Low carb help for vegetarian please!

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Emreadsalot
Emreadsalot Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am trying to eat between 50-70g carbs a day and am really struggling to eat all my daily calorie allowance whilst sticking between my carb allowance. I eat very healthily naturally, and am vegetarian, and have been shocked at the carbs in my previously eaten beans, lentils, bananas, mango and pineapple! I don't really want to be tipping oil over my meals as that breaks all my rules on healthy eating. Does anyone have any tips for a low carb vegetarian? UK based.

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  • 88AViva
    88AViva Posts: 499 Member
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    Isn't 50-70g still really low for a low carb diet? Maybe I'm wrong but even the healthiest things contain carbs. As long as you stick to the good carbs, going a little over 70g should be okay right?

    I suppose all you can do is really load up on the other macros. Increasing the Healthy Fats would be the easiest way to meet your calorie goals. Cheese, avocados, peanut butter, edamame, tofu. I'm not vegetarian or low carb so I'm not sure of the carb contents in the above.
    I hope you find the balance you are looking for 🙂
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,944 Member
    edited May 2022
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    nm
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Emreadsalot wrote: »
    I am trying to eat between 50-70g carbs a day and am really struggling to eat all my daily calorie allowance whilst sticking between my carb allowance. I eat very healthily naturally, and am vegetarian, and have been shocked at the carbs in my previously eaten beans, lentils, bananas, mango and pineapple! I don't really want to be tipping oil over my meals as that breaks all my rules on healthy eating. Does anyone have any tips for a low carb vegetarian? UK based.

    That's more like keto than a typical low carb diet. Keto is also typically high fat, so if high fat breaks all of your rules on healthy eating, keto is probably not really for you. Vegetarian and/or vegan keto is also very difficult considering plant based diets tend towards high carbohydrates...since plants are largely carbohydrates. Vegetarian keto can be done, but it leaves you with pretty limited options food wise.

    I'm a little surprised that you're surprised that fruit and beans and lentils are high in carbohydrates. Outside of things like avocado, the vast majority of vegetables and fruits are comprised largely of fiber and sugar (carbohydrates). There is nothing wrong with carbohydrates and there are many very nutritious sources of carbohydrates...some of which you've already listed. Carbohydrates are anything that is fiber, starch, or sugar or some combination of those three things.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    You've only got 3 macros to work with: Protein, fats, and carbs. You want to be low carb, but it sounds like you also don't want to eat more fats. That leaves protein . . . which in plant-based sources often comes with some carbs. (It also leaves alcohol, which isn't a macronutrient, but does have calories that aren't carbs or fats - but I'm guessing you don't want to fill out your calories with alcohol! 😉😆).

    I feel like you're painting yourself into a corner here?

    Would you consider eating more avocados, nuts, peanut butter, seeds, and that sort of thing? They're higher fat, some of them have a small amount of protein, and most people who divide the world into healthy and unhealthy foods seem to consider those healthy foods.

    I guess I'd also ask why you're cutting out the carbs from healthy foods like beans, lentils, and fruits? Those things are pretty nutrition-packed. Are you diabetic, or something like that? Cutting carbs isn't essential for weight loss, and IMO being vegetarian and eating low carb is a more difficult combination than either one on its own. It's possible, of course . . . just harder. (I know that some people find carbs spike their appetite, but that seems less common with sources like beans/lentils.)

    I've been vegetarian for nearly 48 years, am fortunate not to be diabetic, and wouldn't consider going low carb because it limits so many nutritious foods that I enjoy eating, including some of my favorite protein sources. I found it pretty straightforward to lose weight (class 1 obese to a healthy weight in just under a year) while eating around 125g-150g carbs most days, within my calorie goal. Most of those carbs were from foods like legumes, veggies, etc., not baked goods and such (I'm not a big baked goods eater). But that's just me. I'm just explaining why I'm asking what your motivation to go low carb is.

    It'll be important to get adequate calories, of course: That's the foundation of healthy eating, really. Losing weight ultra-fast isn't a healthy plan.

    Hoping you can find a solution that satisfies you!
  • WailingDusk
    WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
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    I was vegetarian for a year and a full vegan for a year prior to that, and you should not be limiting your carbs. At all. You should be limiting your highly processed simple carbs while eating more legumes, root vegetables, rice (yes, rice is just fine, despite the ignorance), wild rice, sprouted breads, they are all fine and will fill you up surprisingly fast for a long time.

    When I was ovo-vegetarian, I mostly ate eggs, the carbs mentioned above and lots of vegetables. Even though I've added fish and chicken into my diet, I still do not eat the majority of meats and I avoid dairy like the plague.

    Carbs are fine, and if you're vegetarian, you kind of don't have a choice here. Keep the carbs complex and healthy, keep the portion sizes normal and you will be fine.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited May 2022
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    Carbs are not inherently unhealthy. If you are low carb for a medical reason (other than weight loss) have your doctor refer you to a dietitian.

    If you are low carb simply to lose weight, great news! People can lose weight just fine eating low carb, moderate carb, or high carb.

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    ps: where did you get the 50-70g carbs a day goal? According to diabetes.co.uk, under 130 g/day is considered low carb, and this is a suggestion for people with diabetes by diabetes.co.uk, but not the NHS.

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html
  • mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12
    mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12 Posts: 204 Member
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    Hi @Emreadsalot

    I’m vegan (for over 20 years) and I am also currently trying to do low carb because I am monitoring my glucose and trying to flatten my blood sugar spikes.

    It’s possible provided you don’t mind eating strange food combinations as well as basically giving up vegetables and pulses. I believe beans and lentils and vegetables are good for you so I don’t intend to cut them out of my diet forever.

    If you want to do low carb try plain unsweetened yoghurt with nuts for breakfast (look for something high in protein and low in carbs). Avoid putting fruit on it (lots of sugar which are carbs). Tofu or Seitan for lunch and dinner with limited veg (zucchini, hearts of palm, artichokes, broccoli or a leafy salad are low carb choices- avoid root vegetables) add oil or nuts/seeds or avocado..if you’re ok eating highly processed foods you can also enjoy fake meat burgers.

    People should make their own choices about their diet. I personally think eating low carb cuts out too many nutritious foods to be a healthy long term choice for me but having said that, I have seen significant weight loss cutting back on carbs. For reference I am eating the exact same number of calories and doing the same level of exercise (which is none).

    But remember, you don’t have to eat low carb to lose weight.

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