Low carb vegan - is it even possible?

[NotDonna]

I’m currently doing Low Carb bootcamp and am very much an omnivore. However, Ive just been watching the ‘documentary’ with 4 sets of twins testing healthy omnivore V healthy vegan (there were carbs everywhere). I’m just wondering if anyone has given it a go or is vegan and given low carb a go? Is it remotely possible?

No, just because a lot of vegan protein sources (eg pulses) are also carbs. And if you tried it you’d end up eating a lot of processed quorn type stuff.

Why would you want to do this anyways?

I have, but I love the vegan processed stuff 😳 and yes I did lose weight.

Meat is generally processed too, unless you have the money to purchase high quality cuts 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think you might need to pick one type of diet or another not try to combine two. A vegan diet will almost certainly help you lose weight anyway as per the documentary, so either do that or do low carb. Starving yourself isn't a good look unless you are extremely confident and competent at building balanced meals

Here's 16 low carb vegan meals to get you started.
Of course you can low carb vegan, you just have to meal plan carefully to get a good balance.
https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/7884669/low-carb-vegan-dinner-recipes/

@theduchessofspork they talked a lot of crap in the so called ‘documentary’ and some of it was maddeningly incorrect! I’m quite disappointed that Tim Spector put his name to it. The only thing I did believe was the reduction in muscle mass seen across the board. However I’m concerned about the planet like everyone else so thinking about making changes. BUT I think I’ll avoid beef, buy free-range organic chicken and eggs and wild caught salmon. I don’t eat bacon or sausages anyway. I’ll do more research in sustainable options. I can’t stand tofu and dont think processed is the way to go.

Thanks @notacooldad some nice looking recipes there especially aubergine stir fry. I do think it’ll be good to incorporate a couple of vegan (or at least vegetarian) meals a week.

I can’t stand tofu and dont think processed is the way to go
what is it you don’t like about tofu? My husband always said the same but them he had Bang Band tofu and then tried battered tofu and sweet and sour sauce. He used to describe it as looking like a slug.

Yes it’s a texture thing plus it’s kinda taste less. Battered tofu isn’t low carb and sweet & sour sauces even homemade could be sugary perhaps. But I know what you mean - needs sauces and good strong flavours to complement.

Maybe try this
https://ketovegetarianrecipes.com/keto-tofu-stir-fry-broccoli/.

I tried it (keto vegan) but I found it too restrictive to maintain. It looked more like a starvation diet because I hate most of those meat alternatives, so it was pretty much just green veg and nuts. These days I mostly alternate between low-carb vegetarian and low-carb pescetarian. Vegetarian is much easier to do low-carb.

The documentary had quite an obvious skew towards veganism and the experts were clearly chosen on that basis. It's good to hear of some of the health benefits of a plant based diet but I would be cautious about taking this at face value. Also as PP have said, low carb and vegan doesn't sound logical. Most veg/legumes/grains are a source of carbs and you need to consume alot food more to reach satiety/match the nutrition of an omnivore diet.

@NotDonna

technically yes, but it's bloody hard work.

i low carb as a vegetarian (but don't eat eggs) and I get bored, very bored. I have to eat very VERY low carb for it to work for me as far as keeping my diabetes under control, but I don't lose weight. Despite being VERY good.

@HollyKnight

you think low carb vegetarian is easier?

10 years in I still find it difficult/boring. What do you eat? I end up just not eating because I can't stand such a limited range of food over & over. I've stopped eating breakfast as there's only so much Greek yogurt a girl can eat, same with lunch really, it's just the same things I eat for dinner, so get fed up. Even only OMD I don't lose weight.

oh I said in my other post, which you may not have read, I don't eat eggs.

thanks for any suggestions

Usually though a low carb diet is high protein. Many of those dishes seem to have very low protein. And if you don’t like tofu..

Just looked through this, they all literally look disgusting to me 🤣

I'm an ex-vegan as well!

I low carb frequently as a vegetarian, and that's monotonous enough.

It's easier than low-carb vegan! I do eat a lot of eggs though. I think the thing that made the biggest difference for me was forgetting the idea of things being breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. So I'll have low-carb pizza (basically a wrap with pizza toppings if I'm lazy, or I'll pre-make an almond flour crust) or vegetable korma in the morning if that's my mood. My suggestion would be to get a good curry book and build up a spice collection. It's a good way of adding flavour and sauces to otherwise bland veg. Soups are good too. Cheese on top of anything makes it palatable. But it really depends on how much time you have to dedicate to meal planning and cooking. I haven't been doing it for 10 years though. I might be bored by then too.

Me and my child went vegan for 4 months. She wanted to give it a go and I decided to, to lower my diabetes. She put on about 10lb and my glucose levels went up. We ate delicious, Hello fresh food but obviously too much pasta!.
Think it's OK if you really do watch the cards and are organised

Thanks everyone but it sounds way too tricky. I’ll incorporate more veggie meals but vegan is a stretch too far!

Just looked through this, they all literally look disgusting to me 🤣
🤣🤣🤣

@NotDonna you are a vegan newbie so of course you don't know that in a vegan diet if you eat your calories with real unprocessed food, like vegetables, you will hit and even exceed your proteins.
100 calories of cooked spinach = 12.8 gr of protein
100 calories of ground beef= 10 gr of protein.

Calorie per calorie, there are more protein in vegetables. So focus on the vegetable part of the vegan diet, not the rubbish, the snacks, the fake version of burgers or cheese, the simple carbs and you will hit your proteins and get so many micronutrients at the same time.

You will be healthier and look good with all the polyphenols you are eating and feeding your gut.

Do spinach have carbs? Sure, 100 calories of spinach havre 16.2 carbs, and 10.4 fibres, so net carb are 5.7 gr but it doesn't matter, because it is not the carbs that made you fat. It is the wrong food. By doing low carb, or low fat, or paleo, or vegan, or carnivore, or... or... you remove a massive chunk of food you can't eat and have to eat real fresh food. You naturally reduce calories you body can access.

Almost nobody does the real low carb anymore in which you substituted the carbs for fats. Now, they substitute carbs for proteins. Of all the macronutrients, the body struggles to process proteins, if you consume 100 grams of protein, the body will expend approximately 20-30% of the caloric content of that protein just to digest and metabolise it. That's why high protein diet work, because the calories you body can access are less.

However, when you consider, all accessible calories, it really doesn't matter, what they are. It is their number that will make you fat or slim.

So enjoy vegan, you will have fun, explore new cuisines and become a lot healthier. Look at the first 3 letters of the word vegan, eat that , and you can't get it wrong.

@Payakan How much spinach would contain 100 calories though? Consuming ALL your calories via veg would be an impossible amount to consume, surely?

About 450g of spinach. At least spinach shrinks when you cook it but it's still a lot for one person to eat.

So you would need 2Kg of spinach to provide your daily protein needs?

As opposed to 200g of beef burger.

Tofu crumble is nice.
I do a big tray of roast veg, seasoned with curry powder, and crumble the tofu into tiny pieces to roast with it. The crunch of the tofu with the veg is delicious. I’m not low carb though so I throw a few new potatoes in too.