The most popular destination among vegetarians is lacto-vegetarianism. Lacto-vegetarianism is a type of vegetarian diet, the diet of which, in addition to plant foods, includes milk and all kinds of dairy products.
It should be noted that cheese products, manufactured from abomasum animal origin and gelatin, excluded from the menu lacto-vegetarians .
Lacto-vegetarianism complies with ethical standards and principles of vegetarianism. People who are supporters of this belief that food of animal origin can only be consumed if it was obtained non-violently. However lacto-vegetarians from his menu exclude eggs, explaining this by saying that the eggs contain an embryo, the killing of which is unacceptable.
Widely popular lacto-vegetarianism received among supporters of eastern religious traditions - Hindus and Buddhists.
This vegetarian diet is entirely consistent with the main principles of non-violence, which are professed in the sacred scriptures Vedas: “Before God, all living beings are important and equal.”
Adherents of Vedic culture excluded forever from food meat products. Meat in India began to be consumed only with the arrival of foreign conquerors: the Mughals, the Portuguese and the British colonialists. But regardless of the fact that for many centuries India was ruled by meat-eating people, a large number of Indians to date are vegans.
According to Vedic ideas A true vegetarian is one who gives up meat, eggs and fish. If a person adopted vegetarianism only to avoid violence, then he allowed to consumeunfertilized eggs. However, for adherents of Vedism, any living flesh is harmful to humans, even unfertilized eggs.
Indian scriptures say that when choosing food, a person should follow only moral and spiritual principles, and not animal instincts.
However supporters of Hindu traditions use milk and dairy products. In India, cows are sacred animals and milk is a very valuable food product. Hindus follow the Vedic principles of cow protection and treat cows with great care and love.
Also the Vedas note important fact that to get meat you need feed to livestock a large number of grains and vegetables, which are suitable for complete human nutrition. In their opinion, this is serious wastefulness. It has been proven that it is necessary to spend about 16 kg of grain to obtain a kilogram of meat. But the same amount of grain can feed nearly 30 people.
Thus, lacto-vegetarianism is a nutritional system with a certain worldview and lifestyle.
In terms of proper nutrition lacto-vegetarianism recommended to those who strive reduce level blood cholesterol, since this will be facilitated by a complete refusal to eat eggs. Thanks to the availability in this vegetarian dairy products, You you won't suffer from lack of calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Your body will also receive all the important amino acids. But dairy products also contain saturated fat, so for a healthy diet it is recommended to choose milk with a low fat content.
It should be noted that lacto-vegetarianism often serves as a transition to a strictly vegetarian diet. Cutting switching to a vegan diet often accompanied by protein starvation, since the body is accustomed to a huge amount of protein compounds in meat products. In the conditions of the middle and northern zone, the transition to a strict vegan diet must only be carried out under the supervision of a nutritionist.
As a result of the transition to lacto-vegetarianism
no negative consequences are recorded. In general, we can confidently say that lacto-vegetarianism - most suitable vegetariandiet For residents modern megacities from the point of view of ethics, economy and wellness.
It should be noted that ovo-vegetarianism is based on ethical ideas or intolerance to dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarianism is often prescribed as a long-term diet. This diet allows you to consume not only eggs, which contain vitamin B12, which is responsible for mental activity, but also honey (this product is excluded from the menu, for example, for strict vegetarians).
This ovo-vegetarian diet is prescribed to weakened people during the recovery stage. This nutritional system is especially useful for colds, but honey is included in the diet exclusively at the recovery stage, as it activates all processes occurring in the body.
This nutritional system is perfect for those with a sweet tooth who want to lose weight, but are not ready to give up delicious desserts. The main thing is to know when to stop and not consume your favorite cakes in unlimited quantities.
Lacto-vegetarianism
This is a popular type of vegetarianism, in which it is allowed to consume products of plant origin, any dairy products (with the exception of rennet cheeses and products that contain gelatin).
The main motivation for lacto-vegetarianism is the humane treatment of animals. Simply put, lacto-vegetarians consume only nonviolently sourced animal foods. At the same time, chicken eggs are excluded from the menu, since lacto-vegetarians claim that eggs contain a chicken embryo, and, therefore, eating an egg is equivalent to killing the embryo.
Most adherents of lacto-vegetarianism are Buddhists and Hindus. The fact is that people who since ancient times professed the Vedic religion practically did not eat meat, which was included in the Indian diet only after the conquest of Indian territory by the Mughals, as well as the Portuguese and the British. However, today in India, about 70% of the population is vegetarian. Milk is one of the most important food products in this country.
