You may be thinking of switching to a healthier diet by eating nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables or just simply avoiding animal meat. Well, you may be thinking of becoming a vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian means having a mostly plant-based diet that does not include animal meat. A plant-based diet is composed of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, seeds, oils, beans, and whole grains. There are a few variations of the vegetarian diet which may or may not include animal byproducts such as egg and dairy. If you are wondering about the types of vegetarian diet, their similarities, differences, and benefits, here are some ideas.
The Three Types of Vegetarian Diet
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarian
A lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is one that includes eggs and animal milk but wards off all forms of animal meat. That means even fish and poultry are a no-no. But lacto-ovo-vegetarians may include animal byproducts in their diet. That is why they can eat eggs and dairy products derived from milk such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and the like. Additionally, their eating pattern is based on grains, fruits, and vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts. The lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is the most common type that chooses the plant-based way since its benefits include having lower blood cholesterol, decreases the risks of developing obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. - Lacto-vegetarian
The Lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but veers away from eating eggs and all forms of animal meat. The main difference between lacto-ovo-vegetarians and Lacto- vegetarians is that the latter does not include eggs in their diet. Instead of having eggs, they use baking ingredients as alternatives such as apple sauce, yogurt, mashed banana, or chia seeds. Like most plant-based diets, Lacto-vegetarians show improvement in their heart health and blood sugar and enjoy having slimmer waistlines. - Ovo-vegetarian
Being ovo-vegetarian means including egg in all forms in one’s diet but does not include animal meat and dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians may consume dishes with eggs such as omelets, cakes, muffins, and bread but do not consume milk and dairy products. Baking under an ovo-vegetarian diet uses plant-based milk such as soy milk or almond milk instead of cow’s milk. If you’re wondering, “ovo” refers to eggs, and those who practice this diet reaps the benefits of eating eggs like supporting gut health, reducing cancer risk, and aiding in weight loss.
