The Lacto-Ovo Diet Plan
Excerpted from The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline by Gail Sforza Krebs and Dr. Tom Brewer 2000 Kalico Communications http://ebooks.kalico.net
THE BREWER VEGETARIAN
PREGNANCY DIET #1: LACTO-OVO
Group 1 (milk and milk products)
Group 2 (calcium replacements)
Group 3 (eggs)
Group 4 (meat, seafood, and meat substitutes)
Group 5 (dark green vegetables)
Group 6 (whole grains, starches, carbohydrates)
Group 7 (vitamin C foods)
Group 9 (vitamin A foods)
Group 8 (fats and oils)
Group 10 (liver -- OMIT)
Group 11 (salt and other sodium sources)
Group 12 (water)
Group 13 (snacks)
Group 14 (supplements)
THE LACTO-OVO PLAN AT A GLANCE
SAMPLE LACTO-OVO MENU
Pregnancy makes the same nutritional demands of vegetarian prospective mothers
as it does of non-vegetarians. The only difference is that the vegetarian mother
meets her needs a different way. If you are a vegetarian, you will
probably have to be even more conscientious about your daily food choices than
someone who eats meat. If you are a strict vegetarian who uses no animal
products (no milk, cheese, butter, eggs or meat), your diet must be very
carefully managed to ensure that you obtain from other sources everything that
those foods commonly contribute to the standard diet, including calories.
Happily, these requirements pose no great problem for most vegetarians once they
learn about them. Most vegetarians are already thoughtful, concerned, and
dedicated to excellent nutrition. That's why they become vegetarians in the
first place!Depending on who's defining the term, a "vegetarian" could be a
person who: eats nothing of animal origin (vegan); eats eggs and milk products
in addition to plant foods (lacto-ovo vegetarian); eats seafood, eggs, and milk
products, but abstains from meat and poultry (semi-vegetarians); eats poultry,
seafood, eggs, and milk products in addition to plant foods, but abstains from
red meat; eats at least 50 percent of all food raw and abstains from meat,
poultry, and seafood (Bircher-Benner); eats only whole foods and abstains from
all animal products (hygienist); eats mainly grains, beans, and vegetables,
according to their balance of yin and yang, with minimal amounts of animal
products and few fruits (macrobiotic); eats only raw foods, with an emphasis on
sprouts, and no animal products (sproutarian); eats only nuts, fruits,
vegetables, and seeds that have fallen on their own from a plant (fruitarian).
In addition, certain groups of vegetarians may hold other health or
religious/philosophical beliefs and engage in other health practices that affect
their overall nutritional status. Water fasting, juice fasting, colonic
irrigation, the use of herbs, roots, barks, grasses, and flowers in teas or as
foods themselves, and the restriction of protein to a predetermined (low) level
are examples of such activities. All need to be carefully reviewed for their
safety in pregnancy. Looking from a broad cultural and historical
perspective, one has to conclude that some vegetarian regimens must be
compatible with healthy pregnancy. The world over, people have chosen
combinations of local foods that have been sufficiently nutritious to sustain
life, even without meat. In countries with a peasant tradition, for instance,
meat has been for the most part a luxury item, and staple foods are of plant
origin. The familiar pasta with tomato sauce, so closely identified with
southern Italian cuisine, is one example. In countries influenced by traditional
Catholic practice, there have always been long stretches of the year when people
abstained from meat. Hindus, Buddhists, and some Seventh Day Adventists eat no
meat. A rich legacy of meatless cooking is available to all of us as the result
of these and similar observances. However, it's important to keep in mind that
other products of animal origin, such as milk products, eggs, and seafood,
typically were in daily use. These are concentrated sources of protein and
calories, both of which we have seen are necessary for successful pregnancy.
