My goal: Low Carb Vegan . . . HOW?
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?
Regards,
Susan
Corona, CA
*****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. While you CAN do low-carb vegan using ingredients like veggie burgers, vegetarian meats and other protein-rich overly-processed convenience foods, they're not always the healthiest route to go.
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 whole grains because they provide the energy we need, but simply 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, between 3 and 6 servings/day which is ideal for those who want to lose weight in a healthy and balanced way).
Plus whenever you eat whole grains, have them in
their actual whole form (for instance, breakfast oats) instead of a more processed form, such as bread or pasta (yes, even if it's whole grain).
Please note, 1/2 cup cooked whole grains/cooked cereal/pasta 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!

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