The core principle of a keto diet is to consume very low amounts of carbohydrates. This is normally achieved by focussing on proteins and fats from sources such as meat and fish. But what if you are also trying to follow a vegan diet?
Now you may be thinking how is this possible? This is understandable given the amount of information dedicated to vegan keto is quite limited, but by the end of this article, you’ll realise that it is indeed possible to combine the best of both worlds; Veganism and keto.
Table of contents
What is vegan keto?
As mentioned in “A simple overview: What is the ketogenic diet”, a keto diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate protein diet.
Within a traditional diet, approximately 70% of caloric value should come from fat, 20-25% from protein and the remaining 5-10% should come from carbohydrates (low carb vegetables)[1].
In practice, this means eliminating all starchy carbohydrates and sugar as well as highly processed / refined foods (which often had hidden added sugar). As you may have read in our article about low-carbohydrate diets, there are many variations in low-carb diets, with the common aspect being a focus on very low carbohydrate intake[1].
A vegan diet on the other hand emphasises an entirely plant-based diet, that seeks to avoid animal sources of foods entirely.
Vegan diets are a stricter form of vegetarian diet, and have been gaining popularity. They are seen as more ethical from an animal rights perspective, and rose to popularity after the appalling conditions of factory farming were exposed in multiple countries across the world.
If you want to learn more about the position of animal societies on veganism, please visit their websites at RSPCA and ASPCA.
Veganism has also become more popular due to the view that it is more sustainable for the planet, which has become a major global issue. Exactly how sustainable a vegan diet actually is however, is a contested issue.
Like any diet, the vegan diet is frequently used for weight loss and health benefits.
There is a body of research that demonstrates the health benefits of veganism, as well as the potential deficiencies, which we will explore later in this article.
Vegetarian diets, in contrast to vegan diets, can contain foods derived from animals e.g. dairy and eggs, but vegetarians will not consume meat or fish[2].
Pescatarians on the other hand, are not technically vegetarian, but will not consume any meat products, and prefer to eat different types of fish[2].
Check out our article about following a keto diet as a vegetarian.
The vegan keto diet aims to combines elements of both veganism and keto, to create a diet that is entirely plant-based but very low in carbohydrates. As you can imagine, this can be quite a restrictive diet, so let’s find out what foods you can eat on vegan keto.
What foods can you eat on vegan keto?
By combing a keto and vegan diet, you eliminate a number of foods.
As a result, a certain amount of planning and preparation is required. To start with, there are 3 key macronutrients; protein, fat and carbohydrates. On the keto diet, fats are the primary source of calories, followed by proteins, and a minimal amount of carbohydrates[1].
(If you would like to learn more about what you can eat on a traditional keto diet, check out this article!)
The key reason for this is to keep the body in a state of ketosis, where the body primarily utilises energy in the form of ketone bodies. When carbohydrate intake is too high, this causes blood glucose to rise, leading to a subsequently rise in insulin. With this higher blood glucose level, the body switches to glucose as the primary fuel, knocking the body out of ketosis[3].
Ok, so we need to keep carbs low and fat high. But how do we do that while following a vegan diet?
Fats
Fats are key for a healthy body and are the main source of fuel on the keto diet.
Fats are composed of fatty acids, which play an essential role in energy storage and membrane formation and maintenance. Fatty acids also play important roles in hormone synthesis, signalling and support tissue function and metabolism[4].
On a traditional keto diet, many fats come from fatty fish and meat. However, on a vegan keto diet, these are off limits. As a result, you’ll need to tailor your diet more specifically, and prioritise other high-fat foods. Luckily, this is quite easy to do, with many high-fat foods like oils, and nuts being compatible with a vegan keto diet.
Oils: Sunflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, almond oil, walnut oil, canola oil, soyabean oil, avocado oil, sesame oil
Vegetables / fruits: Avocado, coconut, olives
Nuts and seeds: Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachio nuts
Pre-made products: Hummus, tahini, guacamole, coleslaw (egg-free) nut-butter (peanut, almond, cashew) baba ghanoush, olive tapenade
Check out our guide on how to make these at home, following these fresh and delicious recipes!
(Note: some pre-made items may contain added sugar or other sources of carbohydrates, so please check the ingredients and nutrition before consuming!)
