A KETO VEGAN DIET... IS IT POSSIBLE?
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Time to read 13 min
Is the Keto Diet just about consuming meat and eggs?
As a vegan, the Keto Diet isn't compatible with my plant-based lifestyle, right?
Well, that's not entirely accurate. The encouraging fact is that there's a Keto Vegan Diet plan available. This means you can reap all the fantastic benefits of Keto without compromising your vegan principles.
In this piece, we're going to guide you on how to adopt a Vegan Keto Diet, explain the science behind it, and discuss a few aspects you might want to think about before getting started…
Table of content
What is the Keto Vegan Diet? Benefits of the Keto Vegan Diet The Science Behind Keto Vegan Diet Nutrition of the Keto Vegan Diet Planning Your Keto Vegan Diet Transitioning from Keto to Keto-Vegan What to Avoid on a Vegan Keto Diet? Role of Exercise in the Keto Vegan Diet Finally... On Keto Vegan Diets
What is the Keto Vegan Diet?
The vegan keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat variation of the ketogenic diet. Unlike the traditional Keto Diet that's heavy on meats, this version limits carbohydrates but includes plant-based and vegan-friendly options.
With a global vegan population exceeding 88 million, it's clear there's a demand for a Keto diet variant that excludes animal products!
More and more people are choosing to cutr meat from their diets completely, and this trend is only increasing as time goes on.
Although we are meat lovers at The Keto Collective, we are also animal lovers, and we understand why people choose to adapt to this way of eating, whether for ethical reasons or health benefits.
The core tenet of the vegan-keto diet is eating foods rich in healthy fats and proteins while shunning both carbohydrates and animal-derived products.
To achieve this, you'll incorporate plant-based foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados into your meals while avoiding starchy veggies, grains, and any animal-produced items.
Just like its traditional counterpart, one major advantage of the vegan-keto diet is potential weight loss alongside overall health improvement.
By cutting down your carbohydrate consumption, your body enters ketosis - a state where fat rather than glucose becomes its primary energy source. This can result in weight reduction as well as better blood sugar levels.
Another upside to the vegan-keto diet lies in promoting plant-based food consumption which are naturally high in fiber along with essential vitamins and minerals. Such dietary habits can enhance your gut health, fortify your immune system and lower chronic disease risks.
Benefits of the Keto Vegan Diet
The benefits of the Keto Diet are numerous, and adding a large amount of greens and other plant-based foods to an already elite way of eating can only be beneficial to your health. What benefits you ask? Let's discuss…
Better blood sugar control: The keto vegan diet can help improve blood sugar control by reducing the intake of carbohydrates and increasing high-fibre foods. This can be especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.
Rapid weight loss: The keto vegan diet can lead to rapid weight loss, especially in the first few weeks of the diet. This is because the diet restricts carbohydrates, which can lead to a decrease in water weight.
Reduced appetite: The keto vegan diet can help reduce appetite by increasing the intake of high-fibre foods, which can help you feel fuller for longer. Cutting carbs will leave you with less cravings once you have become ‘fat-adapted’.
RELATED: If you want to know more, you may want to read our article on The Benefits of Keto
The Science Behind Keto Vegan Diet
Ever wondered how a blend of keto and veganism can enhance your health and slim down your waistline? Let's delve into it…
The fusion of the ketogenic diet with veganism forms the basis for the keto-vegan diet. The ketogenic diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat regimen designed to usher your body into a ketosis state. Here, instead of carbs, your body burns fat for energy. On the flip side, veganism is a dietary approach that completely shuns all animal-based products.
This unique keto-vegan diet aims to reach a state of ketosis while maintaining true to vegan principles – yes, you heard right, it's keto minus meat!
Ketosis is achieved when there's a shift in your body's metabolism from using glucose as its main fuel source to relying on ketones. This metabolic transition happens when carbohydrate deprivation leads to decreased blood glucose levels. Consequently, the liver starts turning stored fats into ketones – an alternate energy source. This entire process results in weight loss, enhanced mental clarity, and improved health indicators - truly embodying what Keto stands for!
By also eliminating animal products alongside sugar and carbs from your menu, this dietary plan could help lower risks associated with metabolic syndrome - an array of conditions including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels and excessive abdominal fat. Believe us when we say you'd rather not contend with metabolic syndrome!
Nutrition of the Keto Vegan Diet
The nutritional elements of a keto-vegan diet require careful consideration. You must pay close attention to both macronutrients and micronutrients to ensure that your body receives all necessary nutrients for optimal functioning and maintaining energy levels throughout the day.
Macronutrients
A keto vegan diet is characterised by high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein intake. This necessitates that the majority of your calories come from healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil. Limiting carbohydrate intake to roughly 50 grams per day or less will also be needed; this can be accomplished through the consumption of non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini.
NOTE: Aim for around 20 grams of carbs per day when starting this diet; it assists in entering ketosis faster!
