Vegan Keto Diet Plan And Food List

Vegan Keto Food 

A ketogenic diet is a form of very low carbohydrate diet where people depend on fats and protein for energy. It is a journey to a hybrid meat-free lifestyle for healthier humans, environment and animals.

A vegan keto diet is a plant based form of ketogenic diet free from all animal based products. The carbohydrate intake is significantly replaced by plant based foods. The typical ketogenic diet typically includes a lot more fat, moderate amounts of protein and low carbs.

 

Img Source: Sweet As Honey 

The approximate macronutrient ratios for this diet can be-:

• ·   Fat: 70%
• ·   Protein: 25%
• ·   Carbohydrates: 5% 

A lot of people are struggling to stay on keto because of the shortage of food in certain places or certain kinds of food. 

Foods To  Completely Avoid For A Vegan Diet.

Just in case some of the people out there may be new to being vegan or vegetarian but there are some products you want to avoid. 

• Meat and Poultry: Beef, Turkey, Chicken, Pork, etc.

• Dairy: Milk, Butter, Yogurt, Cheese, etc.

• Eggs: Egg whites and egg yolks.

• Seafood: Fish, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, etc.

• Animal-based ingredients: Whey protein, honey, egg white protein.

Food Under Vegan Keto Diet

First, Let’s discuss the foods under the Vegan Keto diet. These products are scheduled according to their nutritional value to prepare a proper keto diet.

Fats Avocado oil Olive oil Coconut oil MCT oil Avocado Protein Tofu Tempeh Nutritional yeast Seitan	Veggies Spinach               Arugula Swiss chard Broccoli Lettuce Cauliflower Peppers Cabbage Asparagus Tomatoes Radish Onion, Kale Mushroom Brussels sprouts Zucchini
Nuts and seeds Almonds Macadamia nuts Pecans Pistachios Walnuts Cashews Hemp seeds Chia seeds Pumpkin seeds	Fruits Blackberries Blueberries Raspberries

Here are few guidelines to embark on your journey to keto lifestyle:

First, Remember to limit your total carbohydrate consumption to 35 grams or less per day and get at least 70% of your calorie from fat.

Fats Consumption: 

To make sure you’re getting enough fat in your diet, replace all the animal fats used in cooking and baking by plant-based oils. High fat plant based products include coconut oil, avocados, olive oil, seeds and nuts. They are fantastic sources of either polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats or saturated fats. Cook with them, drizzle them on salads, or incorporate them into meals by making homemade sauces like a spicy pepper jack cheese sauce to top broccoli or brussels sprouts or a desert like tropical mousse bites. Other great sources of fats are Avocados, Nuts like macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans and walnuts and seeds like pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds. 

Protein Consumption:

If you’re ok with soy in your diet, two great low-carb options are tofu and tempeh. However, keep in mind that some soy or wheat-based meat substitutes are packaged with added marinades. Be sure to read each product’s nutritional information carefully. If you’re coming close to your carb limit but you’re short on protein, protein powder can be a good solution.

Also Read: Benefits Of Being A Vegetarian

Vegan Protein Sources:

• Seitan: “Wheat meat” from wheat gluten. 25g of protein from 100g. (It has kind of a meaty taste. If you’re new to being vegetarian, this is going to be a great source.)

• Tofu, Tempeh & Edamame: Whole source of protein from soybeans. 10 to 19g per 100g.

• Lentils: 18g per cooked cup.

• Chick Peas and Beans: 15g per cooked cup. (Watch out for beans to use it  sparingly as more than half of it is carbs. Add it in but not make it your main source of protein.)

• Nutritional Yeast: Deactivated strain of yeast. 8g per ¼ cup.

 

Also Read:- 5 Low-Key Fantastic Sources Of Plant Protein

Vegetables:

The main plants you’ll want to stock up on are leafy greens like spinach, arugula, swiss chard and kale. And above ground vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, green beans and cauliflower.

Fruits:

Many large common fruits like bananas, apples and oranges have way too many carbs to consume on a regular basis. So, try to limit fruits to small servings of low glycemic berries like blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. 

Foods To Significantly Avoid For Vegan Keto Diet.

The most common carb culprits that you want to avoid entirely are grains like wheat, corn and rice, legumes like lentils and beans, starchy fruits and potatoes.You’ll never get into ketosis if you’re consuming these on a daily basis because they’re way too high in carbs. You’re burning fats for fuel here but if you are consuming these keeping your insulin high all the time, your blood sugar level will always be high and you’ll never get into ketosis. Even Though they are plant-based, the following foods are a no-go. Here’s a simplified list to avoid:

• Grains and starches: Cereal, bread, baked goods, rice, pasta, grains.

