The Complete Vegan Keto Diet
At first blush, vegans and ketogenic dieters don’t have a lot in common. One eats no meat; the other eats tons of it. One loads up on carbs; the other takes pains to avoid them. They seem to be on opposite ends of the eating spectrum.
But what if you’re passionate about animal rights and still want to be lean and healthy, and you’ve found that your body just doesn’t do well on carbs? Is it possible to combine these approaches? Can a person go vegan as a keto dieter or keto as a vegan?
The short answer is yes, but it’s not easy. Trying to align two disparate eating philosophies will force you to walk a fine line — particularly in a world of readily-available animal products and high-carb foods. It’s an impressive feat to pull off. And, potentially, great for both your health and the environment.
So, if you’re interested in being vegan and keto, here’s how to do it.
What Is A Vegan Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet is becoming increasingly popular, known for being an effective way to lose body fat, maintain or build muscle, and stabilize blood sugar.
First, let’s be clear about what these terms “vegan” and “keto” really mean.
What is ketosis
The keto diet relies on a process called ketosis to burn fat.
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process
“When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body (they are then are eliminated in urine).”
Vegan keto
So is it possible to do keto as a vegan?
It is — but it comes with a unique set of challenges. For a start…can you really imagine surviving with no grains or root veg, no dates or other forms of sweetener?
“A classic ketogenic diet would consist of higher fat, low carbohydrate foods like seafood, cheese, meat, eggs, and oils as well as non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and berries — the latter of which contain plenty of fiber which is super important on a low carbohydrate diet such as this one.
So we’ve got vegan and we’ve got keto… Put them together and you’ve got a plan that has you eating a higher-fat, lower-carb menu that is also devoid of animal products.
It sounds simple enough in theory, but the two approaches can be contradictory. Low-carb, high-fat meat, fish, and poultry are staples for keto dieters, but they don’t work at all for vegans. Meanwhile, high-protein legumes and meat substitutes are go-to’s for vegans, but their carb content makes them verboten for keto adherents.
How, then, does a person balance the two?
The Vegan Keto Food List
The goal for the vegan keto-dieter is to eat:
- plenty of plant-based fats
- some plant-based proteins
- as few carbs possible
Below are some foods that fit the vegan-keto bill nicely, courtesy of Liz MacDowell, N.C., founder of meatfreeketo.com. “This is basically every vegan keto-friendly whole food in your typical North American grocery store,” she says, “which can help take care of the what-can-you-eat-on-vegan-keto question.”
Good protein sources are marked with a “p”, while foods that have a higher-carb content (and should, therefore, be eaten sparingly) are marked with an asterisk
Vegetables
- Artichoke hearts
- Asparagus
- Bell peppers
- Beets
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Celeriac
- Chard
- Collards
- Cucumbers
- Daikon radish
- Dandelion greens
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Fennel
- Fiddleheads
- Garlic
- Jicama
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce (all types)
- Mushrooms
- Mustard greens
- Okra
- Onion
- Radishes
Fruits
- Avocados
- Blueberries
- Coconuts
- Cranberries
- Lemons
- Limes
- Olives
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
In order to get above-mentioned ingredients(fruits, vegetables, nuts), look for your nearby grocery store on ChatLocaly.
How Do I Limit Carbs on a Ketogenic Vegan Diet?
In our sandwich-with-a-side-of-bread culture, cutting carbs down to the wire trips many people up. The Mod Keto approach allows two to three times as many, but it’s still very low-carb compared to the diet of the average American. (For reference, one banana, one apple, or a single slice of bread would put you over your daily carb allowance on a strict keto diet.)
Cutting out grains, rice, bread, and pasta will reduce your carb intake substantially, but you’ll also have to cut way back on nearly all fruits (exceptions are in the food list above, though even those should be eaten sparingly). Starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams are out, too. And the sugary dressings and sauces you may be so accustomed to that you don’t even question them anymore… well, start questioning them.
If you’re longing for carbs so badly that you feel your resolve to stay on the diet is breaking, it’s possible to trick your brain that you’re eating them by making approved foods look more like your starchy favorites. Cauliflower can be grated into “rice,” or boiled and mashed like potatoes. You can slice zucchini into noodles to (sort of) replicate pasta.
But by and large, you’ll simply have to develop a taste for fattier foods and rely on them to supply energy in place of carbs. Avocados, coconut oil, and nuts are all filling, flavorful options that can also power your workouts.
And speaking of working out, if you’re a gym rat or avid runner, prepare for your workouts to suck for a while until your body fully adapts to the diet. If you’re cutting out carbs for the first time, your body will need two weeks or more (and sometimes months) to fully support the demands of exercise with ketones. And if you’ve been relying on animal products, you may find it difficult to recover without the full array of amino acids that every serving of animal protein provides. You’ve chosen a hard road to travel, nutritionally, but don’t lose heart. Time and persistence will force your body to accommodate just about any regimen you subject it to, and there are plenty of people whose performance has thrived on unconventional diets.
How Do I Get Enough Protein on the Ketogenic Vegan Diet?
For anyone following any vegan diet, and athletes especially, the question always comes up: “How do you get enough protein?
Your main challenge will be to find plant-based protein sources to hit that number that isn’t also high in carbs. To get an idea of what that entails, consider that an average-sized person who eats about 2,000 calories a day will need 100–200g protein daily (on the lower end for strict keto dieters, and on the higher side for those going the Mod Keto route). A three-quarter cup serving of sunflower seeds nets you 25–30g protein, but also costs you 10g of carbs. Almonds have a similar protein-to-carb ratio at 30g to 15g per cup. The key is to accumulate enough protein from vegan sources without letting your carbs creep up too high.
Your best bet for low-carb vegan protein may be hemp seeds, which provides 30g protein and 8g fiber (NOT counted as carbs) in a mere half cup. Seitan, which is made from wheat, is another good choice and offers about 18g protein and 2g carbs every three ounces. Tofu and tempeh rank high as well (tofu has an 8:1 ratio of protein to carbs; tempeh is about 6:1).
Vegan Keto Diet Sample Meal Plan
The following menu, courtesy of Dr. Nelson, will give you an idea of how a day of eating on a vegan keto diet could look (with a Mod Keto carb allowance). One thing’s for sure: you can eat a high volume of food without having to worry about taking in too many calories, so you’re unlikely to gain weight by accident with this style of eating. It’s easy to stay satiated due to the fat content and the abundance of fresh vegetables makes this diet rich in phytonutrients and fiber. On the downside, it’s very tough to get enough protein in. As you can see, aiming for the bare minimum amount — 20% of calories — almost certainly requires supplementation.
Breakfast
Smoothie made with:
Rice protein powder (30g protein)
½ cup mixed berries
1 tbsp MCT oil
1 ½ tbsp almond butter
1 cup Chaga tea
Lunch
3 servings tofu (300g)
2 cups asparagus, baked
2 tbsp MCT oil, as dressing
Snack
Salad with:
1 green bell pepper
2 cups cremini mushrooms
4 oz chopped onion
1 serving tempeh (100g)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 oz vegan teriyaki sauce
Dinner
Salad with:
2 cups spinach
4 oz cucumber
4 oz tomato
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup walnuts
Totals: 1,728 calories, 86g protein, 78g carbs, and 125g fat
In order to get above-mentioned ingredients(fruits, vegetables, nuts), look for your nearby grocery store on ChatLocaly.