Thus, lacto-vegetarianism is not only a nutritional system, but also an integral component of a lifestyle, as well as a philosophical system of worldview.
From a nutritional point of view, lacto-vegetarianism is a fairly acceptable nutritional method, especially for those who want to reduce their content. In turn, the presence of dairy products in the diet allows you to avoid a lack of amino acids, D and B12. Thus, this nutritional method provides the body with almost all the necessary substances, as well as complete nutrition.
The main thing is to choose dairy products that are low in milk, especially if the main goal of lacto-vegetarianism is to improve the health of the body.
Lacto-vegetarianism is often the step through which you can switch to a vegan diet as painlessly as possible. Thus, a sudden transition to a strict vegetarian diet almost always provokes protein starvation, because the body is accustomed to the excessive amount of protein contained in meat foods. Therefore, it is important to gradually reduce your protein intake if you do not want to provoke metabolic disorders.
Lacto-ovo vegetarianism
In the West, lacto-ovo vegetarianism is the most common vegetarian diet. The term itself comes from the Latin words lacto (meaning milk), ovo (or egg) and vege (meaning vegetation).
Authorized products:
- milk,
- milk products,
- eggs,
- all kinds of plant products.
- meat,
- bird,
- fish,
- seafood.
- ethical – refuse to consume animal food due to ethical or religious considerations,
- vegetarians who follow a diet solely for reasons of healthy eating.
- meat and fish,
- cheeses made using animal rennet,
- food prepared with oil used in preparing meat dishes,
- food that was cooked in containers previously used for preparing meat foods.
Thus, eggs (both chicken and quail) provide the body with the following elements:
- vitamins missing from a plant-based diet (we are talking about vitamins E and B2, B6 and B12, biotin, as well as),
- (, manganese and phosphorus),
- organic acids.
Rules of lacto-ovo vegetarianism
1. Daily consumption of the following food set:- vegetables (or vegetable dishes) – 3 – 5 servings,
- fruits – 2 – 4 servings,
- dairy products – 5 – 10 servings (it is advisable to minimize the consumption of fresh milk, giving preference to fermented milk products such as yogurt, cottage cheese and kefir),
- eggs – 2 pcs., taking into account those eggs that are used in preparing any dishes.
- nuts,
- corn,
- vegetables and fruits,
- dairy products that contain oils and fats of vegetable origin.
- Wheat meat (or "seitan"), made from wheat gluten enriched with protein. This type of meat resembles natural meat in its structure, and therefore is excellent for preparing dishes that use natural meat.
- Legumes cooked with vegetable chili. Legumes do not differ significantly from meat in their taste characteristics and nutritional value.
- Tofu, which, when cooked correctly, is an excellent substitute for chicken. In addition, this product can replace eggs (this is especially true for those who do not eat eggs due to).
- Soy products, the choice of which today is truly impressive (these are steaks, beef stroganoff, and cutlets).
Benefits of Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism
1. Healthy cardiovascular system.Vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters. It is the replacement of animal proteins with plant proteins that lowers cholesterol levels, even if the amount of fat consumed remains at the same level. A vegetarian diet contains much lower amounts of so-called saturated fat, resulting in significantly lower rates of disease among vegetarians.
2. Normal blood pressure readings.
It has been proven that blood pressure levels in vegetarians are lower than in people whose diet includes meat. The study found that when vegetarians added meat products to their menus, their blood pressure increased rapidly.
3. Controlling the development and course of diabetes.
According to recent research, a vegetarian diet, due to its high content of both carbohydrates and plant matter, as well as its low level of saturated fat, is the optimal dietary solution for people suffering.
It is a vegetarian diet, based on the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains with minimal sugar, that significantly reduces blood sugar, and this helps reduce the number of medications taken. And since people with diabetes are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, a vegetarian diet that is low in saturated fat is perfect for them.
4. Prevention of cancer.
Studies have shown that the mortality rate from cancer among vegetarians is approximately 30–55% lower than among those who regularly consume meat products. So, which is widespread in Western countries, is much less often diagnosed among residents of countries where plant products are predominantly consumed. In addition, vegetarians are rarely diagnosed with colon cancer.
Taking into account all of the above, we can equate the concepts of “lacto-ovo-vegetarianism” and “healthy eating”, but under the following conditions:
- The diet will be balanced and include exclusively healthy and natural products.