Furthermore, you'll need to consume moderate protein amounts derived from plant-based sources like tofu, tempeh, and legumes. Don't stress too much over protein - focus on keeping fats high and carbs low. The protein will naturally follow with the high-fat foods you're eating!
Micronutrients
While a keto vegan diet can indeed be nutritious, it's crucial to ensure your body gets all essential nutrients required.
This comprises vitamins B and D alongside essential amino acids found in plant-based food items such as nutritional yeast and soy milk. It's also critical to stay alert for potential nutritional deficiencies common in a vegan diet like iron, calcium, and zinc shortages. To counter these deficiencies include leafy greens, nuts seeds - fortified foods are excellent plant-based sources for these essential nutrients.
As a vegan following a ketogenic plan might warrant supplementing with multivitamin that 'covers all bases' helping prevent possible nutritional deficiencies.
Planning Your Keto Vegan Diet
Approaching a vegan keto diet requires mindful planning to ensure you fulfil your nutritional needs while abiding by the diet's guidelines. Always dive into a new eating habit with a plan! In this segment, we'll discuss what encompasses a vegan keto diet, how to strategize your meals, and offer some recipe ideas to kickstart your journey!
What is a Vegan Keto Diet Plan?
A vegan keto diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate protein regimen that eliminates all animal products. Therefore, your diet will primarily include healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds as well as non-starchy vegetables and plant-based proteins such as tofu and tempeh.
To establish the plan, compile a list of foods permissible on the diet and ensure they're either in your fridge or more critically, not in it! Keeping carb-loaded foods around will only tempt you - better off without them!
Adhering to a vegan keto diet involves meticulous monitoring of your macronutrient intake. It's vital that you consume adequate healthy fats and protein while keeping your carbohydrate intake between 20-50 grams per day at most. So make sure you've waved goodbye to those troublesome carbs before diving in; inform family and friends too so they can lend their support.
Meal Planning
Meal planning is integral for any dietary regime but particularly crucial when ketosis is involved. To guarantee you're receiving all necessary nutrients upon entering the keto lifestyle, pre-plan balanced and varied meals - especially for the initial week or two until you become comfortable with the routine.
When devising meals focus on incorporating wholesome high-fat keto foods like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocadoes alongside non-starchy veggies such as leafy greens broccoli, and cauliflower. Plant-based proteins like tofu tempeh seitan are also good options but avoid anything overly processed or loaded with sugars/carbs!
Ensure every meal includes an adequate source of protein: perhaps tofu scramble for breakfast salad with tempeh for lunch seitan stir-fry for dinner. Don't fret excessively about protein consumption instead channel that energy towards getting enough fats, keeping carbs low!
Recipe Suggestions
Here are some meal suggestions to get you started on your vegan keto journey:
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Vegan keto breakfast: Try a tofu scramble with avocado and spinach, or chia seed pudding with coconut milk and berries.
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Vegan keto lunch: Make a salad with mixed greens, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and tempeh bacon, or a zucchini noodle bowl with peanut sauce and tofu.
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Vegan keto dinner: Try a cauliflower crust pizza with vegan cheese and veggies, or a seitan stir-fry with broccoli and mushrooms.
Careful planning is key to following a vegan keto diet plan successfully. By tracking your macronutrient intake and planning your meals in advance, you can ensure that you're getting all the nutrients you need while staying within the guidelines of the diet. Plan ahead!
Transitioning from Keto to Keto-Vegan
Transitioning from a keto diet to a vegan keto diet may seem daunting. Cutting animal products from a keto diet may sound a little crazy, but it is entirely possible. Here are some keto tips to help you make the switch successfully:
Focus on Healthy Fats
On a keto diet, you consume high amounts of fats from meat and other animal products to achieve ketosis. However, on a vegan keto diet, it's essential to focus on other vegan-friendly healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds, and avocados. These fats provide essential nutrients and help keep you feeling full and satisfied. You will need to increase your intake of these foods to make up for the lack of high-calorie meats in your new way of eating. But don't worry too much about protein, you will naturally get enough in your high-fat foods.
Increase Your Fibre Intake
You shouldn't need to worry too much about fibre on a keto-vegan diet. You will be increasing your intake of greens and other fibre-rich foods to replace the lost calories from animal products. Just make sure to include plenty of high-fibre foods such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and berries. Stick to veg that are low in carbs!
Plan Ahead
As mentioned above, planning your meals in advance can help you stay on track and ensure you're getting all the nutrients you need. Make sure to include a variety of plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and high-fibre foods in your meals. Plan your food ahead for at least your first two weeks or so until you have a grasp of the diet.
Also, be aware of ‘The Keto Flu', and how to combat the symptoms if they do arise.
Be Patient
Don't get on your own back too much, transitioning to a vegan keto diet can take time, and it's essential to be patient with yourself. Just because you slip up and eat too many carbs, or accidentally ingest an animal product, doesn't mean it's the end of the world! Give yourself a break and a pat on the back for at least attempting to make a healthy lifestyle change. Then get back on the horse! Read one of our articles to get re-inspired, then start again.
