What Can You Eat as a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian? Plant-Based Diets

Lacto-ovo vegetarians can enjoy the health benefits of a plant-based diet while also eating dairy products and eggs, unlike a purely vegan diet.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians typically consume eggs, dairy products and plant-based foods (such as vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds) but do not consume other animal products, such as meat, poultry or fish. Ovo is an abbreviation for eggs and lacto is an abbreviation for dairy. This is the most typical vegetarian diet.

If a person is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, they should pay special attention to the following nutritional needs.

• Protein: Protein helps red blood cells and muscles function properly.
  • Protein sources that lacto-ovo vegetarians can have are
    • Milk products
    • Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
    • Soy
    • Nuts
    • Seeds
    • Eggs
    • Whole grains, such as quinoa and buckwheat
• Zinc: Zinc promotes wound healing and strengthens the immune system.
  • Zinc can be obtained from
    • Legumes
    • Nuts
    • Seeds
    • Whole grains
• Iron: Iron aids in the transport of oxygen throughout the body. 
  • Vegetarians require approximately two times more iron than nonvegetarians because iron from plant foods is not as well absorbed as iron from meat sources.
  • Iron can be found in
    • Legumes
    • Fortified pasta and cereals
    • Prunes, raisins and apricots
    • Quinoa
    • Blackstrap molasses
    • Dark green vegetables
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids promote adult heart health as well as infant brain and eye development and are mostly found in seafood and fish. 
  • Vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids include
    • Fortified soy beverages
    • Orange juice
    • Omega-3 eggs
    • Tofu
    • Canola oil
    • Soybean oil
    • Flaxseed
    • Walnuts

Apart from these, people on the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet may include the following.

• Fruits: Apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, melons, peaches
• Whole grains: Quinoa, barley, oats, amaranth, buckwheat
• Vegetables: Broccoli, bell pepper, kale, spinach, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms
• Eggs: Whole eggs, including whites and yolks
• Dairy products: Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter
• Nuts, seeds and nut butter: Cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, peanut butter
• Beans and legumes: Beans, peanuts, peas, lentils
• Healthy fats: Avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds
• Vegetarian protein: Tofu, tempeh, seitan, peas and pulses

People following a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet should consume foods from all groups to ensure adequate protein supply and avoid micronutrient deficiencies.

What are the benefits of a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet?

If followed in a well-planned and balanced manner, the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet has numerous nutritional health benefits, such as:

Weight loss

• Because it is high in fiber and low in calories, which helps keep a person feeling full and avoid overeating, this diet can help lose a few extra pounds.
• Obesity risk is reduced in people who follow a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet if they include whole foods, including plenty of vegetables in their diet.

Good for type II diabetes patients

• A lacto-ovo vegetarian lifestyle can help people maintain their blood sugar levels better since they must focus on increasing the consumption of healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes while decreasing the consumption of trans fats and saturated fats.
• The lacto-ovo vegetarian lifestyle improves blood sugar control, which improves insulin sensitivity and regulates blood sugar levels and may lower overall hemoglobin A1c levels (a marker of long-term blood sugar control).

Improves heart health

• A vegetarian diet rich in lacto-ovo proteins reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Plant-based diets improve blood flow, blood vessel health and blood pressure, implying a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Increase fiber intake

• Dietary fiber is derived from the indigestible parts of plant-derived foods, and plant-based diets can contain more fiber than meat-based diets.
• Fiber benefits include improved blood sugar control and a lower risk of gastrointestinal problems and some types of cancer (such as colorectal cancer).

What are the disadvantages of the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet?

While this eating pattern may offer health benefits it also necessitates some extra preparation, since lacto-ovo vegetarians must ensure that their diet contains adequate amounts of protein, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats. 

Other disadvantages could include:

• Animal flesh contains far more amino acids than vegetable foods, so a vegetarian will need to consume more calories to ensure that their body receives enough amino acids. The increased calorie intake may result in weight gain.
• The most common side effect is a lack of vitamin B12, which is abundant in liver, red meat and chicken. Vegetarian food is deficient in Vitamin B12, which can lead to nerve problems, fatigue and difficulty thinking.

Vegetarian diets can be just as healthy as any other. Consumption of a wide variety of vegetables is one of the main principles of a model healthy lifestyle. However, eating only vegetables may cause certain nutritional deficiencies. These can be avoided by following the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.