Protein
Proteins are essential nutrients that are composed of smaller units called amino acids.
These amino acids facilitate the correct functioning of muscles, support skeletal muscle strength, and synthesis of numerous cellular structures and hormones. Protein is vital for overall health and protein deficiencies lead to serious health conditions such as anemia, physical weakness and impaired immunity[5].
As mentioned, protein is important for skeletal muscle strength and functioning, which becomes even more important in highly active individuals. Physical exercise leads to a breakdown of muscles, which are then repaired through dietary protein.
As a result, those who follow extremely active lives should consider increasing protein intake to ensure optimal performance[5].
Typically, people following vegan diets find it more challenging to obtain the adequate levels of dietary protein[6].
This leaves them at an increased risk of deficiencies, which can lead to harmful effects on health[6].
You can learn more about how to overcome this here.
Traditional keto utilises meat, fish and eggs as primary sources of protein. In order to obtain the required protein intake while following a vegan keto diet, it is important to understand which foods to prioritise.
Tofu: Tofu is a vegan-based protein created from soybeans, which contains a relatively low proportion of carbohydrates
Tempeh: Also derived from soybeans, tempeh is made by fermentation of soybeans and is a popular meat-substitute
Seitan: Made from wheat gluten and high in protein – unsuitable for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance
Edamame: Edamame are immature soybeans that are high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates
Nuts and seeds: Various types of nuts and seeds contain relatively high proportions of protein and are lower in carbohydrates; These include, almonds, hemp seeps and chia seeds
Spirulina: Spirulina is an algae that contains all the essential amino acids and is frequently added to smoothies
Vegetables: Certain vegetables contain high proportions of protein with very few carbs; These include spinach, broccoli, asparagus and kale
Obtaining the required amount of protein from an entirely plant-based diet can be more challenging, but with proper education and planning, it is certainly possible for most people.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the only non-essential macronutrient, and primarily constitute a source of energy.
As stated, carbohydrates should be significantly limited when following keto, in order to ensure maintenance of ketosis.
The primary reason to consume carbohydrates on a keto diet is to obtaining essential fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are important to maintain overall health.
As a result, carbohydrates consumed on a keto diet are restricted to vegetables and some fruits, and largely eliminates starch (e.g. bread, pasta and grains)[7].
However, there are many different vegetables that are compatible with a keto diet, and can help to add flavour and variety to your diet.
Vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, kale, rocket, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato
Fruits: Low carb berries, e.g. raspberries, strawberries (suitable in small amounts)
The fruits and vegetables listed are generally suitable for a keto diet, but it is important to consume some (e.g. berries) in moderation, as carbohydrate content can add-up quickly.
The core focus should be on leafy greens and to add smaller amounts of other fruits and vegetables to spice up your salads.
Why not check out our awesome salad recipes to spice-up your keto diet?
Sample vegan keto meal plan
Now that we’ve introduced the different types of foods compatible with a vegan keto diet, lets pull it all together and see a sample meal plan for the day.
(Note: This is a sample meal plan, the exact quantities of which will vary depending on your own unique requirements)
Breakfast: Tofu scramble with lightly fried mixed vegetables, cooked in coconut oil.
Ingredients:
- Tofu (300g)
- Bell peppers (100g)
- Mushrooms (100g)
- Spinach (50g)
- Broccoli (50g)
- Coconut oil (2-3 tbsp)
Lunch: Tempeh salad, topped with nuts, seeds and a side of hummus
Ingredients:
- Tempeh (200g)
- Spinach (50g)
- Rocket (50g)
- Sliced tomatoes (25g)
- Sliced cucumber (50g)
- Crushed almonds and walnuts (20g)
- Olives (50g)
- Hummus (2 tbsp)
- Olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Chia seeds (10g)
Dinner: Seitan-stuffed bell peppers, topped with guacamole and salsa
Ingredients:
- Seitan – 150g
- Bell peppers (2-3 hollowed)
- Olive oil
- Salsa (100g)
- Guacamole (150 – 200g)
- Mushrooms (100g)
Snack: Raspberries (50g) and strawberries (50g)
If you’re interested in learning how to create some of these awesome recipes, take a look here.
