Unlocking the Ovo-Vegetarian Diet: What is the meaning of ovo?

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

The prefix 'ovo' is derived from the Latin word 'ovum,' meaning egg. When used in a nutritional context, the meaning of ovo defines a specific type of vegetarian diet that includes eggs but excludes all other animal products like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.

Quick Summary

The ovo-vegetarian diet is a plant-based eating pattern that incorporates eggs but omits all dairy, meat, and fish. This diet offers complete protein from eggs and is often chosen for health or environmental reasons, but requires careful nutrient planning to avoid deficiencies.

Key Points

Ovo Definition: 'Ovo' comes from the Latin word ovum for egg, meaning an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but no other animal products.
Dietary Inclusions: This diet permits eggs, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts while excluding meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.
High-Quality Protein: Eggs provide a complete, high-quality protein source, along with essential B vitamins, choline, and healthy fats for this dietary pattern.
Key Distinction: An ovo-vegetarian diet differs from a vegan diet by including eggs and from a lacto-vegetarian diet by excluding dairy products.
Careful Planning: To avoid potential deficiencies in nutrients like B12 and calcium, a well-planned ovo-vegetarian diet is essential and may involve supplements or fortified foods.
Health Benefits: Focusing on whole, plant-based foods and eggs can provide health benefits like improved heart health and weight management.
Lactose-Intolerant Option: This diet is suitable for individuals with lactose intolerance who still wish to consume eggs as part of a vegetarian lifestyle.

The Dietary Foundation of Ovo: Understanding the Meaning

The term 'ovo-vegetarian' combines the Latin root ovum (egg) with 'vegetarian' to describe a specific plant-based diet. An ovo-vegetarian consumes eggs and all plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes, while completely avoiding meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. This dietary choice can be driven by a variety of factors, including health benefits, ethical considerations regarding animal welfare, or environmental concerns. Many people, for instance, choose this path if they are lactose intolerant but wish to maintain eggs as a source of high-quality protein in their diet.

Unlike more restrictive dietary patterns like veganism, the inclusion of eggs offers a significant nutritional advantage, providing a source of complete protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. However, individuals on this diet must be mindful of potential deficiencies, particularly for nutrients typically found in dairy, such as calcium, and others abundant in meat, like vitamin B12. Careful meal planning is key to ensure all nutritional needs are met through a balanced intake of allowed foods.

What to Eat on an Ovo-Vegetarian Diet

A well-rounded ovo-vegetarian diet is rich in diverse plant-based foods, with eggs serving as a central protein source. A variety of meals can be prepared using this wide range of ingredients, ensuring both nutritional adequacy and culinary enjoyment.

Eggs and Egg Products

Eggs are a versatile staple of the ovo-vegetarian diet and can be prepared in numerous ways. Both whole eggs and egg whites are consumed, and they can be incorporated into many dishes. Examples include scrambled eggs, omelets, frittatas, and using eggs as a binding agent in baking. This offers flexibility in cooking and helps meet protein requirements.

Plant-Based Staples

The foundation of the diet consists of an abundance of whole, plant-based foods. This includes a vast selection of options:

Fruits: Apples, berries, bananas, citrus fruits, and tropical fruits.
Vegetables: Leafy greens, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, and squashes.
Grains: Rice, quinoa, oats, barley, and whole-grain breads and pastas.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and tempeh.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and nut butters.
Oils: Healthy fats like olive, avocado, and flaxseed oil.

Dairy Alternatives

Forgoing dairy products means finding alternatives for milk, cheese, and yogurt. The market offers a wide variety of dairy-free options that fit an ovo-vegetarian diet, such as soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, and dairy-free yogurts and cheeses. These can be incorporated into meals and snacks to provide flavor and texture.

Ovo vs. Other Vegetarian Diets: A Comparison

Understanding how an ovo-vegetarian diet compares to other dietary patterns can help individuals make informed choices. Below is a comparison table outlining the key differences between popular vegetarian and plant-based diets.


