What Is An Ovo-vegetarian Diet?
Besides health reasons, many people opt for an ovo-vegetarian diet due to its ethical implications.
For many people, being a vegetarian simply means refraining from consuming meat. However, there are several variations of vegetarianism, such as the ovo-vegetarian diet.
The term “ovo-vegetarian” is likely to be unfamiliar to you. No worries, in this article you will be told what this diet is all about, what its benefits are, and why it is a healthy option that you could turn into a lifestyle.
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is a diet that eliminates the consumption of all or most animal products. However, there are different ways to follow a vegetarian diet. Here are a few :
- Strict vegetarians or vegans : these are people who exclusively consume products of plant origin. They completely reject the consumption of food of animal origin such as lactose, eggs or honey from bees.
- Lactovegetarians : as their name suggests, these people consume plant and dairy products (ie milk and products derived from milk: yogurt, cheese, butter, etc.).
- Ovo vegetarian s : their diet is based on the consumption of vegetables and eggs. This is a very nutrient dense diet that we will discuss in detail below.
- Ovo-lacto-vegetarians : these are the people who consume plants, eggs and products derived from milk. Like the previous cases, they refrain from eating meat and fish. It is the variant of the most common vegetarianism in the West.
What is ovo-vegetarianism?
The ovo-vegetarian diet is a type of vegetarianism that excludes the consumption of meats, fish and dairy products. However, it allows the consumption of eggs .
If you follow an ovo-vegetarian diet, you will continue to consume all of the foods found in vegetarianism, such as grains, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, you can add eggs and derivatives to your dishes.
What are the benefits of the ovo-vegetarian diet?
Vegetarianism is known for its multiple health benefits , including lowering cholesterol. Most of the dishes are made from fruits and vegetables.
The vegetarian diet is considerably less caloric and harmful to our body than a current Western diet loaded with processed products. But if it is not well structured it can lead to protein deficiency. The advantage of including the egg in the diet is that it can easily support this possible protein deficiency.
Strict vegetarians should take in addition to B12, a vitamin found only in animal products. Ovo-vegetarians can get vitamin B12 from eggs.
The benefits of the egg
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods around. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, good quality protein, essential fatty acids and other nutrients almost all concentrated in the yolk.
Its content of iron and zinc, and vitamins A, D and B12 is bio-available, allowing ovo-vegetarians to obtain these nutrients easily and effectively without having to supplement or plan the diet in detail.
Ethics are also to be taken into account
Indeed, most ovo-vegetarians do not adhere to this style of eating only for health reasons, but also for the ethical and moral side of the subject. By not consuming meat, fish or dairy products, they are trying to defend animal rights.
The environmental concern about the impact of factory farming on biodiversity is also influencing.
Different dishes of the ovo-vegetarian diet
We offer you a few dishes that will help you include the egg in this type of diet. It will be the ideal accompaniment for dishes based on vegetables, mushrooms and fruits:
- Cooked eggs
- Poached egg
- Carrot pudding
- Scrambled eggs with potatoes
- Eggs with spinach
- Croquettes
- Potato Croquettes
- Dough for noodles
- Creamed potatoes
