Vegan Keto Diet Plan And Food List

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.

Vegan Keto Food

A ketogenic diet is a form of very low carbohydrate diet where people depend on fats and protein for energy.

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 includes a lot more fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low carbs.

Img Source: Sweet As Honey

The approximate macronutrient ratios for this diet are:

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

A lot of people struggle to stay on keto because suitable food can be hard to find in some places.

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, 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 organized by their nutritional value to build a proper keto diet.

Fats	Protein	Veggies	Nuts and Seeds
Avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, avocado	Tofu, tempeh, nutritional yeast, seitan	Spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, peppers, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, radish, onion, kale, mushroom, Brussels sprouts, zucchini	Almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds

Fruits (small portions): blackberries, blueberries, raspberries.

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

First, remember to limit your total carbohydrate consumption to 20–50 grams or less per day and get at least 70% of your calories 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 with 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 dessert 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 per 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: Complete source of protein from soybeans. 10 to 19g per 100g.
Nutritional Yeast: Deactivated strain of yeast. 8g per ¼ cup.
Protein powder: Pea, soy, or hemp protein powders are the easiest way to hit your protein target without the carbs.

Note: beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent vegan protein sources in general, but they carry too many carbs for a strict keto approach, so they stay on the avoid list below.

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 and 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, lentils.
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.

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, seitan, pea or hemp protein powder.
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.

Matcha green tea blended with coconut milk and a little low-carb sweetener makes a fantastic matcha latte for the evening. Almond butter, sunflower butter and cashew butter are great options, and raw is even better if you can find it. Non-starchy vegetables like mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli are fine to eat throughout the day.

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

Benefits Of Vegan Keto Diet

The benefits include cognitive function and weight loss.

The vegan keto diet leads to rapid weight loss.
In one 6-month study comparing an Atkins-style low-carb diet with a low-carb vegan version, the vegan group experienced more significant weight loss.
It was also found that the risk factors of heart disease 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.

If weight loss is your main goal, see our vegan diet for weight loss guide as well.

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 finding a way to sustain a low carb diet.

Health Risks Include

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 conditions like diabetes, liver problems, pancreas problems, thyroid disorders, gall bladder conditions, disordered eating history, etc.

A vegan keto diet followed without consulting a healthcare professional 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 starting a vegan keto diet, people may encounter “keto flu” causing nausea, headaches, low energy, dizziness, sleep problems, upset stomach, weakness, 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, and only those capable of withstanding such conditions should attempt it. Switching from daily high carb consumption to low carb and high fat takes time. It needs patience and willingness to bear with it. So, the vegan keto diet can be an effective pathway to rapid weight loss for those with body weight problems who have the capacity to follow the diet schedule regularly.