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Low carb + vegan?

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nharsh001
nharsh001 Posts: 1
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I've been vegan for 3 years (vegetarian for 15 years prior to that). Sadly, I'm a fat vegan and want to concentrate on improving weight & health. My albatross is carbs, so I'm going to concentrate on really reducing those and upping veggies.

Of course, lentils and black beans, both super proteins, are also high in carbs. Any hints you guys have would be appreciated.

I'm also having a problem figuring out my goal nutrition numbers if I lower my carbs to 30-40 g per day.

Thanks for the help

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  • redhead1910
    redhead1910 Posts: 304 Member
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    Fruits and veggies also have a lot of carbs, unfortunately, but pasta and bread were also my vices when I was a fat vegetarian. :P My go to food when I'm craving pasta is quinoa because it has a rice like texture, or shiritaki noodles because they are zero carbs and zero calorie. Also try eating an ezekiel tortilla instead of bread if you are craving a sandwich or something. Best of luck :)
  • Evachiquita
    Evachiquita Posts: 223 Member
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    You can also try eating broccoli and leafy greens which both have relatively high amounts of protein. I was experimenting with this for a few weeks a while ago. It was very hard! I was eating lots of protein powder (brown rice, hemp, and pea). I was eating tofu and tempeh (then I missed a period and freaked out so now I've cut back on that). I was also eating more nuts than usual and lots of coconut milk and coconut oil. I didn't like eating all that coconut though. I just don't think it's good for the environment. The good thing was that I did feel less hungry and I didn't have blood sugar crashes with a lower carb diet.
  • lemonmon1
    lemonmon1 Posts: 134 Member
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    Carbs can be a killer!

    I second eating quinoa over rice or pasta. You can even put quinoa in stuffed peppers, on salads, and much more! If you do have bread items, go for whole grain or whole wheat. If you do have rice, go for brown, not white.

    If I could see your diary, I could possibly give you some more tips.
  • ThriftyChica12
    ThriftyChica12 Posts: 373 Member
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    think of it this way:

    fruits and veggies can give u all the carbs u need: some vegans eat nothing more than fruits and veggies (LOTS of veg in a day), nuts and seeds, beans, etc.

    if u want more carb than that, THEN add in small amounts of INTACT grains (millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa)

    eating bread, pasta, crackers (even "whole grain varieties") might be the issue here. so remember, we don't actually need those foods:

    we DO Need carbs (veggies, beans, etc), we DONT need processed carbs (bread, etc).

    i am trying to do the same thing, as i have PCOS and am managing it without medication
  • jezama77
    jezama77 Posts: 138 Member
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    think of it this way:

    fruits and veggies can give u all the carbs u need: some vegans eat nothing more than fruits and veggies (LOTS of veg in a day), nuts and seeds, beans, etc.

    if u want more carb than that, THEN add in small amounts of INTACT grains (millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa)

    eating bread, pasta, crackers (even "whole grain varieties") might be the issue here. so remember, we don't actually need those foods:

    we DO Need carbs (veggies, beans, etc), we DONT need processed carbs (bread, etc).

    i am trying to do the same thing, as i have PCOS and am managing it without medication

    This. I LOVE bread. And it is so easy to make a sandwich, but I lose better if I have only one serving of that kind of thing a day. I usually have half a serving of cereal at breakfast and then another half or full serving of either bread or pasta (whole wheat) later. I eat a ton of veggies and beans, but I really love bread. I have also developed a small addiction to almond milk 'ice cream'.... I absolutely love eating a vegan diet and have found the transition relatively easy, but I still struggle with the processed foods. I mean, I eat better types of processed foods, but still processed. No more Lucky Charms...I now eat Kashi cereal, but still. Someday I might just be eating totally awesome whole foods! :)

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