	Meat/Fish/Poultry	Dairy	Eggs	Rationale
Vegan	No	No	No	Excludes all animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons.
Ovo-Vegetarian	No	No	Yes	Allows eggs, providing a source of complete protein, while abstaining from dairy and meat.
Lacto-Vegetarian	No	Yes	No	Includes dairy products for calcium and protein but avoids eggs and meat.
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian	No	Yes	Yes	A common form of vegetarianism that includes both eggs and dairy products.
Pescatarian	No (except fish)	Sometimes	Sometimes	Includes fish and seafood, but not other meats, with dairy and eggs depending on preference.

Nutritional Benefits and Considerations

An ovo-vegetarian diet can be highly nutritious when properly planned, though some areas require careful attention to avoid nutrient gaps.

Advantages of the Ovo Diet

High-Quality Protein: Eggs are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids needed by the body. This is crucial for muscle repair, hormone production, and overall health.
Nutrient Density: Eggs are packed with important nutrients like vitamin B12, vitamin D, choline, and selenium. Choline, for instance, is vital for brain health.
Weight Management: Plant-based diets, when focused on whole foods, are often lower in calories and fat, which can aid in weight management. The protein in eggs can also help increase satiety.
Improved Health Markers: Studies suggest that vegetarian diets are associated with better diet quality and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Potential Nutritional Risks

Vitamin B12: This vitamin is predominantly found in animal products, so ovo-vegetarians must ensure they get enough through eggs, fortified foods, or supplementation.
Calcium: With dairy excluded, alternative sources like leafy greens, fortified plant-based milks, and beans must be included to meet calcium needs for bone health.
Iron: The non-heme iron found in plants is less easily absorbed than the heme iron in meat. Ovo-vegetarians can boost absorption by pairing iron-rich foods like lentils and spinach with vitamin C sources.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Eggs from omega-3-enriched hens, along with sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts, can help provide these healthy fats that are less common in plant-based diets.

Conclusion

The meaning of ovo is rooted in the inclusion of eggs within a vegetarian diet, providing a valuable source of nutrients while excluding all other animal products. It offers a flexible and nutritious pathway for those seeking a predominantly plant-based lifestyle, particularly those avoiding dairy for health or ethical reasons. While providing high-quality protein and other key nutrients, the ovo-vegetarian diet requires thoughtful planning to ensure adequate intake of vitamins like B12 and minerals like calcium and iron. By focusing on a diverse array of whole plant-based foods in combination with eggs, this diet can support overall health and well-being.

For more detailed information on meal plans and nutritional considerations for this dietary approach, consult the Healthline's Ovo-Vegetarian Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the context of a diet, 'ovo' is a prefix from the Latin word for egg (ovum). It indicates that an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but excludes all other animal products, such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy.

No, a key aspect of the ovo-vegetarian diet is the exclusion of all dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt. This is a primary differentiator from a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet.

Yes, because the ovo-vegetarian diet excludes all dairy products, it is an excellent dietary choice for individuals who are lactose intolerant but still want to include eggs in their vegetarian diet.

Ovo-vegetarians obtain high-quality protein from eggs, which are a complete protein source. They supplement this with ample plant-based proteins found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

An ovo-vegetarian diet permits eggs but not dairy, while a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. This distinction is based on the inclusion or exclusion of dairy.

If not carefully planned, an ovo-vegetarian diet can lead to deficiencies in nutrients like vitamin B12 (found in meat and dairy), calcium (from dairy), iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.

An ovo-diet can be very healthy, especially when centered on whole foods, and has been linked to benefits like lower blood pressure. However, its healthiness depends on overall food choices, just like any other diet, and it's not automatically superior to a well-balanced omnivorous diet.

Yes, ovo-vegetarians can use a wide variety of plant-based milk alternatives, such as soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk, to replace dairy in their diet.