Eating Vegetarian

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish and poultry but allows eggs and dairy products.

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

A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is a primarily plant-based diet that excludes meat, fish, and poultry but includes dairy and eggs.

In the name, “lacto” refers to dairy products, while “ovo” refers to eggs.

Many people adopt a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet to reduce their intake of animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons.

This article explains the benefits and downsides of a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet and provides lists of foods to eat and avoid, as well as a sample meal plan.

Benefits

Research shows that a well-planned and balanced lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet can benefit your health in a number of ways.

May help prevent type 2 diabetes

Lacto-ovo vegetarians have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That said, while eating meat is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, the protective effects of vegetarian diets may be unrelated to a lack of meat (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

Vegetarian diets lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by increasing your intake of healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, and decreasing your intake of saturated- and trans fats (1Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

What’s more, they have been shown to increase blood sugar control and improve sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

Additionally, plant-based diets are high in fiber, which slows digestion and improves blood sugar control. Vegetarian diets have also been shown to decrease hemoglobin A1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

Can support healthy weight loss

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets can help you maintain a healthy weight or support weight loss.

Vegetarian diets are typically high in fiber and low in calories, which may support feelings of fullness and prevent overeating.

In fact, research shows that vegetarian diets help prevent and reverse obesity and obesity-related diseases (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

A study in nearly 38,000 people found that vegetarians had a lower body mass index (BMI) than omnivores. A higher BMI was associated with high protein and low fiber intakes, indicating that plant-based diets high in fiber may benefit weight loss (13Trusted Source).

Improves heart health

Eating meat, certain types of fat, and refined carbs has long been associated with atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart disease (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

A vegetarian diet has been shown to lower your risk of — and even reverse — coronary artery disease. This is especially true when animal foods are limited, as is the case when you follow a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (16Trusted Source).

Plant-based diets have been shown to improve blood flow to your heart, improve blood vessel health, and reduce blood pressure — all of which may reduce heart disease risk (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

May reduce cancer risk

Vegetarian diets have been associated with a reduced risk of various cancers. A review of 96 studies found that vegetarians had an 8% lower risk of death from cancer compared with omnivores (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

Research shows that your cancer risk can be significantly reduced by eating a diet rich in plant foods like fruits and vegetables. Plus, some research suggests that diets high in red- and processed meat can increase your risk of certain cancers (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

May lower gallstone risk

Lacto-ovo vegetarians have a lower risk of gallstone disease, a condition in which hard, stone-like pieces of cholesterol or bilirubin form in your gallbladder, block your bile duct, and cause pain.

A 6-year study in 4,839 people found that non-vegetarians had a 3.8 times higher risk of developing gallstone disease than vegetarians. This may be due to the lower cholesterol intake of those on vegetarian diets (26Trusted Source).

Foods to eat

Base your diet on whole, unprocessed plant foods, as well as egg and dairy products, including:

Vegetables: broccoli, kale, bell pepper, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant

Whole grains: quinoa, barley, amaranth, oats, buckwheat

Eggs: whole eggs, including whites and yolks

Dairy products: milk, yogurt, cheese, butter

Beans and legumes: beans, peas, peanuts, lentils

Nuts, seeds, and nut butters: cashews, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, peanut butter

Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds

Vegetarian protein: tofu, seitan, tempeh, and vegetarian protein powder

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super hard for me, but I am meatless today 4.22.22