. Furthermore, some research suggests that consuming a lot of red and processed meat may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

Lowering the risk of gallstones

Lacto-ovo vegetarians are less likely to develop gallstone disease, a condition in which hard, stone-like pieces of cholesterol or bilirubin form in the gallbladder, obstruct the bile duct, and cause pain.

Non-vegetarians had a 3.8 times higher risk of developing gallstone disease than vegetarians, according to a 6-year study of 4,839 people. This could be attributed to vegetarians’ lower cholesterol intake.

Drawbacks and considerations
Although a vegetarian diet has many health benefits, proper planning is required to avoid negative health effects.

The potential need for supplements

A vegetarian diet can be nutritionally adequate, but you should pay special attention to your iron, protein, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acid intakes. If food sources of these nutrients are insufficient, dietary supplements may be advised.

Protein is necessary for good health. Eggs, dairy, beans, peas, lentils, tofu, grains, nuts, and seeds are all vegetarian sources. Legumes, nuts, seeds, and eggs are high in the amino acid lysine.

Iron transports oxygen throughout your body. Vegetarians may require 1.8 times the iron of omnivores. Tofu, beans, lentils, fortified grains, almonds, and greens are all vegetarian iron sources. Citrus and peppers, which are high in vitamin C, can help with absorption.

Zinc promotes growth, wound healing, and immune system health. Beans, peas, lentils, tofu, peanut butter, cashews, grains, and fortified cereals are some zinc-rich plant foods.

EPA, DHA, and ALA are all omega-3 fatty acids. They promote the health of the heart, eyes, skin, nerves, and brain. You can meet your omega-3 requirements by taking an algal oil supplement and eating foods like walnuts and flax.

The significance of diet quality

With the growing popularity of plant-based diets, there are numerous vegetarian-friendly foods to choose from.

However, many lacto-ovo vegetarian foods are prepackaged and highly processed, which means they are high in added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and oils, and calories.
To determine whether these foods are right for you, look at the ingredient list and nutrition label.

Avoidance foods

Except for eggs and dairy products, those following a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet avoid animal-derived foods.
Any packaged food must have an ingredient label to determine if it contains animal-based ingredients, such as:
Meats like beef, veal, lamb, and pork, as well as processed meats like sausage, bacon, and hot dogs
Fish such as fish, shellfish such as crab and lobster, and other seafood such as shrimp
Chicken, duck, goose, quail, and turkey are examples of poultry.
Meat, fish, and poultry are not permitted on a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.

Foods to consume
Focus on whole, unprocessed plant foods, as well as eggs and dairy products, such as:

Apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, peaches, and melons are examples of fruits.

Broccoli, kale, bell pepper, spinach, mushrooms, and eggplant are examples of vegetables.
Quinoa, barley, amaranth, oats, and buckwheat are examples of whole grains.
whole eggs with whites and yolks
Milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter are examples of dairy products.
Beans and legumes, including beans, peas, peanuts, and lentils
Cashews, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and peanut butter are examples of nuts, seeds, and nut butters.
Avocados, olive oil, olives, nuts, and seeds are examples of healthy fats.
Tofu, seitan, tempeh, and vegetarian protein powder are examples of vegetarian proteins.

Meal plan for lacto-ovo vegetarians
A 5-day meal plan to get you started on a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is provided below. Make changes to suit your tastes and preferences.

Monday

Breakfast: buttered toast and scrambled eggs with vegetables
Lunch: Salad of mixed greens with tofu drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, accompanied by a handful of nuts and raisins
Dinner: On a bun, a veggie cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion is served with roasted asparagus.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Smoothie of fruit and yogurt with a hard-boiled egg
Lunch: Pasta salad with beans, cheese, and vegetables, with grapes on the side
Dinner: Stir-fry of seitan and vegetables with berries on the side

Wednesday

Breakfast: apple and cottage cheese oatmeal
Lunch: Wrapped tempeh and vegetables with carrots and hummus
Dinner: Soup with grilled cheese and tomato served with roasted vegetables

Thursday

Breakfast: Fruit and spinach quiche
Lunch: Pizza with vegetables and cheese on a tortilla
Dinner: Loaf of lentils with roasted potatoes

Friday

Breakfast: toast with avocado and hummus and a banana
Lunch: Sandwich with chickpea salad and vegetable soup
Dinner: Nachos with “the works,” which include beans, cheese,
ground soy, sour cream, salsa, avocado, and black olives, served with fruit on the side.

Snack ideas that are simple

If you get hungry between meals, here are some lacto-ovo-vegetarian snack ideas:

eggs, hard-boiled
Nut, seed, and dried fruit trail mix banana slices with almond butter
Yogurt with berries and seeds and raw vegetable sticks with hummus
chickpeas roasted
popcorn with Parmesan cheese celery with peanut butter and raisins whole-grain crackers with guacamole

A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is appropriate if you want to reduce your intake of animal products while not completely eliminating them from your diet.

This diet has been linked to a number of potential health benefits, such as a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Eating a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet can help you eat more whole, unprocessed plant foods, which are responsible for many of the health benefits associated with this way of eating.
Pay attention to your nutrient intake and read the labels on packaged vegetarian foods to ensure that your diet is in line with your health objectives and nutritional requirements.