Can you really lose weight on a vegetarian keto diet?
The vegetarian diet is a healthy diet that supports plant-based foods. It is great for weight loss but focuses a lot on plants, which can be high in carbs and low in fat.
This combination which can slow down the weight loss process, even though it reduces your carbon footprint.
The keto diet, however, is followed by most people for weight loss, even though there are other benefits of keto.
The keto diet can sometimes focus on eating a lot of animal products and dairy, and this is not a good dietary practice for many persons who want to cut back on both of those.
If you want to reap the benefits of the keto diet while decreasing your meat intake and your carbon footprint, then the vegetarian keto diet is a great compromise.
The biggest concern with the vegetarian keto diet, however, is how vegetarians can limit their carb intake and get enough plant-based protein. When a diet is plant-based like vegetarian and vegan keto, you have to find the right balance.
It is possible to start a vegetarian ketogenic diet that excludes all meat products except eggs and dairy. But if you want completely avoid animal products, then a vegan keto diet might be the best diet for you.
In this article, I’m going to explain:
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What is the Vegetarian Keto Diet
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How To Get Enough Protein Without Meat
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What To Eat On a Vegetarian Keto Diet
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Vegetarian Keto Food List
What is the Vegetarian Keto Diet?
The vegetarian keto diet is a variation of the keto diet that allows you to burn fat fast without eating meat. It’s the perfect option for persons who want to lose weight on the keto diet without eating animal protein.
If you’re already a vegetarian who wants to decrease your carbohydrate intake, then this also a great way to do keto.
How To Start The Vegetarian Keto Diet
The first step to starting this diet is eliminating the things that you will not be eating. This includes:
- sugar and refined carbs
- starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and carrots
- regular pasta, bread, pastries
- high carb fruits and vegetables
How many calories should you eat?
The calories that you will eat on a vegetarian keto diet will vary based on your weight and your weight loss goals. You can get a very good idea from this free keto calculator.
Here are the major things you should know about starting a vegetarian keto diet.
- 70% of all calories should come from healthy fat sources
- Consume less than 35g of carbs per day
- Eat low carb vegetables like these
- Eat a variety of plant-based protein, eggs, and dairy
Protein is a very important part of any diet, but on a vegetarian keto diet, your main sources of protein include plant-based protein, eggs, and dairy.
In order to find out exactly how many calories you should eat, try using a keto calculator and then work out how much carbs, fats, and proteins you need to eat daily.
Getting Enough Protein Without Meat
The average male needs to eat roughly 56 grams of protein every day, while the average female needs to eat roughly 46 grams of protein per day.
When you’re on a vegetarian keto diet, the easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough protein is by eating a combination of eggs, vegan meats, protein-rich vegetables, and high-fat dairy products like full-fat cream and cheese.
Here is an overview of the foods that you can eat:
- Vegan protein- tofu, seitan, tempeh
- Dairy- eggs, hard cheese, butter, cream
- Leafy greens- kale, spinach, mustard, etc
- Cruciferous vegetables- broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini
- Nuts and seeds- almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds
- Low carb fruits like avocado and raspberries
- Low carb sweeteners like stevia and erythritol
Vegetarian Keto Diet Food List
If you already know the low carb foods to eat on the keto diet, there are only some minor changes that you need to make on the vegetarian keto diet. Aside from the animal protein and fat, everything else stays the same.
Low Carb Vegetarian Protein
- Eggs
- Tempeh
- Seitan
- Tofu
- Vegan ‘meats’
- Plant-based protein powder
Low Carb Vegetables
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Bok choy
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Cabbage
- Mustard
- Collard Greens
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Kale
- Arugula
- Swiss chard
- Green beans
- Brussel sprouts
- Bell peppers
- Celery Asparagus
Low Carb Fruits
- Avocado
- Olives
- Grapefruit
- Coconut
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Melon
Nuts and Seeds
- Macadamia nuts
- Brazil nuts
- Pecans
- Chia and flax seeds
- Smaller servings of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and pine nuts
Dairy and Eggs
- Eggs
- Full fat milk
- Cheese
- Butter
- Cream
- Greek yogurt
Fats and Oils
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado Oil
- MCT oil
- Walnut oil
- Grassfed butter
Are you ready to start a vegetarian keto diet?
Remember to start by eliminating the foods that will no longer be a part of your diet like refined carbs and starchy vegetables.
You can also make a vegetarian keto meal plan with the foods that you already love, and if you’re not sure of what meals to eat, start with your current favorites and then change the protein to one that’s plant-based.