does not. These groups, however, were formed before
the rise of modern factory farming, which often results
in inhumane living conditions for dairy cows and egg-
producing hens. As a result, many contemporary ovo-
lactovegetarians insist on purchasing their eggs or
dairy products from small farmers who do not use
factory-farming methods.
DescriptionThe 2003 vegetarian food guide
Ovolactovegetarianism entered the medical main-
stream in 2003 when the American Dietetic Associa-
tion (ADA) and the Dietitians of Canada (DC) jointly
issued ‘‘A New Food Guide for North American Veg-
etarians.’’ This document contained the first major
revisions of the familiar U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture (USDA) food guide pyramid (originated 1912,
modified in 1942 and 1992) and Canada’s Food
Guide to Healthy Eating (CFGHE; originated 1942,
modified in 1992) intended for vegetarians. While the
1992 food guides were the first to consider overnutri-
tion as a serious health problem, and emphasized the
importance of plant foods in the diet, they did not
include guidelines for planning vegetarian diets. The
2003 food guide borrowed the general concept of food
groups from the older guides, but reclassified foods
into five plant-based groups:
Grains: The foundation of an ovolactovegetarian
diet. Whole grains are best, but enriched refined
grains are also acceptable.
Vegetables and fruits: The ADA and DC recommend
that vegetarians choose both vegetables and fruits
rather than using only one or the other.
Legumes, nuts, and other protein-rich foods:
Legumes include soy milk and tofu. Dairy products
used by ovolactovegetarians also fall into this cate-
gory, as do meat substitutes.
Fats: Ovolactovegetarians require plant-based sour-
ces of n-3 fats because they do not eat fish.KEY TERMS
Carnivore—An animal whose diet consists mostly or
entirely of meat. Cats, wolves, snakes, birds of prey,
frogs, sharks, spiders, seals, and penguins are all
carnivores.
Dietitian—A health care professional who special-
izes in individual or group nutritional planning, pub-
lic education in nutrition, or research in food
science. To be licensed as a registered dietitian
(RD) in the United States, a person must complete a
bachelor’s degree in a nutrition-related field and
pass a state licensing examination. Dietitians are
also called nutritionists.
Factory farming—A term that refers to the applica-
tion of techniques of mass production borrowed from
industry to the raising of livestock, poultry, fish, and
crops. It is also known as industrial agriculture.
Lactose intolerance—A condition in which the body
does not produce enough lactase, an enzyme
needed to digest lactose (milk sugar). Ovolactovege-
tarians with lactose intolerance often choose to use
soy milk, almond milk, or other milk substitutes as
sources of protein.
Lactovegetarian—A vegetarian who uses milk,
yogurt, and cheese in addition to plant-based
foods, but does not eat eggs.Omnivore—An animal whose teeth and digestive
tract are adapted to consume either plant or animal
matter. The term does not mean, however, that a
given species consumes equal amounts of plant and
animal products. Omnivores include bears, squir-
rels, opossums, rats, pigs, foxes, chickens, crows,
monkeys, most dogs, and humans.
Ovolactovegetarian—A vegetarian who consumes
eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based
foods. The official diet recommended to Seventh-
day Adventists is ovolactovegetarian.Ovovegetarian—A vegetarian who eats eggs in addi-
tion to plant-based foods but does not use milk or
other dairy products.Pepsin—A protease enzyme in the gastric juices of
carnivorous and omnivorous animals that breaks
down the proteins found in meat. Its existence in
humans is considered evidence that humans evolved
as omnivores.Vegan—A vegetarian who excludes all animal prod-
ucts from the diet, including those that can be
obtained without killing the animal. Vegans are
also known as strict vegetarians.Ovolactovegetarianism