Health benefits of vegan keto
Ok, so now we know what to eat on a vegan keto diet. But if you’re not already following a vegan diet, you might be asking what are the benefits of following a vegan keto diet. In short, should you try it?
In addition to being arguably more environmentally sustainable and ethical, following a vegan diet may bestow a number of benefits, which we will explore below.
Weight loss
Anyone who has tried to lose weight has heard of the keto diet. There is a significant body of literature that suggests adhering to a low carbohydrate diet leads to weight loss. As a result, many people trying to lose weight turn to the keto diet to help with their weight loss goals[8].
The exact reasons for why low carbohydrate diets lead to weight loss have been explored in another article, but what’s important is that this seems to hold true for vegan keto diets as well.
A study conducted on overweight men and post-menopausal women examined the effects of either a low or high carbohydrate plant-based diet on weight loss[9].
Both groups lost substantial amounts of weight, but the low carbohydrate group lost significantly more[9].
Over the 6-month period, the low carbohydrate group lost 6.9kg compared to 5.8kg on the higher carbohydrate diet. It should also be noted that the low carbohydrate group obtained 26% of their calories from carbohydrates, significantly more than the recommended 5-10% on the traditional keto diet[9].
As a result, it is reasonable to speculate that weight loss for the low carbohydrate group could have been even greater, if their diet was lower in carbohydrates.
Another study investigating both vegan and vegetarian low-carbohydrate diets found that they resulted in significantly more weight loss than controls[10].
This study was conducted with diabetic patients to examine the potential benefits of a low carb plant-based diet[10].
It should be noted however that not all studies support the view that lower carbohydrate diets lead to superior weight loss results[11].
The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity suggests that high carb intake results in increased insulin secretion, leading to increased fat accumulation and decreased satiety. This further increases appetite and leads to a destructive cycle of deteriorating metabolic health and weight gain[11].
This theory has strong supporting evidence but some studies seem to contradict these findings.
For example, a study comparing a higher carb (and lower fat) plant-based diet vs. a low carb animal-based keto diet found that the plant-based diet lead to reduced daily energy intake, in comparison to the keto diet[11].
Although there are some studies like these that challenge the efficacy of low-carb diets, a larger body of evidence supports the link between low carb diets and weight loss. Importantly for vegan keto, this is also observed in plant-based keto diets.
Improved insulin and type II diabetes prevention
Reviews conducted on the link between diabetes and vegan/vegetarian diets have found that people who follow a vegetarian diet are less likely to acquire type II diabetes than others[12].
Many studies use this to conclude that vegetarian or vegan diets have a beneficial preventative effect against type II diabetes and should therefore be a staple diet to protect against the rising tide of diabetes, worldwide.
However a study published in Nature, found some interesting results comparing a higher carb plant-based diet to a keto, animal-based diet. Although people eating the plant-based diet consumed fewer overall calories than the keto group, the keto group did not gain weight[13].
More importantly, the keto group has much more stable blood glucose and insulin levels, whereas the plant-based group showed significantly fluctuations[13].
It should also be noted that the plant-based group, despite having big fluctuations in blood glucose, this was not associated with increased hunger or energy intake[13].
This is in contrast to many other studies, and may hint at potential benefits of plant-based, unrefined sources of carbohydrates.
However, given that the keto group showed better glucose and insulin control, it is probably beneficial to combine both a plant-based approach, with a low carbohydrate diet.
Improved biomarkers for cardiac health
There is emerging evidence that plant-based diets have positive effects on overall cardiac health.
For example, a study in obese adults found that a low carb plant-based diet resulted in higher relative LDL-C and triglyceride reductions compared to a higher carb diet[14].
A number of studies have also found that individuals following a vegan or vegetarian diet have superior heart health, resulting in fewer cardiac arrests, and generally improved cardiac biomarkers[15].
It should however be noted that many of these studies examined individuals on vegan/vegetarian diets that were not carbohydrate-restricted.
At present, there is a limited amount of research examining the health outcomes associated with vegan keto diets, as well as limited information on the long-term effects.
Reduced occurrence of gout
Vegan and vegetarian diets have also been found to have potential beneficial effects on other health conditions, such as gout.
Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs due to a condition, called hyperuricemia. This occurs when there is too much uric acid in the body, which results from the breakdown of purines[16].