- Dietary nutrition will be developed by a nutritionist taking into account the health status of the vegetarian, his level of activity and work activity.
Vegetarianism is one of the most popular nutrition systems in the world today. With this food system, meat products are excluded from the diet. There are many reasons why people choose vegetarianism. The benefits and harms of this way of eating are what are worth talking about.
Many experts still disagree about whether a vegetarian diet is harmful or beneficial for health. In order to make a decision for yourself whether to switch to this system or not, it is worth studying in detail each side of this issue.
Vegetarians themselves, of course, insist that giving up animal products does not cause any harm either to a person’s sense of self or to the general state of health and the body. But scientific research has long proven that man, by his structure, is neither a herbivorous mammal nor a predator. Scientists say that a person can only obtain the full composition of useful substances by consuming a wide variety of products, including meat.
When a person eats only plant foods and excludes meat products from his diet, it is difficult to talk about a balanced diet. The opinion of doctors in this case is that such a diet can even worsen health.
Harm
Food of animal origin contains a number of vitamins and microelements that are not found in plant foods at all. By excluding the animal component from the diet, a person deprives himself of these beneficial substances, which ultimately threatens the body with metabolic disorders.
Here are the beneficial substances we are talking about:
- Such an important trace element as iron.
Its presence affects the composition of the blood. Most of this microelement is found in offal, such as liver, kidneys, and fish. Vegetarians insist that iron is also present in plant foods. But the problem is that, along with iron, plant foods contain substances that prevent the full absorption of this element. It is easier and more abundant for the body to absorb this element from food of animal origin. - Anyone who plays sports even a little knows that protein is simply indispensable for building muscle tissue.
Vegetarians insist that this element can be extracted by eating legumes. Here things are the same as with iron. Indeed, plant foods contain protein, but the human body only absorbs half of it. Unlike animal protein, which is completely absorbed. - The next important microelement is calcium.
It is extremely important for the health of the musculoskeletal system, as well as for the beauty of hair and nails. The opinion of vegetarians is that this microelement can be more than obtained from leafy vegetables. But! Current research suggests that the amount of calcium in the body of vegetarians is often greatly reduced. - Animal foods contain the important vitamin B12.
The normal functioning of the nervous system depends on the presence of this vitamin. Plant foods are not able to saturate the human body with this vitamin.
Benefit
However, this question, like any other, has a second side.
To be as objective as possible, let's talk about the benefits of a vegetarian diet:
- A vegetarian lifestyle makes it much easier to maintain a healthy weight.
This is because plant foods are quite low in calories, but at the same time they contain a lot of useful substances. By eating such food, it will be easier for you to get rid of extra pounds and maintain your weight at the proper level. - It is much easier for the intestines and stomach to work with exclusively plant-based foods.
It is easily digested, does not provoke decay processes, and the body is easily freed from the remnants of such food. - With this type of nutrition, it is much easier for the body to stay in a clean state longer.
Plant foods help remove waste and toxins from the body, making it easier for the body to fight external and internal negative factors. - A vegetarian diet helps keep sugar and cholesterol at proper levels.
Thus, the cardiovascular system remains in good condition longer. Research on this topic suggests that among vegetarians there are much fewer people who suffer from cancer or diabetes than among meat eaters. - A vegetarian diet is excellent for prolonging youth, as vegetables and fruits contain many antioxidants.
- It is believed that meat eaters eat more salt than vegetarians, and excessive salt consumption is also bad for health.
There are several types of vegetarian diet. Let's look at its most popular types and look at how each of them affects the health of the body.
Lactovegetarian yours
If you are a lacto-vegetarian, you are allowed to use dairy products in your food. At the same time, lacto-vegetarians refuse certain types of rennet cheeses, gelatin, as well as products that contain additives of animal origin.
Typically, the reasons why people become adherents of lactovegetarianism are ethical and moral standards. Lacto-vegetarians thus renounce any kind of violence in their lives. This also explains the refusal of eggs, which, in principle, may contain a chicken embryo.
If we talk about the positive aspects of lacto-vegetarianism, then this method of eating keeps cholesterol in the body at the proper level. If you plan a lacto-vegetarian diet correctly, you can provide the body with sufficient quantities of useful substances. With a lacto-vegetarian diet, you have access to vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, and proteins that are easily digestible and contain amino acids. There are plenty of these substances in a lacto-vegetarian diet, due to the presence of dairy products in it.