If you choose, for whatever reason, to restrict your range of acceptable foods
to those that come from plants alone, you have set yourself a very difficult,
but not impossible, task in pregnancy -- how to reconcile your nutrition
preferences with your new, escalated nutritional requirements. It can be done,
but it will take a serious commitment on your part. Because the two general
categories of vegetarians (those who use some animal products and those who
don't) require different dietary planning, the Brewer Pregnancy Diet Basic Plan
is modified in this chapter to the Brewer Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet #1 (Lacto-Ovo)
(for people who use eggs and milk products); the next chapter covers the Brewer
Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet #2 (Vegan) (for people who use no food products of
animal origin). Vegetarian Plan 1 (Lacto-Ovo) includes milks, eggs, butter, and
cheese -- foods of animal origin. Vegetarian Plan 2 (Vegan) is exclusively plant
food. Both plans provide the same quality of nutrition for pregnancy and are
comparable in every way to the food exchanges in the Basic Plan.
Individuals who include seafood or poultry, but exclude red meat, in their diets
should use the Basic Plan since it contains the food exchanges on that plan meet
all their needs. For the purposes of this book, they have cut out certain kinds
of animal protein, but are not vegetarians.
THE BREWER VEGETARIAN PREGNANCY DIET #1 (Lacto-Ovo)
LACTO-OVO GROUP 1
Milk, Milk Products, and Milk Substitutes
Daily Exchanges: 4
One exchange provides approximately 8 grams of protein plus considerable amounts
of calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. For each soy milk or other
low-fat milk or yogurt or cottage cheese exchange you choose, add one extra
exchange from Group 8 (Fats and Oils). In addition, for each soy exchange,
select two from Group 2 (Calcium Replacements). For every three soy exchanges,
add one extra selection from Group 9 (Vitamin A Foods).
LACTO-OVO GROUP 1 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Cow's Milk Buttermilk, from whole milk 1 cup (8 oz.)
Evaporated, whole, reconstituted 1 cup
Evaporated, whole, from can 1/2 cup
Nonfat, dried powdered 1 cup
Nonfat, reconstituted 1 cup
Skim 1 cup
2% fat 1 cup
Whole 1 cup
Yogurt 1 cup
Cheese Cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, Jack, mozzarella, Edam, Gouda, Brie, feta, etc.
1 1/4 oz.
Cottage or ricotta 1/4 cup
Parmesan or Romano, grated 3 Tablespoons
Ice milk 1 cup
Ice cream, homemade or all natural 1 cup
Goat's milk 1 1/8 cup
Soy milk, fluid, unfortified 1 1/2 cup
Soybean curd (tofu) 1 piece, 3" x 3" x 1/2" (approx. 4 oz.)
LACTO-OVO GROUP 2
Calcium Replacements
Daily Exchanges: as needed (2 per soy exchange from Group 1)
LACTO-OVO GROUP 2 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Almonds 2 oz. or 36 nuts
Bok choy, cooked 1/3 cup
Brazil nuts 2 oz. or 12 nuts
Bread crumbs, wheat 3 1/2 oz.
Brewer's yeast 5 Tablespoons
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup
Buckwheat flour 3/4 cup
Carob powder 1/4 cup
Collard greens, cooked 1/3 cup
Dandelion greens, cooked 3/4 cup
Dulse (seaweed) 1 oz.
Eggs, whole 4
Fennel 1 large stalk
Filberts 2 oz. or 1/2 cup chopped
Kale, cooked 1/2 cup
Kelp (seaweed) 1/2 oz.
Molasses, blackstrap 2 teaspoons
Muffins, wheat or corn 2
Mustard greens, cooked 1/2 cup
Okra, cooked 3/4 cup
Olives, black 4 oz.
Pancakes, wheat 4 (5" diameter)
Peanuts, roasted 5 oz.
Pistachios 3 1/2 oz. or 2/3 cup
Sesame seed meal 2 Tablespoons
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup
Soybean curd (tofu) 3 1/2 oz.
Soy flour, full fat 2 oz.
Soy flour, defatted 1 oz.
Soy protein, textured 3 1/2 oz.
Sunflower seeds 3 1/2 oz. or 2/3 cup
Tortillas, made with lime 2
Waffles, wheat 3
Walnuts, English 2 oz.