This excess uric acid forms crystals that form in the joints (commonly in the toes) and lead to painful swellings that can be debilitating. This repeats in cycles, called ‘flares’ and occur with different frequencies in different people[16].
Foods rich in purines include some seafood (notably shellfish) as well as organ meats.
As vegan and vegetarian diets are much lower in purines, they have been suggested to benefit patients who suffer from gout.
In a long-term study, following thousands of participants across Taiwan, investigators found that participants following a vegan or vegetarian diet were significantly less likely to experience gout than participants followed omnivore diets[17].
This highlights that vegan keto diets could have additional health benefits when adhered to over the longer term.
Challenges of following vegan keto
There seem to be numerous benefits associated with following a vegan diet, which combined with keto, could result in enhanced health outcomes. However, as anyone who has followed either a vegan or keto diet will tell you, they are not without their challenges.
Difficulty to maintain due to level of restrictions
If you’ve ever tried a keto diet, you’ll know that they can be quite restrictive.
This can be particularly challenging in the beginning, if you’re used to eating a wide variety of different foods. Suddenly changing this can be quite a shock and is often a reason why people give up on the diet.
Combining a keto diet with a vegan diet can make the diet even more restrictive. This can impact the successful adherence to the diet as it appears to significantly reduce the food options you can choose from.
However, there are in fact many different options out there for vegan keto followers, it just takes a bit more thought and some creativity.
For inspiration, check out our vegan keto recipes for innovative and creative meals.
One aspect that will be more challenging to tackle is eating out. Eating out is generally not catered to very well for those following a keto diet, with most options being heavily reliant on carbohydrates. Our suggestion is to try and eat out less often (it will be healthier and your wallet will thank you!) and when you do, try and go for options that are protein and fat based.
This is definitely easier on a traditional keto diet, but there are options for vegans too. It will just require a bit more research and perhaps dining out in different restaurants than you are used to.
Increased probability of certain nutritional deficiencies
As mentioned earlier, there are a number of health benefits associated with veganism, often when combined with keto.
However, one of the challenges with adhering to a vegan diet is the potential for deficiencies in some core macro and micronutrients.
For example, vegans often have an inadequate amount of protein in their diets, due to the more challenging nature of vegan protein. Although possible, it requires consumption of significant quantities of vegan protein options, which is often unrealistic[18].
In addition, vegans tend to be significantly deficient in vitamin B12 compared to the general population. In addition, deficiencies in zinc, calcium and selenium are also fairly common in vegans[18].
This doesn’t mean that following a vegan diet is necessarily unhealthy, it just means you are more at risk of certain deficiencies, so you should pay closer attention to ensure you meet your requirements.
Check out our article of common nutrient deficiencies on Keto and how to tackle these.
Helpful tips to make following vegan keto easier
At Ketoverse, we are big proponents of consuming whole foods, and that the majority of your diet should consist of good sources of protein, fat and carbohydrates. However, as mentioned, following a vegan keto diet has a number of challenges and can result in certain deficiencies.
Supplements
In order to minimise the chances of these deficiencies, and to maximise overall health, we recommend supplementing for micronutrients that are commonly deficient in vegans.
Take special care to ensure that you address common micronutrient deficiencies, e.g., vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and selenium.
Due to the plant-based nature of a vegan keto diet, protein intake can be more challenging. People following a vegan keto diet should consume high quality protein sources such as tofu, tempeh and nuts, but could additionally benefit from protein supplements.
Vegan protein shakes can be a great way to add protein to your diet, without having to eat large quantities of food.
Meal prep
Throughout this article, we’ve talked about how following a vegan keto diet can be more challenging. Even so, there are actually a wide variety of foods that can be consumed and combined into delicious recipes.
To make following this diet easier, we suggest to carefully plan and prep meals in advance.
This saves you hassle and allows you to prepare meals for multiple days at the same time. This can be a great time saver, in addition to helping ensure you maintain your diet consistency.
Check out our vegan keto recipes to inspire your own vegan keto journey!
Overall, there are many health benefits associated with following a vegan keto diet. Although it may seem daunting, it is actually very possible with a bit of planning and preparation. Even if you don’t want to go completely vegan, it could be beneficial to switch to plant-based diet for a couple of days a week. So give it a try and let us know how you get on!