• Sugary drinks: Sweet tea, soda, juice, smoothies, sports drinks, chocolate milk.

• Sweeteners: Brown sugar, white sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup.

• Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, peas, carrots, corn, parsnips.

• Beans and Legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans.

• Fruits; All fruits should be limited. However, small portions of certain fruits like berries are allowed.

• High carb alcoholic beverages: Beer sweetened cocktails, wine.

• Low-fat diet foods: Low-fat foods tend to be higher in added sugar.

• High-carb sauces and condiments: Barbecue sauce, sweetened salad dressings, marinades.

• Highly processed foods: Limit packaged foods and increase whole, unprocessed foods.

• Nuts and seed oils: They tend to be very rancid because they use a lot of chemicals during extraction

 List Of Foods To Eat

Here’s the simplified list of plant based products you can consume to maintain your vegan keto diet: 

• Coconut products: Coconut cream, Full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened coconut.

• Oils: Olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, Avocado oil.

• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Brazil nuts, Walnuts, Hemp seeds, Chia seeds, Macadamia nuts, Pumpkin seeds.

• Nut and seed butter: Peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, cashew butter.

• Non-starchy vegetables: Leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peppers, Mushrooms.

• Vegan protein sources: Full-fat Tofu, Tempeh, lentils.

• Vegan full-fat “dairy”: Coconut yogurt, vegan butter, cashew cheese, vegan cream cheese.

• Avocados: Whole Avocados, Guacamole.
• Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries can be enjoyed in moderation.

• Condiments: Nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, spices.

• Seaweed: nori, kelp, dulse

• Stevia

You can have coconut all the time. Matcha green tea can be blended with some coconut milk adding a little bit of low-carb sweetener to make a matcha latte which is absolutely fantastic to have at night. Stay away from nut and seed oils. They’re not going to be good. Use valencia peanuts to avoid peanut allergy or mold allergy. Almond butter, Sunflower butter and Cashew butter are fantastic. If you can get all these raw, even better. Don’t get roasted nut butter because all those vital enzyme nutrients are lost in it. The non-starch vegetables like mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, etc are going to be fine all day long to eat. 

Avocados are one of the perfect foods on the planet for vegans.Berries can be enjoyed but make sure to not eat a whole tub of it. Nutritional yeast is very high in protein. It’s basically made from bacteria, it’s great for giving a cheesy taste.

Benefits Of Vegan Keto Diet 

The benefits includes cognitive functions and weight loss.

• The vegan keto diet leads to rapid weight loss.

• According to the data obtained after a 6 month long study on Atkins diet similar to Keto diet (i.e. both restricts carbohydrate intake and causes ketosis), those following the low carb vegan diet experienced more significant weight loss. 

• It was also found that the risk factors of heart diseases like Low density lipoprotein(LDL) Cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were reduced. 

• Vegan keto diet also reduces the risk of Diabetes and some cancers.

Risks:

• Vegan keto diet is the combination of both vegan diet and keto diet. So, it’s way more strict and you may encounter the risks of both diets. There hasn’t been any significant research related to the long term effect of keto diet. However, there are some well known short term effects.

• One of the major challenges of a vegan keto diet is to find a way to sustain in a low carb diet.

Health Risks Includes

• Heart problems due to extra consumption of fats

• Constipation due to lack of fiber

• Nutritional deficiencies

• Kidney stones

• Low blood pressure

This diet is not recommended for the individuals who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have health abnormalities like diabetes, liver problems, pancreas problems, thyroid disorders, gall bladder conditions, disordered eating history, etc.

A vegan keto diet followed without seeking advice from the professionals may cause deficiency of essential nutrients like Calcium, Iron, Vitamin D, B-12, Zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids, etc. Thus, supplements of vitamins and minerals should be thoroughly considered.

In the initial phase of entering vegan keto diet, people may encounter “keto flu” causing difficulty in breathing, nausea, headaches, low energy, dizziness, sleep problems, upset stomach, weak body, diarrhea, etc.

Conclusion

A vegan keto diet is mostly followed in order to burn body fat and reduce body weight. It may provide some benefits related to heart health as well. However, it is restrictive in nature and is not for everyone. The diet carries certain risks with it and the one capable of withstanding such conditions are only recommended. Switching from daily high carb consumption to low carb & high fat takes time. It needs patience and willingness to bear with it. So, the vegan keto diet is the shortest doorway to rapid weight loss significant to the ones with body weight problems who have capacity to follow the diet schedule regularly.