A lacto-ovo vegetarian is a person who does not consume animal meats but does consume animal products such as eggs,and dairy. Every human body needs to consume a complete protein source on a daily basis to maintain good health, grow, heal and get all the needed vitamins and minerals. A complete protein source is a dish or meal that contains all nine essential amino acids found in protein. While all meats carry the nine essential amino acids, other foods that are high in protein, such as beans, are missing some. It is because of this that some vegetarian foods must be eaten with other foods in order to provide what the body needs.
Dairy and Eggs
Dairy and eggs are already a complete protein source. When lacto-ovo vegetarians consume any of these products in a meal, they will be getting all of the nine essential amino acids, and there is no need to combine with other foods to obtain complete protein.
Grains
Grains such as brown rice, wheat and corn are common foods for those who do not eat meat. Grains are low in the essential amino acids called lysine and isoleucine. In order to obtain a complete protein source from grains, they must be combined with legumes such as lentils, peas and soy to make a complete protein.
Legumes
Legumes are a good source of protein, but they are low in the essential amino acids known as tryptophan and methionine. Legumes should be combined with grains or seeds and nuts to make a complete protein source. A possible combination of this is chickpeas and sesame, which is commonly known as hummus. Rice and beans is also a combination of grains and legumes that combine to provide a complete protein source.
Seeds and Nuts
Seeds and nuts are low in the amino acids called lysine and isoleucine, similar to grains. Seeds and nuts should be mixed with grains to build a complete protein source. For example, sunflower seeds added to a whole grain cereal would together provide all of the nine essential amino acids.
Vegetables
The amounts of amino acids in vegetables varies, but most of them are low in methionine and isoleucine. A lacto-ovo vegetarian could combine vegetables in a meal with an egg or dairy product to obtain a complete protein source from that meal. Cheese sauce over steamed vegetables would provide all nine essential amino acids.
References
- ''Staying Healthy With Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine''; Dr. Elson M. Haas; 2006
- ''Simply Vegan: Quick Vegetarian Meals'' by Debra Wasserman. Nutrition section by Reed Mangels Ph.D., R.D.; 2006
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