That is why, by suddenly becoming a lacto-vegetarian, you will not put as much stress on your body as if you suddenly became a vegan.
The lactovegetarian diet is not as poor in composition as other stricter types of vegetarianism.
Ovo-vegetarianism
Another type of relatively democratic type of vegetarian diet is ovo-vegetarianism. In an ovo-vegetarian diet, you must avoid dairy products, but you can eat eggs.
If we talk about the reasons why people begin to adhere to an ovo-vegetarian diet, then they are either ethical in nature, or the basis of ovo-vegetarianism is individual intolerance to dairy products.
Another advantage of an ovo-vegetarian diet is that it allows you to eat a product that is beneficial to the body, such as honey.
An ovo-vegetarian diet can even be prescribed for people with poor health. The ovo-vegetarian diet is easy to eat and is good for colds and other body ailments.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
Another common type of vegetarianism today is lacto-ovo vegetarianism. Logically, it is clear that this includes people who allow meat, fish, eggs and dairy products in their diet.
The reasons why people become lacto-ovo-vegetarians may also be ethical, or it may simply be a healthy eating option.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism is also a good soft option for transitioning to more restrictive eating methods. With such a diet, the body also has the opportunity to receive almost all the nutrients it needs.
Vegetarian diet and children
Many questions arise regarding the topic of vegetarianism and children. Every parent has the right to choose a nutritional system for their child. If you have made such a decision, then here are recommendations that will help you do this as carefully as possible for the health of the child.
- You cannot immediately switch your child to strict vegetarianism, for example, veganism. Children should receive easily digestible protein. Instead of meat, add beans, seeds, eggs and dairy products to your child's diet.
- To prevent children from becoming deficient in vitamin D, offer them milk that is fortified with this vitamin.
- It is very important that children get enough iron. If you refuse to allow your child to eat meat, then help the child’s body absorb more of this microelement from plant foods. To do this, foods containing vitamin C must be present in the child’s diet at least once a day.
- You should not feed your child whole grain bread all the time. Whole grains fill the stomach much faster, and also partially interfere with the absorption of iron, zinc and copper. To avoid this, it is better to give your child whole grain products only half the time.
- A child's body needs a certain amount of animal fat. It is worth considering periodically including butter or medium-fat cow's milk in your child's diet. This is the only way to get this valuable product with a vegetarian diet.
05.01.2016 Vladimir Zuikov Save:
Hello, dear readers! Today we will talk about lacto-ovo vegetarianism: what it is, what benefits it brings and what you can eat. Personally, I think this type of vegetarianism is a fairly good option for beginners.
You are lucky that you are reading these lines, because... There is not much adequate information on vegetarianism. It is mainly told by theorists who have no real long-term experience or by fanatics.
Now I adhere to a more strict type of diet - a vegan-raw food diet, but I also went through lacto-ovo vegetarianism. In addition, communicating with many blog readers, I know a lot of nuances and subtleties of this type of vegetarianism. Today I will share some experience with you. I’ll start by clearly stating what it is and what they eat here.
What is lacto-ovo vegetarianism?
Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is one of the most popular vegetarian nutrition systems. It can also be a temporary diet, depending on what goals a person is pursuing. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat three main food groups: plants, dairy, and eggs. That is, you are allowed to eat a lot of things except flesh (animals, poultry, fish, seafood, insects).
What is good about this nutrition system, especially for a beginner, is that you can eat not only plant foods, but also animals. That is, this is a very comfortable diet.
In my experience, all lacto-ovo vegetarians can be divided into only 2 groups:
- Those who choose this type of vegetarianism out of compassion for animals, refusing meat for ethical or moral reasons.
- Those who choose this diet to improve health and maintain beauty or to cure illnesses (often on the recommendation of a doctor or nutritionist).
Benefits of Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism
Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is a kill-free nutrition system. This is very good not only from the point of view of compassion for animals. This is a completely useful and comfortable nutrition system. Now I will explain what I mean.
The first aspect is that animals are not killed. With lacto-ovo vegetarianism, people will not cause painful death to animals, because... He gave up the desire to fill his stomach with their meat (an unjustified gluttony).
The health benefits of vegetarianism are manifested at least in the fact that in our time there is no longer any normal meat. Animals are fed antibiotics and hormones so that they don’t get sick and grow faster. During slaughter, a “seal of fear” is placed on the meat, because the animal dies in fear and agony. And how many benefits does such meat have? By the way, I already wrote about the dangers of meat. Be sure to read this article, you will be shocked.