What to Avoid on a Vegan Keto Diet?
When following a vegan keto diet, it's important to avoid certain foods that are high in carbohydrates and not suitable for the diet. Here are some foods you should avoid:
1. Animal Products
Duh! Obviously! If you are already vegan, you already avoid animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. However, on a vegan keto diet, you also need to avoid other animal products such as honey, gelatin, and some types of protein powders made from animal sources.
2. High-Carb Foods
Again, duh! High-carb foods such as grains, bread, pasta, and rice are not suitable for a vegan keto diet. These foods are high in carbohydrates and will kick you out of ketosis, which is the metabolic state where your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Avoid high-carb foods like the plague.
3. Sugary Foods
Sugary foods such as candy, cakes, and cookies are obviously not suitable for a vegan keto diet. These foods are high in carbohydrates and will spike your blood sugar levels, which can lead to weight gain and other health problems. However, you should also be mindful of ‘healthy’ foods with hidden sugars and carbs. Get used to reading food labels before filling your trolley!
4. Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn are not suitable for a vegan keto diet. These vegetables are high in carbohydrates and will kick you out of ketosis. Just because it's a vegetable, doesn't mean it's keto-friendly!
5. Fruits
Most fruits are not suitable for a vegan keto diet because they are high in carbohydrates and sugars. However, some low-carb fruits such as avocados, olives, and tomatoes are allowed in moderation. if you want a ‘sweeter’ fruit, stick to berries which are low on the glycemic index.
Role of Exercise in the Keto Vegan Diet
Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, and it is especially important when you are following a keto-vegan diet. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your cardiovascular health, and boost your mood.
When it comes to keto-vegan diets, exercise can help you achieve and maintain ketosis, which is the metabolic state where your body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose. Exercise helps deplete your glycogen stores, which encourages your body to enter ketosis and burn fat for energy.
If you are new to exercise, start slowly and gradually increase your activity level over time. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. You can also incorporate strength training exercises to build muscle and improve your metabolic rate.
Here are some tips to help you incorporate exercise into your keto-vegan lifestyle:
- Choose activities that you enjoy, such as hiking, cycling, or dancing.
- Find a workout buddy or join a fitness class to stay motivated.
- Schedule your workouts at a time that works best for you, whether it's in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
- Fuel your workouts with keto-friendly vegan foods, such as avocado, nuts, and seeds.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workouts.
Finally... On Keto Vegan Diets
The Keto-Vegan diet isn't for everyone. At the Keto Collective, we love tasty meats and other animal products, so it wouldn't be the way of eating that we would normally choose or recommend.
However, that being said, we recognise how many vegans and vegetarians are out there, and we believe they should also be welcome into the lifestyle that we Keto-Dieters love!
As you embrace this journey, just remember that it's essential to ensure you're receiving ample nourishment. While the keto vegan path has its perks, some nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and calcium may require extra attention. Supplement if you need to!
And most of all, enjoy the benefits that come from being keto! That means having a clear mind, a shrinking waistline, and a healthy body!
RELATED: If you enjoyed this article, you may want to read our blog on Low Carb vs Keto Dieting
Suzie Walker
Suzie Walker is a qualified Nutritional Therapist from the College of Naturopathic Nutrition London and co-founded The Keto Collective, a company that aims to make it easier for those following the keto way of eating to find whole food, great tasting, keto alternatives to their everyday favorites.
What are some Good Vegan Keto Breakfast Options?
Some good vegan keto breakfast options include avocado toast made with low-carb bread, vegan protein smoothies with almond milk and chia seeds, and vegan keto pancakes made with almond flour and coconut milk.
What are some High-Protein Vegan Keto Foods?
Some high-protein vegan keto foods include tofu, tempeh, seitan, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and nuts such as almonds and cashews.
Is a Vegan Keto Diet Sustainable Long-Term?
While a vegan keto diet can be sustainable long-term, it may require careful planning to ensure that you are getting all the necessary nutrients. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet. You may need to take a multivitamin to 'fill in the gaps' from not eating animal products.
How can I Incorporate Intermittent Fasting into a Vegan Keto Meal Plan?
One way to incorporate intermittent fasting into a vegan keto meal plan is to have your first meal of the day later in the morning, such as at 11 am, and then have your last meal of the day earlier in the evening, such as at 7 pm. This gives you a 16-hour fasting window and an 8-hour eating window.
What foods should I Avoid on a Vegan Keto Diet?
Foods to avoid on a vegan keto diet include animal products, grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruits, and processed foods. These foods are high in carbohydrates and can make it difficult to stay in ketosis.
Can I Lose Weight on a Vegan Keto Diet?
Yes, it is possible to lose weight on a vegan keto diet. By reducing your carbohydrate intake and increasing your intake of healthy fats and protein, you can create a calorie deficit and promote weight loss. However, it is important to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet to support your overall health.
