A healthy vegetarian diet involves eating a lot of plant-based foods. Thus, you might wonder if it’s possible to pair it with the trendy ketosis diet. What is the ketosis diet for a vegetarian?
Let’s find out here.
What is the Ketosis Diet for a Vegetarian?
It’s a healthy diet. The vegetarian diet. That is. It can help you become slimmer. It also helps in preventing some chronic conditions. Vegetarians also live longer compared to people who eat meat.
The ketogenic diet, on the other hand, involves eating bacon, butter, and burgers. It can help you lose weight quickly while improving your cholesterol. It may help lower your blood sugar levels.
If you are thinking about combining these two diets, you might wonder if it’s doable.
Yes, it is doable. However, it requires thorough planning compared to the typical ketosis diet.
How to Consume a Vegetarian Keto Diet?
See Also: Does Ketosis Diet Make You Constipated?
Lower Carbohydrate Consumption
To get into ketosis, you need to limit your carb intake to 20 grams a day. The lower the number, the better.
In that case, if you’re also a vegetarian, you need to avoid quinoa, legumes, buckwheat. They are high in carbs but they are the most popular protein sources for vegetarians.
Also, don’t drink milk or eat starchy vegetables. But you can eat a small number of berries.
See Also: Can Ketosis Diet Cause Depression?
Choose to Have a High-Quality Protein Source
The protein in animal products contains 9 essential amino acids that your body needs. Since you can’t eat animal products, you can still consume nuts and seeds as your protein source.
You can also have some dairy and eggs to up your protein quality.
For your protein intake each day, aim for 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. You can have at least 70 grams of protein when on a keto vegetarian diet.
In addition to egg, you can also opt for the following:
- Greek yogurt: It’s high in protein and an excellent source of other minerals, like magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Plus, it provides probiotics that are ideal for your immunity and gut health.
- Hemp seeds: They are also high in protein and rich in soluble fiber. Hemp seeds are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to potassium and magnesium.
- Other options would include tofu, tempeh, and seitan. It’s not a good idea to eat faux-meat bacon and burgers. The reason for this is that they have a high amount of carbs.
To be successful in this special kind of diet, you need to have a list of foods that you can eat. You should also learn the foods that you can’t eat, such as legumes, most fruits, and grains.
Experts recommend getting most of your protein from minimally processed foods, instead of protein bars, shakes, or powders.
See Also: Is Ketosis Diet the Same as Atkin’s Diet?
Can You Eat Soy Products?
Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein. Before, there were concerns that soy had detrimental effects. But research on soy is mostly positive.
Some people are also concerned about how soy affects the thyroid gland. But it doesn’t seem to cause issues if you have normal thyroid function.
Then again, anything that’s in excess can have detrimental effects on the body.
However, as mentioned, you can safely eat tofu. But choose the extra-firm type.
See Also: Is Ketosis Diet Safe for Diabetics?
Eat Three Servings of Low-Carb Vegetables
One of the challenges of the keto vegetarian diet is that most vegetables are high in carbohydrates. Thankfully, there are low-carb options that you can safely eat twice a day.
These are the following:
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Avocado
See Also: How Much Protein for Ketosis Diet?
Add Healthy Oils for Your Cooking
Natural fats can improve the texture of your food. They can also help you stay full. Thus, you feel satisfied for several hours. Furthermore, healthy oils can assist in the proper absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Because the ketosis diet requires a high amount of fat, you need to consume healthy keto fats, such as the following:
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil
- Butter
- Ghee
- Olive oil
Add Some Seasonings
By seasoning, it means the use of herbs and spices. Herbs and spices can increase variety in your diet. They are a great source of micronutrients. Basil, cinnamon, and rosemary are the most common options. But you can try other spices.
Is Vegetarian Ketosis Diet Backed by Science?
Unfortunately, there are not enough studies for this subject. You’re limited to studies about chronic kidney diseases in pregnant women who followed a vegetarian keto diet.
However, there are various studies about low-carb diets. These studies found that eating a low amount of carbs is healthier.
Summary
What is the ketosis diet for a vegetarian? Keto vegetarian diet still involves eating a low amount of carbs and a high amount of fats. Unfortunately, you need to restrict most vegetables because they are high in carbs. But there are a few vegetables that are low in carbs.
Although this diet is challenging, it’s doable. It just requires thorough planning.
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