Vegan Keto Meal Plan: Benefits, Food List and More!

An Overview Of The Vegan Ketogenic Diet

Some people get side effects when they take animal fats. Others have beliefs that restrict them from eating animal-based products. Such people rely on keto vegetarian diets for fats, proteins, and all necessary nutrients. A vegan diet is not suitable for everyone, especially for people suffering from certain conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.

What Is The Vegan Keto Diet?

A vegan keto diet is among the most limiting diets. It involves reducing carbs intake and increasing plant-based fats. To implement a keto diet, you have to adhere to some rules.

First, exclude all fish, dairy, eggs, and other animal products from your diet. Also, limit your total carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 30 grams per day.

Second, eat plenty of low-carb vegetables and ensure you get most of your calories from plant sources. Still, taking supplements to get nutrients that you might not be able to get enough of could be helpful. Further, you can use a keto calculator to determine the amount of fat, protein, and carbs you require.

How To Get Enough Fat On The Keto Diet For Vegans?

Although you aren’t allowed to eat eggs, dairy products or meat. Below are some vegan foods you can eat to help you get enough fat:

• Coconuts: Coconut and coconut oil carry high amounts of fat. Coconut oil bakes or cooks keto-friendly meals.
• Seeds: Some seeds are a healthy addition to your vegan diet for weight loss since they have high-fat levels. Flaxseeds, sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds are a healthy addition to your ketogenic diet. Nevertheless, they contain higher levels of omega-6 fats.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is known for its many health benefits. It contains a variety of healthy fats that are good for your ketogenic diet. Olive oil is ideal for cooking, frying, and baking keto meals.
• Nuts: Nuts are a healthy addition to your diet. They contain different types of fats, minerals, and vitamins. Among the best nuts for keto diets are macadamia nuts. They have a high amount of healthy fat and low carbs compared to other nuts.
• Avocado: Avocados are high in fat, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber hence the perfect addition to your vegan keto meal. Still, you can use avocados to make chocolate if you blend them with cacao powder.
• Vegan Dairy Substitutes: Vegan dairy substitutes have high-fat levels. Nonetheless, some vegan dairy substitutes have large amounts of carbs. Therefore, you should check the number of carbs in a single serving.

How To Limit Your Carbs On A Vegan Ketogenic Diet?

It is almost impossible to restrict carbs in your diet. The best you can do is limit the number of carbs you include in your ketogenic meals. To achieve this, you need to avoid foods such as:

• Grains, like corn, cereal, wheat, and rice
• Some fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas
• Tubers like potato, cassava and yams
• Avoid legumes such as peas, lentils, and black beans
• Sugars, like honey and maple syrup

Instead, include vegan-friendly foods with low carbs in your keto diet. Eat foods that are rich in fats and also vegan friendly, such foods include:

• Leafy greens
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Vegan ‘meats’ such as tempeh, tofu, and seitan
• Nuts and seeds
• Avocados

The Best Vegan Protein Sources For The Ketogenic Diet

• Nuts And Seeds: Most nuts and seeds carry protein, vitamins, minerals, and some carbs. Nuts and seeds with the most proteins include pumpkin, almonds, sunflower, and flax seeds. However, you should check the carb levels before consuming these seeds to avoid weight gain.
• Tofu: Tofu is a healthy vegan protein source made from soybeans. It is rich in proteins and calcium hence a vegan substitute for meats like chicken, beef, and fish. Tofu’s downside to most is being bland. However, if you marinate it before cooking, it tastes better. Tofu can absorb flavors from spices making it even more delicious. In case you experience fatigue, dry skin, or constipation after you increase the amount of tofu intake, limit the amount you consume.
• Vegan Meats: There are a variety of vegan meats available. Vegan burgers might contain large chunks of added sugars. While choosing the right vegan meat product, carefully read the ingredients to avoid gaining weight. Also, most vegan burger recipes contain a lot of carbs from foods such as grains. Only use one with the least amount of carbs.
• Seitan: Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is a type of keto vegetarian meat substitute. You can make seitan from ginger, garlic, seaweed, wheat gluten, and soy sauce. Seitan or wheat meat contains a high amount of proteins but has low fat and can be a good source of iron. However, it has a large amount of gluten and might be unsuitable for gluten-allergic people.
• Protein Powder: It is challenging to acquire all essential proteins from vegan protein sources. Nevertheless, vegan protein powder can help vegans meet their protein needs. You can add vegan protein powder to your meals and drinks.
• Tempeh: Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is a vegan substitute for beef. It is firm and has a grainier texture than tofu. If you find it bitter, steam it for a few minutes before using it.

Keto-Friendly Egg Substitutes

• Flax seed: Flax seeds have a nutty flavor that makes baked goods taste better. To implement the flax seeds into your recipe, finely grind them first. One tablespoon of finely ground flax seeds substitutes for one egg.
• Baking Soda And Vinegar: Baking soda and vinegar are great egg substitutes for baked goods. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of vinegar to substitute for one egg.
• Silken Tofu: Silken tofu is a vegan egg substitute. It is a silkier and softer form of tofu. Silken tofu makes baked goods dense. Therefore, it can make bread, brownies, and other baked goods. A quarter cup of silken tofu is a substitute for one egg.
• The Vegg: The Vegg is a company that only uses natural ingredients to create products that taste, feel, and function like eggs. These products cost almost the same as eggs.

Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Egg

Follow your heart’s vegan egg is a plant-based company that makes the vegan alternative to many foods such as cheese and other dairy products. Among their most advertised products is their vegan egg. The vegan egg is a whole egg substitute that tastes like real eggs. You can use the vegan egg when baking keto-friendly muffins and cookies. Further, you can cook scrambled eggs or omelets with the vegan egg.

7-Day Vegan Keto Meal Plan

Keto diet plans have continuously gained popularity. By reducing carb intake and increasing fat intake, keto diets help you lose weight. Most keto diet plans include meat, dairy products, or seafood. All these foods are not suitable for vegan people looking to try keto. Here is a seven-day vegan keto meal plan:

Monday

• Breakfast: Cinnamon and Pecan Porridge
• Lunch: Bacon and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms
• Snack: Spinach avocado dip
• Dinner: Thai coconut curry soup

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Fluffy vanilla waffles
• Lunch: Superfood keto soup
• Snack: Carrot cake bites
• Dinner: Coconut lime noodles with chili tamari tofu

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Tofu scramble
• Lunch: Spiralized Zucchini pasta
• Snack: Chocolate peppermint chia pudding
• Dinner: Vegan shepherd’s pie

Thursday

• Breakfast: Cinnamon chocolate breakfast smoothie
• Lunch: Vegan cauliflower fried rice
• Snack: Keto crack slaw
• Dinner: Shirataki noodles with almond butter sauce

Friday

• Breakfast: Grain-free hemp heart porridge
• Lunch: Creamy roasted red pepper soup
• Snack: Crispy avocado fries
• Dinner: Cheesy vegan broccoli soup

Saturday

• Breakfast: Coconut low-carb porridge
• Lunch: Spicy grilled eggplant with red pepper and mint
• Snack: Chocolate avocado pudding
• Dinner: Vegan cauliflower pizza crust

Sunday

• Breakfast: Maple cinnamon oatmeal
• Lunch: Keto curry noodle bowls
• Snack: Low-carb apple pie muffins
• Dinner: Red coconut curry

After you follow this vegan keto diet plan, your carb intake reduces, and you increase your fat intake.

Foods To Avoid

If you are on a vegan ketogenic diet, you should avoid some foods. Below are some foods that should not be on your vegan keto list:

• Grains – Grains such as wheat and rice are high in carbs and therefore unsuitable for a keto diet.
• Dairy Products – Dairy products like milk, butter, and cheese are good fat sources. However, exclude them from your diet because they are not plant-based sources.
• Tubers – Like grains, tubers such as potatoes and yams have high amounts of carbohydrates. You should not include them in your diet.
• Processed Foods – Processed foods contain processed sugar which is unhealthy. They may make you suffer from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Therefore, avoid taking processed foods or sweetened drinks to prevent gaining weight and contracting diseases.
• Some fruits – Some fruits like oranges and bananas have high carb content and may not be suitable for your ketogenic diet. They can make you take more carbs than you need. Taking too many carbohydrates causes weight gain.
• Foods To Eat – When on a vegan ketogenic diet plan, you have restrictions on what to eat and what not to. Below are some of the foods you should take.
• Vegan Meats – Vegan meats such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan are good sources of plant-based fats. They are easy to prepare or cook. You can learn how to prepare vegan meats from some vegan keto recipes.
• Nuts And Seeds – Nuts are known to have many health benefits. They are rich in fats and vitamins. Seeds such as sunflower and flax seeds are high in fat and are a great addition to a vegan diet for beginners.
• Flax Seed – Flax seeds have a nutty flavor that makes baked goods taste better. To use flax seeds in your diet, grind them first. Then, use one tablespoon of finely ground flax seeds as a substitute for one egg.
• Avocado – Avocados are high in fat, carry antioxidant qualities, and are rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Baking Soda And Vinegar – Baking soda and vinegar are used when baking and are a good substitute for eggs.

The Benefits Of Following A Vegan Keto Diet

Many benefits come with a vegan keto diet. Research proves the individual benefits of vegan and ketogenic meals. However, they are not proven when combined. A vegan diet reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions like diabetes and cancers.

Also, people looking to lose weight may benefit from taking a vegan diet. On the other hand, keto diets have some incredible benefits as well. A keto diet promotes weight loss, reduces insulin resistance, improves brain health, and reduces your risk of heart disease.

In particular, vegan keto diets help burn fats since the liver uses stored fats in the body for energy. With time, the fat-burning process eliminates all stored body fat, which reduces body weight, and since you are not eating animal fats and a lot of carbs, there won’t be any accumulation of fats or weight gain.

FAQs

The Takeaway — What To Eat On The Vegan Ketogenic Diet?

If you are on a vegan ketogenic diet, you should avoid all animal-based products. Instead, on your vegan keto food list, include plant-based products such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and vegan meats that are high in fat.