The second aspect is the health benefits. There are a lot of medical studies that confirm that giving up meat reduces the risks of many degenerative diseases (cardiovascular, cancer, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal diseases).
If you look at the statistics on the incidence of these diseases, it becomes clear that the more people began to eat meat, the more they began to get sick. Eating meat 3 times a day is a complete dead end for health. Previously, people could afford meat no more than 1-2 times a week. Draw your own conclusions.
The third aspect is convenience for life. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism does not bind a person; he can find delicious food almost anywhere. Any normal cafe or restaurant has vegetarian dishes. This is convenient and does not make a person a black sheep in society.
What do you need to know before choosing lacto-ovo vegetarianism?
To begin with, I’ll tell you what, dear readers. Without a thoughtful diet and gradual action, you should not rush to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian, so as not to harm your health.
The transition from a meat diet must be carried out competently; the new diet must be balanced, especially at the transition stage. I think you understand this, because... With an illiterate approach, there may be protein starvation of cells.
Of course, milk and eggs contain everything that meat contains. This includes vitamin B12, omega fatty acids, calcium, and other elements. However, everything is individual and the body may simply not be able to assimilate them due to unpreparedness.
This is why some vegetarians seem to have everything they need in their diet, but they are deficient in essential substances. This is bad and ignorant. There is no point in repeating their sad experience.
Why might problems arise from lacto-ovo vegetarianism?
- Firstly, with an illiterate transition, cells that previously assimilated protein from meat well simply do not know how to properly assimilate protein from other foods.
- Secondly, you need the right diet and combination of foods. There is no way without this. You need to understand this.
What can these vegetarians eat?
Nutritionists can advise you all sorts of nonsense. One will recommend one thing, another will recommend something completely different. This happens because none of them has practical experience of such nutrition. Almost every fool can graduate from college or buy a diploma. Try to eat like this yourself before you teach people to do it!
As a result, you will not feel the desired changes and may be hooked on taking artificial vitamins and dietary supplements. Just tough! I see this all the time, unfortunately. But this is not the norm. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is a completely nutritious diet, there are simply too many illiterate specialists.
What should be included in a healthy lacto-ovo vegetarian diet?
- Raw vegetables and vegetable dishes. In order to have enough vitamins to be healthy, there should be at least half of the total amount of raw vegetables. Don’t forget about fresh greens (domestic and wild), they help to fully replace amino acids from meat.
- The fruits are fresh. There is no need to boil fruits, as they are of no use. Buy the fruits that you like best. They are all very useful. The main thing is, do not take it with chemical treatment (plastic ones in the supermarket), such vitamins are only lost and have 0 benefits.
- Cereals and legumes, some cereals. First of all, these are compatible porridges and black bread. There are many subtleties here, I will talk about this in a separate article. Do not miss!
- Dairy products. I do not recommend milk, but rather fermented milk products. They are more useful.
- Eggs. Many people don't take into account that eggs are also often found in baked goods and other foods. So, you don’t need a lot of eggs in your diet. 1-2 pieces per day - maximum.
- Nuts, dried fruits, honey. All this is an addition to the diet. Very useful products, they should not be forgotten either.
Of course, all foods should be consumed without going too far, but not too little. Let me give you examples:
- A common mistake is the excessive consumption of eggs, which are used to replace meat foods. This always leads to increased cholesterol in the blood and problems with blood vessels.
- Too much fatty dairy products. The best fats are vegetable and healthy ones - flax and flaxseed oil, avocado, fatty seeds.
If you have any questions about the competent transition to this type of vegetarianism or creating an individual diet, then you can always contact me for a free consultation.
So. In general, lacto-ovo vegetarianism is quite healthy and convenient for life + with such a diet there is no need to kill animals. Once you try vegetarianism, you will see for yourself that minimal dietary restrictions provide enormous benefits without disrupting your social life. The main thing is to think through your diet and wisely switch to this type of nutrition. Then it will be simple. Okay, what questions do you have for me?
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Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is a type of diet that excludes the consumption of meat, fish and poultry, but allows the consumption of dairy and some other animal products. Research confirms that this diet is actually healthier for some people. This article will help you learn a little more about vegetarianism and how to change your eating habits and become a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.