Wheat germ 4 1/2 oz.
Note: There are other foods that contain a considerable amount of calcium, but
because of other factors present in those foods, such as oxalic acid, the
calcium is unavailable to the body.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 3
Eggs
Daily Exchanges: 2
One exchange provides six grams of protein, and vitamins and minerals in
abundance, including 1 milligram of well-assimilated iron and 600 units of
vitamin A, the anti-infection vitamin. Added together, the milk and egg
exchanges provide a baseline protein, vitamin, mineral and calorie foundation
for the rest of the diet.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 3 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Egg, whole, any style 1
LACTO-OVO GROUP 4
Protein Combinations
Daily Exchanges: 6
One exchange provides 7 grams of protein. The plant sources of protein, however,
are incomplete. That is, each is deficient in one or more of the essential
amino acids needed to form the pattern of amino acids distribution that is best
used by the human body. There are two ways to fill in the pattern for plant
proteins: (a) eat a small amount of animal protein along with the plant protein,
or, (b) combine plant proteins so that they complement each other (that is,
combine plant sources that are low in some of the protein building blocks,
called amino acids, with other plant sources that are high in those amino
acids). In some cases, complementary plant proteins mixed in the proper ratios
surpass the protein utilization rate of animal proteins. In vegetarian meal
planning, serve legumes with grains or combine them in dishes such as Spanish
rice, barley and bean stew, or pasta with beans. Round out your amino acid
pattern with a selection from vegetables and one from nuts and seeds. See the
Brewer Pregnancy Vegetarian Diet #2 for specific ratios, and consult a
vegetarian cookbook such as Laurel's Kitchen (New York: Bantam, 1978) that has
extensive nutrition tables and discusses protein combining in detail. Note: If
you select eggs or dairy products to fulfill some of these protein exchanges,
you may not count them twice (as satisfactions of Group 1 and 3 requirements).
You must have additional servings of eggs and dairy for this group's
requirements. This principle also applies to the beans, grains, vegetables, nuts
and seeds, some of which appear in other places on the diet. To meet your
protein and calorie needs, you must have additional servings, above and beyond
what you choose for other categories.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 4 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Animal Sources
Cow's milk, whole, fluid 1 cup
Cow's milk, powdered, skim 1/3 cup
Ice cream or ice milk 1 cup
Yogurt 1 cup
Cheese
Cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, Jack, mozzarella, Edam, Gouda, Brie, feta, etc. 1 oz.
Parmesan, Romano, grated 3 Tablespoons
Goat's milk 1 cup
Egg, whole 1 large
Egg noodles, cooked 1 cup
Plant Sources
Legumes, cooked
Black beans 1/2 cup
Chick peas (garbanzos) 1/2 cup
Common beans (red, white, pinto) 1/2 cup
Cowpeas (Black-eyed peas) 1/2 cup
Fava beans (broad beans) 1/2 cup
Kidney beans (red, white) 1/2 cup
Lima beans, mature 1/2 cup
Split peas 1/2 cup
Mung beans 1/2 cup
Turtle beans 1/2 cup
Lentils 1/3 cup
Soybeans 1/3 cup
Soybean curd (tofu) 3 1/2 oz.
Grains
Barley 1/3 cup, dry measure
Bread, whole wheat or rye 3 slices
Buckwheat flour, dark 2/3 cup
Bulgur 1/3 cup, dry measure
Cous-cous 1/3 cup, dry measure
Cornmeal 3/4 cup
Gluten flour 1/4 cup
Millet 1/3 cup, dry measure
Macaroni or spaghetti, durum wheat, cooked 1 1/4 cup
Macaroni or spaghetti, high-protein, cooked 2/3 cup
Oatmeal 2/3 cup, dry measure
Rice, all varieties 1/2 cup, dry measure
Rye flour 1/2 cup
Triticale flour 1/2 cup
Wheat bran 3/4 cup
Wheat germ 1/4 cup
Whole wheat flour 1/2 cup
Nuts and seeds, without shells
Almonds 2 oz.
