The ketogenic diet, known for its potent impact on weight loss and overall health, is characterized by high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein consumption.
Despite its frequent association with animal products, this dietary approach can be tailored to align with plant-based meal plans, including vegan diets.
Adopting a low-carb regimen can pose challenges for vegans who completely exclude animal-derived products from their diets. However, with meticulous planning, vegans can harness the potential advantages of the ketogenic diet.
This article delves into what to include and avoid when following a vegan keto diet, complete with a one-week sample menu.
What Exactly Is the Vegan Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet revolves around minimal carbohydrate intake, a high-fat content, and moderate protein consumption.
To induce and sustain ketosis, a metabolic state where the body utilizes fat for energy instead of glucose, carb intake is typically restricted to 20 to 50 grams per day.
Traditionally, individuals on keto diets turn to high-fat animal-based products like meat, butter, and full-fat dairy due to the diet’s primarily fat-based composition, constituting approximately 75% of daily intake.
Nevertheless, individuals adhering to plant-based diets, including vegans, can effectively follow a ketogenic diet.
Vegans exclusively consume plant-derived foods like vegetables, fruits, and grains while abstaining from animal-based products such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
Vegans can achieve ketosis by incorporating high-fat, plant-based items like coconut oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts into their diets.
Benefits of the Vegan Keto Diet
There exist numerous health advantages associated with both vegan and ketogenic dietary approaches. However, it’s worth noting that there is a lack of dedicated studies focusing specifically on the vegan keto diet.
Embracing a vegan diet has demonstrated the potential to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
For instance, research has unveiled that individuals adhering to vegan diets exhibit a 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure and up to a remarkable 78% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, vegans generally maintain a lower body weight than non-vegans, and those who adopt vegan eating patterns tend to achieve more successful weight loss outcomes when compared to individuals consuming animal-based products. A comprehensive analysis of 12 studies spanning 18 weeks found that those following vegan diets shed an average of 5.5 pounds (2.52 kg) more than their counterparts on non-vegetarian diets.
Likewise, akin to the vegan diet, research suggests that embracing the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet can positively impact one’s health. The ketogenic diet is renowned for its effectiveness in weight management, blood sugar regulation, and reducing risk factors associated with heart disease.
For instance, a study involving 58 obese children and adolescents demonstrated that participants who adhered to a ketogenic diet experienced significantly greater weight loss and reduced fat mass than those on a low-calorie diet.
Additionally, the ketogenic diet led to a notable increase in adiponectin levels, a protein pivotal in regulating blood sugar and fat metabolism. Elevated adiponectin levels have been linked to improved blood sugar control, diminished inflammation, and a reduced risk of conditions related to obesity, such as heart disease. Ketogenic diets have also exhibited the capacity to mitigate risk factors associated with heart disease, including high triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Considering the potential health benefits shared by both vegan and ketogenic diets, combining the two into a vegan keto diet could yield positive health outcomes.
Foods to Avoid on a Vegan Keto Diet
When you commit to a vegan keto diet, a substantial reduction in carbohydrate consumption is imperative, and these carbs should be replaced with nourishing fats and vegan protein alternatives.
Animal-derived products, including eggs, meat, poultry, dairy, and seafood, are strictly off-limits in vegan keto.
Here are instances of foods that must be entirely excluded:
- Meat and poultry: Examples include beef, turkey, chicken, and pork.
- Dairy: This encompasses milk, butter, and yogurt.
- Eggs: Both egg whites and yolks fall into this category.
- Seafood: Fish, shrimp, clams, and mussels must be avoided.
- Animal-based ingredients include whey protein, honey, and egg white protein.
Furthermore, you should significantly curtail the intake of the following foods:
- Grains and starches: Be cautious with cereal, bread, baked goods, rice, pasta, and grains.
- Sugary drinks: Sweet tea, soda, juice, smoothies, sports drinks, and chocolate milk should be minimized.
- Sweeteners: Brown sugar, white sugar, agave, and maple syrup should be used sparingly.
- Starchy vegetables: Exercise in moderation with potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, and peas.
- Beans and legumes: Consume black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans in moderation.
- Fruits: While fruits should be limited, some, like berries, can be enjoyed in small portions.
- High-carb alcoholic beverages: Limit the intake of beer, sweetened cocktails, and wine.
- Low-fat diet foods: Be cautious with low-fat foods as they often contain high levels of added sugar.
- High-carb sauces and condiments: Restrict barbecue sauce, sweetened salad dressings, and marinades.
- Highly processed foods: Decrease the consumption of packaged foods and prioritize whole, unprocessed options.
The extent of carbohydrate restriction in your vegan keto diet should align with your health objectives and personal requirements. In general, prioritize a diet rich in healthy, high-fat vegan foods and vegan protein sources as the foundation of your nutritional approach.
Foods to Consume on a Vegan Keto Diet
When embarking on a vegan keto diet journey, your primary focus should be selecting vegan, nutrient-rich foods high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates.
The foods to incorporate into your vegan keto diet encompass:
- Coconut products: Utilize full-fat coconut milk, coconut cream, and unsweetened coconut.
- Oils: Incorporate olive oil, nut oils, coconut oil, MCT oil, and avocado oil.
- Nuts and seeds: Include almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, macadamia nuts, and pumpkin seeds.
- Nut and seed butter: Opt for peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, and cashew butter.
- Non-starchy vegetables: Prioritize leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and mushrooms.
- Vegan protein sources: Consider full-fat tofu and tempeh as your primary protein sources.
- Vegan full-fat “dairy”: Include options like coconut yogurt, vegan butter, cashew cheese, and vegan cream cheese.
