Vegetarian and Keto

angies6pack
angies6pack Posts: 5 Member
Just started keto on Monday and so far I am enjoying it. I am a vegetarian and am wondering if there are any other low carb/vegetarians in this group?

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I'm currently carb cycling, but still sticking to low carb, and not entirely vegetarian as I do eat seafood and eggs and such, but somewhat close to what you are looking for! I find it difficult to get enough protein in most days, but I can manage with a protein shake.
  • jamesshruga9
    jamesshruga9 Posts: 2 Member
    Me (Ovo/lacto vegetarian)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm mostly plant based (a bit of fish, a bit of chicken, red meat once a month or less).
    It can be done.
    If you don't mind soy, black soybeans can be a God send.
    I don't generally count carbs, but am at the moment.
  • AlexandraCarlyle
    AlexandraCarlyle Posts: 1,603 Member
    D'you know, I have hunted high, low, left, right, centre, left of centre... you name it - black soy beans are NOT available in this country. At all. I have located black TURTLE beans, but I have also established that while the nutritive components are similar, they are NOT the same legume at all.

    I may well have to settle for those.....
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    D'you know, I have hunted high, low, left, right, centre, left of centre... you name it - black soy beans are NOT available in this country. At all. I have located black TURTLE beans, but I have also established that while the nutritive components are similar, they are NOT the same legume at all.

    I may well have to settle for those.....
    Black beans (turtle) are a bit higher in carbs. It's too bad you can't find them. What country?
  • AlexandraCarlyle
    AlexandraCarlyle Posts: 1,603 Member
    UK. I have tried to access organic food suppliers, oriental online supplies, Amazon, and done a lot of Searches. I get responses with black beans, and the soy crossed out.... Amazon do have the product tinned, but it turns out the supplier is USA based, and the postage cost (again!!) would be disproportionate....
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    What do you eat to stay in keto levels as a vegetarian? I'm not a vegetarian, but I like eating lots of vegetables, some nuts, full fat greek yogurt/cottage cheese, and find those things actually make it pretty tough to get down to what many others seem to consider keto levels even with meat for a portion of my calories. Even avocado has a decent amount of carbs in it. I'm just generally interested in your approach.

    (I am trying the black soy beans that Sabine recommended, and am excited about that. I suppose tofu and tempeh really aren't especially high carb either.)
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    edited June 2017
    Way back when I was on the diet suggested by my physician to eradicate high BP and high cholesterol (low sodium, low cholesterol, low fat, high fiber), I wasn't opposed to eating only the egg white for the protein without the cholesterol/fat. It should be obvious it was a fairly high carb diet with plenty of plain Greek yogurt, egg whites and legumes in addition to plenty of vegetables.

    When eating MTKD, I had to keep both protein and carbohydrates low. The easiest way to do that was to just simply eat fat. Yes coconut oil and MCT Oil by the spoonful. Keeping the fat ratio up was was as important as keeping the carb/protein down. I also ate a good bit of cream cheese and mascarpone cheese for their quality of low protein and low carb compared to other cheeses. I did this with the idea in mind of liking and wanting to eat vegetables for my carbs. In wanting to keep vegetables in my diet I had to cut the sources of miscellaneous carbs.

    It really is a balancing act @lemurcat12. A dilemma. I still eat very low carb and if I am to enjoy the things you mention above (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, avocado, nuts, seeds) AND lots of vegetables, I seem to have to opt for one or the other in a given day. If one counts net carbs and focuses on eating vegetables and leaving off the other stuff, one can eat lots of vegetables. "Lots" being relative and leaving off the other carb containg stuff. The "lots" would include lots of leafy green and other usually green stuff.

    I have to alternate food choices. Frequently. A big giant salad or a bowl of Greek yogurt with berries. :/

    ETA: my ideal diet is low carb/ high fat though not nearly as "extreme" as MTKD. I rather enjoy where I am. <50 carbs (though no panic if I go over, and the rest being protein and fat, ensuring I get in enough fat since that is what satiates me. "Enough doesn't need to be they typical "70%". 50-60% is most likely adequate. Not sure what that is in grams. I'm not tracking in detail currently. I'm confident fat is high and carbs are low. I'm not craving and I'm not hungry. I still eat cream cheese by the clump some days...for the fat.
  • Alaplum
    Alaplum Posts: 169 Member
    I'm not a vegetarian but I have seen some great recipes on you tube from "Headbangers kitchen" It is a bit harder to get your proteins for your macros with out busting thru the 20 carb limit tho.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Also to my above post. I'm not vegetarian. I love all foods. Favor vegetables a LOT especially during our hot and humid North Carolina summers.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    ETA: my ideal diet is low carb/ high fat though not nearly as "extreme" as MTKD. I rather enjoy where I am. <50 carbs (though no panic if I go over, and the rest being protein and fat, ensuring I get in enough fat since that is what satiates me. "Enough doesn't need to be they typical "70%". 50-60% is most likely adequate. Not sure what that is in grams. I'm not tracking in detail currently. I'm confident fat is high and carbs are low. I'm not craving and I'm not hungry. I still eat cream cheese by the clump some days...for the fat.

    That's helpful, although I don't want to hijack OP's thread! ;-) I was told at one point that vegetables wouldn't be a problem for keto because I just had to be under 50 g net (which I usually am, so long as I am not eating fruit -- that will become an issue as summer goes on), but then it seems that people seem to all be quite a bit lower for keto. I don't know that I care about keto -- I like eating low carb but more like 50-100 g (total, not net, there) but I feel like I should make it to keto for a while to know if it matters. So I am always curious about people who do while still eating lots of plant-based foods (or if they are finding that they are in ketosis at higher levels -- I still haven't checked since I haven't been consistent enough and am not sure how well the urine test works anyway).
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    UK. I have tried to access organic food suppliers, oriental online supplies, Amazon, and done a lot of Searches. I get responses with black beans, and the soy crossed out.... Amazon do have the product tinned, but it turns out the supplier is USA based, and the postage cost (again!!) would be disproportionate....

    Darn!! Thats no fun! I wonder if asking for black edamame would get a different response?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What do you eat to stay in keto levels as a vegetarian? I'm not a vegetarian, but I like eating lots of vegetables, some nuts, full fat greek yogurt/cottage cheese, and find those things actually make it pretty tough to get down to what many others seem to consider keto levels even with meat for a portion of my calories. Even avocado has a decent amount of carbs in it. I'm just generally interested in your approach.

    (I am trying the black soy beans that Sabine recommended, and am excited about that. I suppose tofu and tempeh really aren't especially high carb either.)
    And given that you cook, if you do like the taste, pls help me brainstorm more ways to use them!
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    Check out Headbanger's Kitchen on YouTube. He recently put out a series of videos on vegetarian keto with great recipes.