My goal: Low Carb Vegan . . . HOW?

by Susan
(Corona, CA)

Hi - for medical reasons I need to be on a low carb diet, and since I've done that instead of vegan, I've lost 60 pounds and have 100 pounds to go. What I really want to do is continue being vegan, but how do I do that? I eat only 15 carbs per meal/snack and I feel great in my body, but in my mind/heart, I don't want to eat the animal products like dairy and fish. So my question is - where are the vegan low-carb recipes?

*****
Sassy Sez: Hi Susan! Congratulations on your fantastic weight loss story. That is awesome! :O)

As to your question about low-carb vegan, admittedly most of the foods that support a healthy vegan diet are composed of carbs.

But that doesn't mean you are out of luck. My recommendation would be to minimize those foods which are super carbohydrate-rich, such as whole grains. I am not saying to eliminate them, but eat less of them.

The Vegan Food Pyramid recommends 6-11 servings of whole grains per day, but there is some leeway there. The higher end (11 servings) is for very active people or those trying to gain weight. So I recommend you stay on the lower end of this (say, 4-6 servings/day), and whenever you eat whole grains have them in their actual whole form (for instance, breakfast oats) instead of a more processed form, such as whole grain bread or pasta.

Please note, 1/2 cup cooked whole grains/pasta/cooked cereal equals a serving. 1 slice of bread is also a serving. So you can see it is quite easy to reach 4 servings over the course of a day without overdoing it. Just be sure to eat lots of vegetables, especially dark green leafies and green salads, and protein-rich beans and foods made of beans (such as hummus) so your diet is filled with the nutrition you need. xo