How to Lose Weight With a Vegetarian Keto Diet

The Keto diet for vegetarians Believe it or not, a vegetarian diet is the rage today, as more and more people have started to believe that a vegetarian diet is the healthiest. Studies have also backed up the theory and proved that a vegetarian diet helps in reducing chances of some prevalent diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart ailments more than a diet that contains non-vegetarian foods.In the case of a ketogenic diet or a keto diet, it has been found to be more effective than a vegetarian one and has been found to aid against the severity of several chronic diseases like PCOS, Alzheimer’s, Certain types of cancers, type 2 diabetes, epilepsy and more. 

But,what if you are a vegetarian and want to reap the benefits of a keto diet? Is there a possibility to follow a Vegetarian Ketogenic Diet?

Yes, it is definitely possible to follow a Vegetarian Keto diet by keeping some things in mind while chalking out the diet plan.

What is a Keto Diet ?

The Keto diet works on the formula of ketos is. A state where the body derives its much needed energy from the fats and not carbohydrates. Hence, the diet required you to source your 80 to 90% of your daily calories need from fats, 5 to 10% from proteins and 5 to 10%from carbohydrates. In a normal diet the major source of calories is carbohydrate. The meat, fish and eggs has no role to play in a Vegetarian Keto Diet and the focus is entirely on the fat intake.So,where will get these fats come from?

Let's discuss all the important component of a Vegetarian Keto Diet

1) First – the fat                               

NUTS - Nuts and seeds are good examples of healthy fats and proteins. But, also at the same time certain nuts are rich in carbohydrates too, and therefore you need to be very careful in choosing the right nuts and seeds.

Here are some high-fat and low-carb options in nuts: Walnuts, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts, Almonds, Peanuts and Chia and Flax seeds 

OILS - Now apart from nuts, you can get healthy fats from oils too. Always prefer to choose a cold-pressed as it is one of the healthiest method. Some great examples of good fat sources of oils are: Avocado Oil, Flax seed oil, Olive Oil & Coconut Oil

DAIRY - Dairy is another option that people look towards to, but at the same time being high in fat, it is protein rich also, and hence you cannot go for it in full throttle. Instead, it is better to look for and include non-dairy options like: Cocoa Butter, Olives, Avocados & Coconut Cream

Now that we know how to source the fats you need for a vegetarian keto diet, the next component of the diet is-Proteins. While your animal protein source is cut out, you will have to depend on plant-based proteins and there are plenty of good options:                                                               

1. Tempeh - A fermented form of soybeans made into a cake form.

2. Natto - A fermented  served with soy sauce, Karashi mustard and Japanese bunching onion.

3. Nuts and seeds

4. Nutritional yeast

5. Nut based unsweetened yogurt                    

The last but not the least, you will also require carbohydrates, it has to be healthy and vegetarian source that should contain a good amount of healthy fibre too to keep you full and metabolism working. Here is a list of some carbohydrate rich fruits and vegetables for vegetarian Keto Diet Followers:

1.      Spinach

2.      Kale

3.      Lettuce

4.      Green Beans

5.      Asparagus 

6.      Broccoli

7.      Cucumber

8.      Cauliflower 

9.       Bell peppers

10.   Onions

11.   Mushrooms

12.   Berries                                                

What about the different types of vegetarians and what can they do?

As in the other category, there are many types of vegetarian followers – from the ones who are very strict to the ones who are more liberal. Let’s know them and how can they manage with Keto diet.

1. The Vegans: are those vegetarians who do not consumes any sort of animal based or animal related products, even dairy or honey. They are entirely dependent on plant based foods.

2. The Pescatarians: apart from being vegetarian, they eat dairy, eggs and sea foods also.This is not a fully vegetarian type and also does not pose any threat to deficiencies as thorough the sources that happily get all that the body needs.

3. The lacto-ovo Vegetarians: these type eats dairy and eggs and avoids seafood fish,poultry and meat. It is the most common type of vegetarian people in most of the countries

4. The Lacto Vegetarians: these types apart from vegetarian sources only takes dairy and avoids all other types of food. It is the most common type of vegetarian in India. 

Which type of Vegetarian style works best with keto diet?

Contrary to popular misconception, Keto Diet is possible with all types of vegetarians, but it is best for the ones that can incorporate more of food groups, so that a wider selection can been joyed. As per experts,Keto does not go well with vegetarians because of the proteins.We all need proteins with all essential amino acids – and most of which the body cannot produce by itself and has to be supplied to the body through foods. And more importantly,animal sources provides all the essential amino acids and plant sources provide only a few amino acids.Since, all plant foods are not the same and have different levels and types of amino acids,vegetarians have to rely on a thoughtful combination of grains,legumes, nuts and seeds to get all the essential amino acids.One of the best example of Vegetarian Keto diet s the Eco-Keto, which is a low carb diet,based entirely on plant food sources- it not only contains lesser carbs, but also includes grains and provides the body with the right dosage of proteins and carbs needed for a Ketogenic diet plan.                                                                 

The 5 steps of rocking a Ketogenic Vegetarian Diet

1. Make sure that you eat at least 3 servings of vegetables throughout the day.

2. Always choose to use only healthy options of cooking oil and salad dressing.

3. Instead of salt, try to use herbs and spices to flavour your dishes and salads.

4. Restrict your carbohydrate intake.

5. Must not only focus entirely on healthy fats – ensure protein sources also.

6. Vegetarians on the maximum rely on grains and legumes for their source of nutrients. When your food intake is restricted in a diet, specially in the case of a keto diet and vegetarian, ensure that the body gets adequate quantity of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron,potassium, zinc,magnesium and B vitamins.