Steps
Learn about lacto-ovo vegetarianism
The essence of the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism excludes all types of red meat, poultry and fish, but allows the consumption of eggs and dairy products, as well as any foods that contain them. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism differs from other types of vegetarianism, such as pesco-vegetarianism (which allows fish) or lacto-vegetarianism (which allows dairy products but not fish), as well as veganism (which excludes all animal products). origin and any dishes prepared from them).
Benefits of Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is associated with lower rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are less likely to suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
The complexities of lacto-ovo vegetarianism. Switching to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet can mean big changes in your food and meal choices, as well as changes in your health. As with any major lifestyle change, it is recommended that you consult with your doctor or nutritionist before switching to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. This will help you create the healthiest meal plan to ensure you're getting enough nutrients.
Define your limits. Animal products include all types of meat, fish, eggs and honey. In addition, products such as gelatin and lard (edible fat) are also derived from animals, and they are often present in other products that are not explicitly animal products. You can determine for yourself which foods you want to include in your diet and which you want to exclude.
Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get enough calcium, which is essential for bones and teeth, not only from dairy products, but also from soy milk, some grains, dark green leafy vegetables and other foods. Fortified dairy products and egg yolks can be an excellent source of the vitamin D your body needs. Sources of vitamin D (based on a daily intake of 1,200 calories) include ½ cup of low-fat milk, 30 grams of low-fat cheese, or 1 cup of fresh green leafy vegetables.
Eat enough iron. And while lacto-ovo vegetarians don't eat meat, they do have a variety of alternative sources of iron, including fortified grains, spinach, legumes, whole grain breads and other foods. Good sources of iron (assuming a daily intake of 1,200 calories) include ½ cup beans, 1 slice whole grain bread, 1 cup fresh spinach, or 3/4 cup fortified cereal.
Don't forget about zinc. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get zinc from fortified grains, many legumes, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, wheat germ, dairy and other foods. Good sources of zinc (assuming a daily intake of 1,200 calories) include ½ cup beans, ½ cup low-fat milk, or 3/4 cup fortified cereal.
Make sure you consume enough vitamin B-12. The body can get vitamin B-12 from animal products or from dietary supplements. As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can get this vitamin from dairy products, eggs, and special fortified foods. Good sources of vitamin B-12 (assuming a daily intake of 1,200 calories) include 1/2 cup low-fat milk, a medium egg, or 3/4 cup fortified cereal.
Determine if you are getting enough iodine. Iodine is necessary for the functioning of many organs. It can be obtained from iodized salt, as well as from many processed foods made with iodized salt. If you consume a lot of raw foods, there is a chance that you are not getting enough iodine. Buy iodized salt if possible, but do not consume it in large quantities, as excess sodium is harmful to the body.
Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart and brain health. As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can get them from nuts and seeds, soybeans, and some fortified grains. For example, 30 grams of dry or ½ cup of flax seeds would be an excellent source of omega-3. Some types of eggs may also be rich in omega-3 fatty acids (they are usually labeled as such).
Diversify your diet
-
Try a variety of cuisines. There are many interesting lacto-ovo vegetarian dishes in many cuisines around the world. Trying different restaurants can be a great way to try new things and get some interesting ideas.
- Asian cuisine (including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese) has many meat-free dishes that rely on vegetables and/or tofu as a base. Some of these dishes are prepared with fish sauces. If you order this dish at a restaurant, check with the waiter in advance whether the dish is suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians.
- South Asian cuisine (Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, etc.) has many dishes made from legumes and lentils, rice, spiced vegetables, yogurts and other foods that lacto-ovo vegetarians eat.
- It's fairly easy to find lacto-ovo vegetarian dishes in Mediterranean cuisine (Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern). You can order dishes that include falafel, couscous, eggplant, tabbouleh, feta cheese and other vegetarian items. Mediterranean cuisine has many meatless sauces, such as pasta primavera, marinara or pesto.
- Mexican cuisine for lacto-ovo vegetarians includes a variety of bean burritos, vegetable fajitas and nachos, enchiladas with cheese or legumes, quesadillas, tamales, rice dishes, huevos rancheros, guacamole and salsa, refried beans, and so on. If you order a Mexican dish at a restaurant, make sure it does not contain lard or other animal products.
Try to get out of your comfort zone. Switching to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet can be a major lifestyle change, and due to dietary restrictions, it can be difficult to adjust to. Try to use these changes to open up new and amazing opportunities. Try new foods and recipes - this will add variety and help you get all the nutrients you need.
