No carb/ high protein foods for vegetarians
ashleystidhammfp
Posts: 19 Member
Any suggestions?!
My macros are set at: 25% carbs, 40% fat, 35% protein. Since I don't eat meat, this is hard to accomplish most days. Also, I'm looking to lower my carbs percentage to 20% and up my fat to 45% in hopes of seeing better results. I'm eating about 1600-1700 cals a day with moderate activity. Lots of fat to lose lol
My macros are set at: 25% carbs, 40% fat, 35% protein. Since I don't eat meat, this is hard to accomplish most days. Also, I'm looking to lower my carbs percentage to 20% and up my fat to 45% in hopes of seeing better results. I'm eating about 1600-1700 cals a day with moderate activity. Lots of fat to lose lol
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My understanding is that the only foods with zero carbohydrates are meats (even eggs have a little bit of carboydrate).
Some high protein, lower carbohydrate plant foods are seitan, tofu, and hemp/soy/protein powders (check the labels because some have sugars that can increase the carbohydrate count).
But fat loss is going to come from your overall deficit, not just decreasing carbohydrates. May I ask where you got your macro distribution? I'm vegan and I had plenty of success losing weight on a calorie deficit while consuming carbohydrates as about 50-60% of my diet.3 -
Its the meat and dairy industry that promotes low carb. Check out Dr. McDougall and Dr. Barnard if you care for your health and the animals1
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I'm in the same ship as far as protein. Being a vegetarian I find it hard to get my intake. The best I've come up with is beans, nuts, fish and eggs or milk (depending on what kind of vegetarian you are). I try to add one of these to every meal. The no carb is really freaking hard. I'm going with low carb instead. Carnation Instant light breakfast has 13 g of protein and only 12 g carbs. It's got high sugar though
Tastes good and is great if you are busy. Good luck!! 0 -
There are not any no carb foods for vegetarians. Lower carb can be done though! Tofu, seitan, hemp and pea protein poweder, cheese, eggs, nuts, chickpeas, lentils, all the beans, fruits, and vegetables are all high in fiber and protein. If you eat those foods for the most part and keep your grain intake low you should reach your goal. The fiber will keep your overall carb intake low as fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. Though weight loss is achieved by just eating a calorie controlled well rounded diet, you don't have to eat low carb to lose.0
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I think if you're going to be vegetarian or vegan you'll need to relax the no carb rules. Vegetables are carby.
Why are you trying to keep your carbs so low? I mean, usually people don't do both. If it's about weight loss, it's all about calories. Log your food accurately and stay at your calorie goal.3 -
Whey protein powder supplement is the only thing i can think of unless you eat dairy and eggs, then something like Skyr is a good option and eggs.
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if you eat dairy /not vegan- greek yogurt has 17-20gr of protein. that ups the game a little. and you can get 0%, 2% or whole fat, so, that may help too... and there's always eggs (I eat 2 egg whites and one whole egg when I'm low on protein & fat)
To get my protein, I also eat garbanzo beans, lentils and a protein shake (Orgain plant based protein shake)
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cmriverside wrote: »I think if you're going to be vegetarian or vegan you'll need to relax the no carb rules. Vegetables are carby.
Why are you trying to keep your carbs so low? I mean, usually people don't do both. If it's about weight loss, it's all about calories. Log your food accurately and stay at your calorie goal.
I have to agree with this. I do vegetarian 3-4 days per week and I know a handful of full time vegetarians, and we aren't trying to low carb...not that it's impossible, but a vegetarian diet tends to be higher carbohydrate. Plenty of lentils and beans and whatnot...
As lower carb sources go, eggs and egg whites, greek yogurt, tofu, seitan...1 -
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I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
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ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
Unless you have medical issues there is no reason to cut carbs.
Cutting carbs does result in water weight loss the first week though (glycogen stores). But that's not the same thing as fat loss.0 -
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ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
Low carb is just one of many ways of introducing a calorie deficit (in most cases). There's nothing magical about it...carbohydrates are just one of the three macro-nutrients...there's nothing inherently bad about them and in fact, there are many highly nutritious sources of carbohydrates (focus on those).
All you need to do to lose weight is eat a bit less...and probably move a bit more.0 -
OP - Have you tried just counting calories and seeing how well you do?
