What is a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diet?

Vegetarianism is a diet that excludes the consumption of meat, including chicken, seafood and red meat and its by-products. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is a diet that includes the eating of animal by-products---such as dairy, cheese and eggs---but no meat of any kind. It is one of the more liberal vegetarian diets, compared to a vegan diet, which does not allow the consumption of any animal products.

Reasons

Some turn to vegetarianism for ethical reasons regarding cruelty to animals or for environmental reasons, while others abstain from eating meat for health benefits, such as lowered risk of heart disease.
Those who want to embark on a strict vegetarian diet like veganism may start with a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, as it allows the eating of more readily available sources of protein, calcium, iron and other necessary vitamins and minerals---and it's easier to maintain than a vegan diet. Once the body has adjusted to the new diet, lacto-ovo vegetarians can more effectively (and healthily) ease into veganism.
The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet has also been promoted in the Seventh-Day Adventist church as not only healthy but as an honor to God; this belief is base on the church's belief in the humanity's holistic nature.

Benefits

Eggs provide the body with necessary protein, which can be lacking in vegetarian diets due to the restricted meat consumption. Eggs also give the body lecithin, which helps emulsify dietary fat and builds cell walls and the brain's protective tissue.
The consumption of dairy products also provides the body with calcium, a necessity for strong bones and teeth.
An lacto-ovo vegetarian diet is also easier to maintain than other more restrictive diets, as some animal products can be consumed, which allows for more eating options outside of the home.

Drawbacks

Many vegetarians consume more dairy and eggs to make up for the lack of meat. This can be harmful because a diet rich in dairy and eggs also means an increased consumption of fat and cholesterol.
Eggs and milk can also contain additives, such as the hormones given to the animals to make them grow bigger, which can have similar rapid-development effects on people who consume those animal products. Similarly eggs and milk can contain antibiotics that kill not only the harmful bacteria but the helpful bacteria that resides in the body's digestive system, making the body more susceptible to ailments that could have been combated by good bacteria. This concern, however, can be rectified by buying organic products.

Difficulty Level

The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet is not only the easiest vegetarian diet to maintain, but it is also the easiest for others to accommodate, as many restaurants include at least one vegetarian option on their menus that is more likely to be lacto-ovo-friendly than vegan-friendly. Vegetarian options are most plentiful in restaurants that serve the cuisine of other cultures, such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Mediterranean food. The availability of options in these restaurants encourages trying more diverse foods than what one is typically used to.

Alternatives

Eggs and milk are not necessarily a vital part of the vegetarian diet, as the elements that they provide can be taken via lecithin supplements, non-dairy milks (such as soy milk) and other calcium sources such as beans, nuts, tofu, and broccoli.
There are several other types of vegetarian diets one can adopt. Those who take issue with the consumption of eggs but not dairy can become lacto vegetarians, and those who object to the consumption of any animal product can adopt a vegan diet.
There are also more restrictive diets, such as the macrobiotic diet, which involves the consumption of seasonal, locally produced food; and the fruitarian diet, which allows for seeds, nuts, fruit and vegetables that happen to be classified as fruit.
While all vegetarian diets eschew red meat, there are some that actually allow for the eating of animals, such as pesco vegetarian (fish), pollo vegetarian (chicken) and pesco-pollo vegetarian (both chicken and fish).