Brazil nuts 2 oz.
Cashews 1 1/2 oz.
Chestnuts 4 oz.
Filberts 2 oz.
Hickory nuts 2 oz.
Peanuts, roasted 1/4 cup
Peanut butter 2 Tablespoons
Pecans 3 oz.
Pignolias 2 Tablespoons
Pistachios 1 1/2 oz.
Pumpkin seeds 1 oz.
Sesame seeds 1/4 cup
Sunflower seeds 3 Tablespoons
Walnuts, Black 1 oz.
Walnuts, English 2 oz.
Vegetables
Artichoke, cleaned 7 oz.
Asparagus, cleaned 7 oz.
Brussels sprouts, fresh or frozen 5 oz.
Broccoli, fresh or frozen 2 cups
Cauliflower, fresh or frozen 7 oz.
Collard greens, cooked 6 oz.
Corn, fresh or frozen 2 ears
Kale, cooked 6 oz.
Limas, baby, fresh or frozen 3 oz.
Mung bean sprouts 6 oz.
Mushrooms, cleaned 7 oz.
Mustard greens, cooked 7 oz.
Peas, green, fresh or frozen 4 oz.
Potatoes, whole 2 large
Soy bean sprouts 4 oz.
spinach, cleaned, fresh or frozen 7 oz.
Turnip greens, cooked 7 oz.
Yams, whole 2
LACTO-OVO GROUP 5
Fresh, Dark Green Vegetables
Daily Exchanges: 2
These vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals such as A and the B complex,
which is necessary to aid your body in making use of the protein provided by
other foods. This group also contains food fiber to promote normal digestion and
bowel movements -- significant during pregnancy when constipation can sometimes
be a problem.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 5 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup
Spinach, cleaned, raw 2/3 cup
Greens Collards, turnip, beet, mustard, dandelion, kale -- cooked 2/3 cup
Lettuce, raw (Romaine is best) 1/2 cup
Endive, raw 1/2 cup
Watercress, raw 1/2 cup
Bok choy, raw 1 cup
Swiss chard, raw 1 cup
Sprouts, bean or alfalfa, raw 1/2 cup
Asparagus, cooked 1/2 cup
LACTO-OVO GROUP 6
Whole Grains, Starchy Vegetables and Fruits
Daily Exchanges: 5
These foods are prime sources of the carbohydrates you need to fuel your body.
If you have too few carbohydrates, your body burns the protein you eat for
energy, thus robbing you and your baby of the building blocks for tissue growth
and repair. Carbohydrates from whole grains and starch vegetables affect you
differently than the simple sugars found in candy, honey, jams, soft drinks,
bakery goods, and refined sugar itself. The complex carbohydrates are also
sources of B vitamins.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 6 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Bread, whole wheat or rye 1 slice
Bagel 1/2
English muffin 1/2
Dinner roll or biscuit 1
Frankfurter or hamburger bun 1/2
Corn tortilla, 6" diameter 1
Corn bread, 2" x 2" x 1" 1 piece
Corn or bran muffin 1
Pancake, 5" diameter 1
Waffle, 5" diameter 1
Crackers
Buttery snack type 5
Graham, full oblong 1
Matzo, 6" x 4" 1/2
Saltines 6
Rice cakes, puffed type 2
Cereals
Shredded wheat 1 biscuit
Bran flakes 1/2 cup
Granola 1/2 cup
Unsweetened, boxed 3/4 cup
Puffed type 1 cup
Cooked (oatmeal, wheat, rice, etc.) 1/2 cup
Wheat germ 1/4 cup
Grits, cooked 1/2 cup
Popcorn, popped 3 cups
Pasta, cooked 1/2 cup
Rice, cooked 1/2 cup
Flour (as an ingredient or thickening agent in sauces) 2 1/2 Tablespoons
Cornstarch 1 Tablespoon
Tapioca, dry 1 Tablespoon
Chocolate (baking) 1 oz.
Vegetables
Beets, cooked 1 cup
Carrots, cooked 1 cup
Carrots, raw 2
Corn kernels 1/2 cup
Corn on the cob 1 ear
Cucumber 1 large
Lima beans, baby 1/2 cup
Onion, raw 1 (2 1/2" diameter)
Onion, cooked 3/4 cup
Parsnips 2/3 cup
Peas, green 1/2 cup
Potato, white 1 small
Potato, mashed 1/2 cup
Potato chips 15
Pumpkin, cooked 1/2 cup
Sauerkraut, prepared 1 cup
Winter squash, cooked 1/3 cup
Summer squash, cooked 1 1/2 cup
Sweet potato 1/2
Tomato, raw 1 1/2
Turnips, cooked 1 1/4
Baked beans, canned 1/4 cup
Cooked legumes (beans, peas, lentils) 1/2 cup
Fruits
Apple 1/2
Apple juice 1/3 cup
Apple sauce 1/4 cup
Apricots, fresh 3
Apricot nectar 1/3 cup
Avocado 1 cup pieces
Banana 1/2
Blackberries 1/2 cup
Blueberries 1/2 cup
Cantaloupe 1/2
Cherries 1/2 cup
Cranberry juice 1/2 cup
Cranberry sauce 2 Tablespoons
Dates 2
Figs, fresh or dried 2
grapefruit 1/2
Grapefruit juice 1/2 cup
Grapes, purple 1 cup
Grapes, green or white 1/2 cup
Lemonade, from concentrate 1/3 cup
Orange 1/2
Orange juice 1/2 cup
Papaya 1/2 cup pieces
Peach 1
Pear 1/2
Persimmon 1/2
Pineapple 1/2 cup pieces
Pineapple juice 1/3 cup
Plum 2
Prunes, cooked 3
Prune juice 1/4 cup
Raisins 2 Tablespoons
Raspberries 1/2 cup
Strawberries 1 cup
Tangerine 1
LACTO-OVO GROUP 7
Vitamin C Foods
Daily Exchanges: 4
Vitamin C is important for the body's manufacture of collagen, the connective
substance that holds tissues together. Without adequate C, your uterus is less
strong and may not perform well in labor. Vitamin C is also crucial in the
body's defense system against infection, and in improving iron absorption. As a
vegetarian, you need more C than other pregnant women because the high fiber
content of your diet tends to impair iron absorption. Vitamin C assists in iron
absorption. Try to eat the Vitamin C exchanges along with your soy exchanges
since the soy products are your major sources of iron.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 7 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Cabbage, raw 1 cup
Cauliflower, cooked 1 cup
Cantaloupe 1/2 medium
Grapefruit, preferably pink 1/2
Grapefruit juice 2/3 cup
Lemon 1
Lime 1
Orange 1
Orange juice 1/2 cup
Papaya 1/2 cup
Pepper, green or red, raw 1
Potatoes, cooked in their skins 2
Strawberries, fresh 1/2 cup
Tangerines 2
Tomato 1 large
Tomato juice 1 cup
Tomato purée 2/3 cup
LACTO-OVO GROUP 8
Fats and Oils
Daily Exchanges: 5
Each exchange provides 8 grams of fats. These are needed in your diet to help
your body absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K. Fats and oils also
contribute to a fine-textured skin. They are a concentrated source of calories:
the food energy you need at greatly increased levels during pregnancy. The extra
fat exchanges in this vegetarian plan are necessary to make up for the 20 grams
of fats provided in the basic Brewer Pregnancy Diet by meat exchanges.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 8 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Butter 1 Tablespoon
Mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon
Vegetable oil -- olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, peanut, etc. 1 Tablespoon
Avocado 1/4
Coconut, grated 3 Tablespoons
Chocolate (baking), bitter 1/2 oz.
Chocolate (baking), sweet 1 oz.
Cream, light 1/4 cup
Cream, heavy or whipping 2 Tablespoons
Cream cheese 2 Tablespoons
Sour cream 1 1/2 Tablespoons
French fries 10
Potato chips 10
Salad dressings 2 Tablespoons
Olives 10
Almonds, whole 10
Brazil nuts, whole 5
Cashew nuts 10
Peanuts, chopped 2 Tablespoons
Peanut butter 2 Tablespoons
Pecans, chopped 2 Tablespoons
Walnuts, chopped 2 Tablespoons
LACTO-OVO GROUP 9
Vitamin A Foods
Daily Exchanges: 2
Vitamin A is important in preventing infection. During pregnancy, when the
pressure of the growing uterus on the bladder is constant, extra vitamin A helps
protect you against bladder and kidney infections. During breastfeeding, it
helps keep you free from breast infections. Each exchange is approximately 7,000
I.U. You need an extra exchange every day to make up for the liver exchange you
are skipping.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 9 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Apricots, fresh, whole 7
Apricots, dried, halves 1/2 cup
Cantaloupe, 5" diameter 1/2
Carrots, cooked 1/2 cup
Nectarines, whole 3
Papaya 2 cups pieces
Peaches, dried, halves 1 cup
Pumpkin, canned 1/2 cup
Persimmons, whole 3
Sweet potato or yam 1
Watermelon 3 slices
Winter squash, cooked 3/4 cup
LACTO-OVO GROUP 10 -- OPTIONAL
Liver
Daily Exchanges: OMIT on this plan.
(See: Groups 9 and 14, Vitamin A Foods and Required Supplements to make up for
skipping
the liver.)
LACTO-OVO GROUP 11
Salt and Other Sodium Sources
Daily Exchanges: unlimited
Salt your food to taste. Cutting back on salt can cause a fall in the amount of
blood circulating through your placenta, thus reducing the supply of nutrients
passing to your baby. Too little salt in the diet leads to leg cramps as well,
since all the muscles of your body require sodium for efficient functioning. If
you have been avoiding salt, add a little bit back to your diet at a time to
acclimate your taste buds once again. It is essential to have enough sodium in
your diet to support the expansion of your blood volume throughout your
pregnancy.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 11 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Table salt, iodized as desired, to taste
Sea salt as desired, to taste
Kelp powder as desired, to taste
Soy sauce as desired, to taste
Miso as desired, to taste
LACTO-OVO GROUP 12
Water
Daily Exchanges: a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of beverages per day to
unlimited
Drink to quench thirst, but do not force fluids. Fruits, vegetables, and juices
all contain a goodly proportion of water plus additional nutrients. Forcing
water may fill you up without giving you much nutrition - a hazard in late
pregnancy, when you have to make every bite count and you have less and less
space in which to put the food. Diet beverages, coffee, teas, and imitation
fruit drinks should be avoided for the same reason. If you are thirsty drink
water or something nutritious (real juice or a milk beverage) or an occasional
tea.
Note: If your drinking water is from a well, you may wish to have it tested by
your health department before drinking it during pregnancy to make sure it does
not contain contaminants such as MTBE, PCBs, and/ or organisms such as giardia
that can cause chronic intestinal upsets. Reports from the EPA published in 1999
and 2000 on water quality in the United States indicate that more than a third
of all wells in the U.S. (some of them supplies for municipal water systems)
contain higher than permissible amounts of these contaminants. Based on the
results of your testing, you may wish to filter and/ or treat your drinking
water.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 12 FOODS PORTION SIZE FOR ONE EXCHANGE
Mineral water, spring water, sparkling water,
carbonated water, bottled water, flavored water,
municipal water (tested), well water (tested)
8 oz.
LACTO-OVO GROUP 13
Snacks and Additional Menu Choices
Daily Exchanges: unlimited (after eating all other required food exchanges for
the day)
If you are still hungry after first completing all the other exchanges , you may
eat more exchanges from Groups 1-11, or as much as you desire of other fresh
fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, dried fruits or home-prepared baked goods
and desserts such as custard, pudding, fruit tarts, fruit whips, milkshakes, or
novelty breads. For recipes, see the BlueRibbonBaby.org web site.