Cutting out refined carbs and added refined sugars is what's important. Limiting carbs as a vegetarian can make it hard to get your fiber goal. Fiber is a very important goal to hit everyday.0 -
Made my first batch of seitan and both I and meat-lover hubby are entranced with it. Basically, it's just vital wheat protein and water flavored with whatever you wish. According to the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100g of vital wheat gluten contains 14g carbohydrate but 75g of protein! That's over 5 times as much protein as carbs -- hard to beat in a vegetable-based product. Of course, the things added for flavor may affect the ratio for prepared seitan but it's still a great option.0
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Well gluten is a protein after all
HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »Made my first batch of seitan and both I and meat-lover hubby are entranced with it. Basically, it's just vital wheat protein and water flavored with whatever you wish. According to the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100g of vital wheat gluten contains 14g carbohydrate but 75g of protein! That's over 5 times as much protein as carbs -- hard to beat in a vegetable-based product. Of course, the things added for flavor may affect the ratio for prepared seitan but it's still a great option.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Well gluten is a protein after all
The which is why I had it on hand for bread-making. One uses it to "strengthen weak flours."
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ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
Cutting carbohydrates will only result in weight loss if it means you're eating fewer calories overall. Some people find that reducing carbohydrates also reduces their appetite, which makes it easier for them to eat fewer calories overall. I personally don't find this to be true for me, but other people have reported it. But as a vegetarian, trying to get your carbohydrates below 20% is going to limit your access to a lot of great plant-based sources of fiber, protein, and other nutrients (things like vegetables, beans, and grains).0 -
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Whey protein.0
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ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
Unless you have medical issues there is no reason to cut carbs.
Cutting carbs does result in water weight loss the first week though (glycogen stores). But that's not the same thing as fat loss.
"medical issues" as in "insulin resistant", which is rapidly approaching 50% of the population in countries that eat to a "standard" diet.1 -
ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
Unless you have medical issues there is no reason to cut carbs.
Cutting carbs does result in water weight loss the first week though (glycogen stores). But that's not the same thing as fat loss.
"medical issues" as in "insulin resistant", which is rapidly approaching 50% of the population in countries that eat to a "standard" diet.
But I'm still not seeing anything in the original post (or subsequent posts) that says OP is diabetic.2 -
HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »Made my first batch of seitan and both I and meat-lover hubby are entranced with it. Basically, it's just vital wheat protein and water flavored with whatever you wish. According to the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 100g of vital wheat gluten contains 14g carbohydrate but 75g of protein! That's over 5 times as much protein as carbs -- hard to beat in a vegetable-based product. Of course, the things added for flavor may affect the ratio for prepared seitan but it's still a great option.
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Seitan! That stuff can not be beat. I've always been hesitant to make it myself. Is it easy?
it is! it takes a while and there are about a million recipes for it, but i always read the comments for extra tips and usually use a recipe for a specific flavor profile depending on what i'm in the mood for like seitan buffalo wings are going to be way different than seitan bahn mi.0 -
EI Seitan! That stuff can not be beat. I've always been hesitant to make it myself. Is it easy?
Exceptionally easy though you may need to adjust what you put in it and how you cook it to get the flavor and texture exactly how you want it. I conquered the flavor with my first batch but included instant yeast (as a few recommend) and cut it into small pieces and poached them. These were a bit too wet and fluffy. Next batch, I will go the opposite extreme, leave out the yeast, and try the steaming or baking methods to get a chewier, more compact seitan.
There are a bzillion online recipes and videos but many of them make it more complex than it needs to be. All ingredients except vital wheat gluten and water are optional. However, it will only taste as good as what you add to it. I added onion powder, garlic power, Penzey's Forward! spice mix, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil.
Basically, knead together vital wheat gluten, water and whatever flavoring agents you want. Parcook it by poaching, steaming or baking. Use as you would any meat. It tastes best if you give it a second cooking like sauteeing, baking in a sauce, etc.
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There's absolutely no reason to cut down carbs. Especially as a vegetarian this is going to limit your options for protein.
But, if you want some good protein sources as a vegetarian.... i'll PM you because i just wrote a post about this the other day. I'm also vegetarian (who is now lactose intolerant) so i know the struggle of even hitting a protein goal!0 -
ashleystidhammfp wrote: »I was under the impression that cutting carbs will help with losing weight, I could be very wrong and that's ok. I don't want to completely cut out carbs and I'm aware that vegetarian and vegan diets typically are more carby since we cut out the meat and most dairy, I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of low carb foods I didn't know of
In the absence of a medical condition, cutting carbs helps with losing weight just because it can help some people to create a calorie deficit.
I lived in vegetarian yoga communities for three years and there were plenty of healthy, fit people there who ate lots of carbs. We ate a lot of satiating foods like legumes and vegetables. And were active.0 -
The vegetarian options for protein are tied to carbs and fats, so I say, welcome them to the party. The only other option is a supplement powder of some sort. I haven't seen spirulina mentioned but it is expensive.0
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