- Avocados: Enjoy whole avocados or prepare guacamole as part of your diet.
- Berries: In moderation, savor blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
- Condiments: Enhance your meals with nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and spices.
While the keto diet excludes several food groups stapled in a vegan diet, such as whole grains and starchy vegetables, a vegan keto diet can be followed with meticulous planning.
For optimal results, individuals following a vegan keto regimen should derive their caloric intake from whole, minimally processed foods while minimizing their consumption of highly processed vegan products.
A One-Week Vegan Keto Meal Plan
While the vegan keto diet may appear highly restrictive, creating various meals using vegan-friendly ingredients is possible. Here’s a one-week sample menu for the vegan keto diet:
Monday:
Breakfast: Start your day with keto porridge from full-fat coconut milk, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut.
Lunch: Enjoy a hearty vegan cream and low-carb vegetable soup.
Dinner: Relish a cauliflower rice stir-fry with tofu.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Savor a tofu scramble with vegan cheese and avocado.
Lunch: Delight in zucchini noodles with walnut pesto and vegan cheese.
Dinner: Tuck into vegan walnut chili topped with vegan cheese and sliced avocado.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Begin with chia pudding made from full-fat coconut milk and garnished with sliced almonds.
Lunch: Try creamy coconut and cauliflower soup.
Dinner: Satisfy your palate with shirataki noodles, mushrooms, and vegan Alfredo sauce.
Thursday
Breakfast: Opt for full-fat coconut yogurt with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut.
Lunch: Indulge in tofu, vegetable, and coconut curry.
Dinner: Enjoy cauliflower crust pizza topped with non-starchy vegetables and vegan cheese.
Friday
Breakfast: Fuel up with a tofu scramble featuring vegan cheese, mushrooms, and spinach.
Lunch: Relish a vegetable and tofu salad with avocado dressing.
Dinner: Dive into eggplant lasagna crafted with vegan cheese.
Saturday
Breakfast: Try a vegan keto smoothie blended with full-fat coconut milk, almond butter, cocoa powder, and vegan protein powder.
Lunch: Repeat the delight of a vegetable and tofu salad with avocado dressing.
Dinner: Savor cauliflower fried rice.
Sunday
Breakfast: Kickstart your morning with coconut almond chia pudding.
Lunch: Relish a generous green salad with tempeh, avocado, vegan cheese, non-starchy vegetables, and pumpkin seeds.
Dinner: Treat yourself to vegan cauliflower mac and cheese.
Vegan Keto Snacks
Here are some vegan-friendly snacks to curb your hunger between meals:
- Sliced cucumber topped with vegan cream cheese.
- Coconut fat bombs (high-fat snacks made with coconut butter, coconut oil, and shredded coconut).
- Nut and coconut bars.
- Coconut milk and cocoa smoothie.
- Trail mix with mixed nuts, seeds, and unsweetened coconut.
- Dried coconut flakes.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Celery sticks topped with almond butter.
- Coconut milk yogurt adorned with chopped almonds.
- Olives stuffed with vegan cheese.
- Guacamole with sliced bell pepper.
- Cauliflower tater tots.
- Coconut cream paired with berries.
Drawbacks and Side Effects of the Vegan Keto Diet
While the vegan keto diet may offer health benefits, it’s essential to be aware of potential drawbacks and side effects.
Vegan diets often need more essential nutrients, especially if not meticulously planned. Nutrients like vitamin B12, D, K2, zinc, omega-3 fats, iron, and calcium are frequently deficient in some vegan diets.
Because the vegan keto diet is more restrictive than standard vegan diets, it’s crucial for individuals following it to supplement with high-quality vitamins and minerals. Meal planning is essential to ensure a nutritionally balanced diet.
Incorporating fortified foods, emphasizing whole foods, and enhancing nutrient availability through methods such as fermenting and sprouting are vital for those on a vegan keto diet.
Nevertheless, meeting micronutrient requirements through food alone may prove challenging for vegan keto dieters. Thus, supplementing with specific vitamins and minerals commonly lacking in vegan diets is a prudent strategy to prevent potential deficiencies and meet daily nutritional needs.
Side Effects of the Vegan Keto Diet
Transitioning to a ketogenic diet can be demanding. This phase, often called the keto flu, can challenge the body as it shifts from utilizing glucose to fat for energy.
Side effects associated with the vegan keto diet may encompass:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Constipation
- Poor concentration
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Difficulty sleeping
To alleviate keto flu symptoms, it’s advisable to stay well-hydrated, ensure sufficient rest, incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet, and engage in light physical activity.
Furthermore, supplementing with electrolytes such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium can help alleviate specific symptoms like muscle aches, headaches, and insomnia.
Not Suitable for Everyone
Due to its restrictive nature, the vegan keto diet may not be appropriate for all individuals. It may not be suitable for those with type 1 diabetes, pregnant or breastfeeding women, athletes, or individuals with a history of eating disorders or disordered eating.
Suppose you are contemplating a switch to a vegan keto diet. In that case, it is essential to consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare professional first to ascertain the diet’s safety and suitability for your circumstances.
The Takeaway
The vegan keto diet is characterized by its emphasis on whole, unprocessed, plant-based foods while maintaining a high-fat, low-carb profile.
Both vegan and ketogenic diets have been associated with various advantages, including weight loss and lowered risks of heart disease and diabetes.
To meet nutritional requirements, some individuals may need to incorporate specific supplements into their vegan keto regimen, notably iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.
It’s important to note that while research indicates potential health benefits for both the vegan and keto diets individually, further studies are required to determine their long-term effectiveness and safety.