Non-Meat Diets

Well-planned non-meat diets offer significant health benefits, including prevention and treatment of diseases, according to the American Dietetic Association. A non-meat diet can help you lose weight if coupled with healthy food choices and exercise. According to the National Institutes of Health Weight-control Information Network, individuals who follow a vegetarian diet typically eat fewer calories than those who regularly include meat in their diets. The American Heart Association links a vegetarian diet with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, some types of cancers and obesity.

Nutrition Without Meat

According to the ADA position statement, a non-meat diet supplies all nutritional requirements. Vegans and vegetarians can obtain all required protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, iodine, zinc, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12, nutrients traditionally associated with animal meats and animal by-products, from plant-based sources. The ADA states that non-meat diets are appropriate at any stage of life. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, children, adolescents, older individuals and athletes can benefit from the exclusion of meats form their diets.

Vegan Diet

A vegan diet consists of only plant-based foods, namely fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts, and excludes all animal meats and by-products, including all meats, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy. People choose to eat a vegan diet for health, environmental and ethical reasons. If you eat meat, you may be eating unnaturally fattened meat, hormones or antibiotics, which can all contribute to illness and weight gain. The inhumane treatment of animals raised for meats, dairy and eggs may influence the decision to choose a vegan diet.

Lacto-Vegetarian Diet

A lacto-vegetarian diet consists mainly of plant-based foods, but allows dairy products such as milk, cream, cheese, butter and yogurt. A lacto-vegetarian diet excludes all meats, poultry, fish, seafood and eggs. This type of diet also excludes products that contain eggs and meats as ingredients. For example, some ice creams contain eggs and so would be prohibited on this diet, but many ice creams are egg-free and would be allowed. Likewise, a lacto-vegetarian would not eat French toast, but would eat buttered bread.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diet

A lacto-ovo vegetarian diet excludes all animal meats, but does not exclude animal by-products such as eggs and dairy. If choosing a lacto-vegetarian diet, selecting dairy produced from free-range, hormone-free animals may limit some of your exposure to unhealthy toxins and organisms. Choosing antibiotic-free diary sources can reduce risk of acquiring antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Unhealthy Food Choices

Avoiding meat does not necessarily translate into better health if you substitute unhealthy foods in its place. Generally, eating a diet high in processed foods, sodium and refined sugars contributes to weight gain and poor health. In this respect, the same dietary rules apply whether or not you eat meat. Choosing foods that provide high nutritional value for lower calories will help you to control your weight and including foods that provide all your nutritional requirements will improve your health. These food choices include fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains.