Diet Plan

Different Types of Vegetarians

There are several different types of vegetarians. None of them eat meat or fish.

The two most common types are lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians (or simply “vegetarians”) eat dairy products and eggs, but vegans do not eat any animal-derived foods.

Why Low-Carb?

One of the main reasons is that these diets can significantly reduce appetite, making you eat fewer calories without having to consciously try to eat less.

Low-carb diets also improve health in other ways.

They are very effective at reducing harmful fat, and tend to reduce triglycerides and raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol significantly. They also tend to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels

Although low-carb diets are not necessary for everyone, they can have important health benefits for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and certain neurological disorders.

A low-carb vegan diet can be very healthy as well. Studies on eco-atkins (vegan, 26% of calories as carbs) have shown that such a diet is much healthier than a regular low-fat diet, as well as a low-fat vegetarian diet

A Low Carb Diet Meal Plan and Menu That Can Save Your Life

A low-carb diet is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary foods, pasta and bread. It is high in protein, fat and healthy vegetables.

There are many different types of low-carb diets, and studies show that they can cause weight loss and improve health.

This is a detailed meal plan for a low-carb diet. What to eat, what to avoid and a sample low-carb menu for one week.

A Low Carb Diet Meal Plan

What foods you should eat depends on a few things, including how healthy you are, how much you exercise and how much weight you have to lose.

Consider all of this as a general guideline, not something written in stone.

The Basics

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, high-fat dairy, fats, healthy oils and maybe even some tubers and non-gluten grains.

Don’t Eat: Sugar, HFCS, wheat, seed oils, Trans fats, “diet” and low-fat products and highly processed foods.

Foods to Avoid

You should avoid these 7 foods, in order of importance:

• Sugar:Soft drinks, fruit juices, agave, candy, ice cream and many others.
• Gluten Grains:Wheat, spelt, barley and rye. Includes breads and pastas.
• Trans Fats:“Hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils.
• High Omega-6 Seed- and Vegetable Oils:Cottonseed-, soybean-, sunflower-, grapeseed-, corn-, safflower and canola oils.
• Artificial Sweeteners:Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose, Cyclamates and Acesulfame Potassium. Use Stevia instead.
• “Diet” and “Low-Fat” Products:Many dairy products, cereals, crackers, etc.
• Highly Processed Foods:If it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it.

You MUST read ingredients lists, even on foods labelled as “health foods.”

Low Carb Food List – Foods to Eat

You should base your diet on these real, unprocessed, low-carb foods.

• Meat:Beef, lamb, pork, chicken and others. Grass-fed is best.
• Fish:Salmon, trout, haddock and many others. Wild-caught fish is best.
• Eggs:Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.
• Vegetables:Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and many others.
• Fruits:Apples, oranges, pears, blueberries, strawberries.
• Nuts and Seeds:Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
• High-Fat Dairy:Cheese, butter, heavy cream, yogurt.
• Fats and Oils:Coconut oil, butter, lard, olive oil and cod fish liver oil.

If you need to lose weight, be careful with the cheese and nuts because they’re easy to overeat on. Don’t eat more than one piece of fruit per day.

Maybe Eat

If you’re healthy, active and don’t need to lose weight then you can afford to eat a bit more carbs.

• Tubers:Potatoes, sweet potatoes and some others.
• Non-gluten grains:Rice, oats, quinoa and many others.
• Legumes:Lentils, black beans, pinto beans, etc. (If you can tolerate them).

You can have these in moderation if you want:

• Dark Chocolate:Choose organic brands with 70% cocoa or higher.
• Wine:Choose dry wines with no added sugar or carbs.

Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and may provide health benefits if you eat it in moderation. However, be aware that both dark chocolate and alcohol will hinder your progress if you eat/drink too much.

Drink

• Coffee
• Tea
• Water
• Sugar-free carbonated beverages, like sparkling water.

A Sample Low-Carb Menu for One Week

This is a sample menu for one week on a low carb diet plan.

It provides less than 50 grams of total carbs per day, but as I mentioned above if you are healthy and active you can go beyond that.

Monday

• Breakfast:Omelet with various vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
• Lunch:Grass-fed yogurt with blueberries and a handful of almonds.
• Dinner:Cheeseburger (no bun), served with vegetables and salsa sauce.

Tuesday

• Breakfast:Bacon and eggs.
• Lunch:Leftover burgers and veggies from the night before.
• Dinner:Salmon with butter and vegetables.

Wednesday

• Breakfast:Eggs and vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
• Lunch:Shrimp salad with some olive oil.
• Dinner:Grilled chicken with vegetables.

Thursday

• Breakfast:Omelet with various vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
• Lunch:Smoothie with coconut milk, berries, almonds and protein powder.
• Dinner:Steak and veggies.

Friday

• Breakfast:Bacon and Eggs.
• Lunch: Chicken salad with some olive oil.
• Dinner: Pork chops with vegetables.

Saturday

• Breakfast:Omelet with various veggies.
• Lunch:Grass-fed yogurt with berries, coconut flakes and a handful of walnuts.
• Dinner:Meatballs with vegetables.

Sunday

• Breakfast:Bacon and Eggs.
• Lunch:Smoothie with coconut milk, a bit of heavy cream, chocolate-flavoured protein powder and berries.
• Dinner:Grilled chicken wings with some raw spinach on the side.

Include plenty of low-carb vegetables in your diet. If your goal is to remain under 50 grams of carbs per day, then there is room for plenty of veggies and one fruit per day.

If you want to see examples of some of go-to meals, read this: 7 Healthy Low-Carb Meals in Under 10 Minutes.

Again, if you’re healthy, lean and active, you can add some tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as some healthier grains like rice and oats.

Some Healthy, Low-Carb Snacks

There is no health reason to eat more than 3 meals per day, but if you get hungry between meals then here are some healthy, easy to prepare low-carb snacks that can fill you up:

• A Piece of Fruit
• Full-fat Yogurt
• A Hard-Boiled Egg or Two
• Baby Carrots
• Leftovers From The Night Before
• A Handful of Nuts
• Some Cheese and Meat

Eating at Restaurants

At most restaurants, it is fairly easy to make your meals low carb-friendly.

1. Order a meat- or fish-based main dish.
2. Ask them to fry your food in real butter.
3. Get extra vegetables instead of bread, potatoes or rice.

A Simple Low-Carb Shopping List

A good rule is to shop at the perimeter of the store, where the whole foods are likelier to be found.

Organic and grass-fed foods are best, but only if you can easily afford them. Even if you don’t buy organic, your diet will still be a thousand times better than the standard western diet.

Try to choose the least processed option that still fits into your price range.

• Meat (Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, bacon)
• Fish (Fatty fish like salmon is best)
• Eggs (Choose Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs if you can)
• Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Lard
• Olive Oil
• Cheese
• Heavy Cream
• Sour Cream
• Yogurt (full-fat, unsweetened)
• Blueberries (can be bought frozen)
• Nuts
• Olives
• Fresh vegetables: greens, peppers, onions, etc.
• Frozen vegetables: broccoli, carrots, various mixes.
• Salsa Sauce
• Condiments: sea salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, etc.

I recommend clearing your pantry of all unhealthy temptations if you can: chips, candy, ice cream, sodas, juices, breads, cereals and baking ingredients like wheat flour and sugar.

The researchers who study the Eco-Atkins diet have devised a vegan diet that is about 30 percent protein, but it’s just not a very realistic plan for the average vegan. I think a more practical approach for someone eating vegan, who wants to eat a little more protein and less carbohydrate is to aim for a diet that is about 20 percent protein, 30-35 percent fat and 45-50 percent carbs. It’s relatively easy to do so, and I think a lot of vegans already eat this way. It’s really the best of all worlds since it allows you to pack in a little extra protein and healthy plant fat, while still eating plenty of satisfying and comforting carbs. There is nothing Paleo about this plan, though; it’s much too big on legumes—which I think is a good thing.

Here are some guidelines for tweaking vegan diets to boost protein:

• Emphasize beans over grains. They are more nutrient-rich in general and more protein-rich specifically. Ultra-low carb diets discourage them, but that’s a mistake since these foods have so many wonderful health benefits.
• Choose high-protein grains like quinoa. Some breads are high in protein, too.
• Include nuts in your menus and opt more often for the higher-protein choices like peanuts (which are actually legumes) and almonds.
• If you like them, include soy foods in your diet. They really are protein superstars in vegan diets. (If you are allergic to soy protein, you might want to try hemp tofu.)
• As long as you aren’t among the minority of people with gluten intolerance, seitan can be a good way to enhance protein intake.
• Keep in mind that, unless they are protein-fortified, non-dairy milks other than soy are very low in protein.
• Emphasize vegetables over fruits and choose higher-protein veggies like spinach and broccoli most often.

Here is an example of a menu (about 1800 to 1900 calories) that gets about 20% of calories from protein and 50% from carbs:

Breakfast:
1 cup tofu
2 slices bread
2 tablespoons avocado
1 wedge cantaloupe

Snack:
Vegan chili with
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup textured vegetable protein or seitan
1/2 cup tomatoes

Lunch:
1 cup quinoa with 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, and tahini dressing (2 tablespoons tahini plus lemon juice)
2 cups raw spinach

Snack:
Apple
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Dinner:
2 cups cooked collards topped with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 cup baby lima beans

egans and vegetarians may find it challenging to follow a low-carb diet because they don’t include meat in their diets.

Most low-carb eating plans rely heavily on meat; when this isn’t an option for moral or ecological reasons, knowing which foods provide the best sources of protein without a lot of carbohydrates is the key to success.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians include eggs and dairy products in their diet, while vegans forgo any food derived from animal sources.

If you don’t eat meat and need tips on how to customize a low-carb diet to fit your needs and preferences, read on for the best strategies.

Low-Carb Diets Provide a Range of Health Benefits

Nearly two dozen controlled trials and studies have been conducted over the past decade or so that prove low-carb diets are superior for weight loss.

One of the main reasons low-carb diets work well is appetite reduction. Protein fills you up, resulting in fewer calories consumed overall; it’s much easier to eat less without really trying, and a diet rich in protein is much more effective for weight loss than a low-fat diet.

Low-carb diets also have positive effects on other important health markers.

Despite the fact that low-carb diets usually include more saturated fats, body composition changes in favour of lean muscle mass.

Blood triglycerides also drop on a low-carb diet, the ratio of HDL cholesterol (the good kind) to LDL cholesterol improves and insulin sensitivity is enhanced.

These changes can be particularly important for people who suffer from type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and some neurological disorders.

The Eco-Atkins diet is a good example of the vegan and vegetarian approach to eating low-carb; in this case, 26% of calories are drawn from carbs, and studies show this is a much healthier avenue that low-fat diets, whether they include meat or not.

Low-Carb Food List for Vegetarians and Vegans

For lacto-ovo vegetarians, more options for low-carb foods are available through including eggs and dairy products in the diet.

• Eggs contain virtually no carbohydrates, and deliver a range of nutrients not found in plant foods, including vitamin B12. The best choices are free range and organic; you can also find omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Dairy products like grass-fed butter, cheese, yogurt and kefir also work well on a low-carb diet; high in protein, these foods contain very few carbohydrates; look for yogurt with live cultures to cultivate friendly gut bacteria, and always choose unsweetened versions.

While lacto-ovo vegetarians usually get sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 from dairy products, vegans need to supplement; studies show tablets taken orally are comparably effective to the sublingual delivery method.

A wide variety of foods low in carbs make the list for both lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans. Some of these are also excellent sources of protein and high-quality fat.

• Soy-based foods like tempeh and tofu
• Other legumes, like various beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts
• Seeds and nuts, including walnuts, almonds, flax seed, macadamia nuts, and pumpkin seed
• Chia seed; the carbs in this superfood are mostly fibre, so calories come primarily from healthy fats and protein
• Fatty fruits like olives and avocados; the oils in these high fat fruits are extremely beneficial
• Most vegetables, including tomatoes, members of the cruciferous family (broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, etc.), onions, bell peppers, garlic, celery, eggplant
• Fruits like blueberries and strawberries; other fruit may also be acceptable depending on the level of carbs you’re shooting for
• Dark chocolate is the perfect low-carb treat as long as you make sure it’s between 70% and 80% cocoa
• Health oils like coconut, avocado and olive

Low-carb diets don’t usually require counting calories, but developing a working knowledge of which foods are low in carbs while still delivering good amounts of protein is essential.

Grains and processed foods of any kind are usually not suitable when you’re working to keeps carb counts low; you can find a comprehensive list of vegetable carb counts (from low to high)

Making a Low-Carb Diet Work for You

Everyone has different needs and desires, so it’s important to make sure the guidelines you set for yourself address taste, preference and long-term health goals.

Since there isn’t any hard-and-fast rule about what “low-carb diet” actually means, look over these guidelines to zero in on what will serve you best.

• 20 to 50 carb grams daily will put your body into a state of ketosis, which means it begins to burn fat for fuel. You should not feel hungry, and you will shed extra pounds quickly.
• 50 to 100 carb grams daily is a good range for automatic, long-term weight loss; this works well for people who don’t exercise a lot.
• 100 – 150 carb grams daily is considered more of a maintenance level; this will provide plenty of auxiliary fuel for those who are very active.

The lower range of carbohydrates is quite feasible for lacto-ovo vegetarians, but vegans will find it impractical, and will be much more comfortable aiming for the higher range.

You may find a nutritional tracking application helpful when you’re starting out to make certain you’re on target with limiting carbs while getting adequate amounts of protein. You can find a free app here.

These menu ideas are geared to vegetarian diets; if you’re eating vegan-style, you’ll need to make the appropriate substitutions and modifications according to your preference.

• Breakfast: vegetables with omelette, or scrambled eggs; berries and full-fat yogurt, coconut milk and blueberry smoothie, baked beans and avocado
• Lunch: hummus with vegetable sticks (carrot, cucumber, celery, etc.), nuts, quinoa salad; four-bean salad; stir-fried vegetables with generous amounts of nuts or seeds as garnish; leftovers from dinner.
• Dinner: quiche with spinach, asparagus, or other vegetables, according to taste; eggplant moussaka; feta cheese salad with macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds; tempeh stir-fry with vegetables and cashews; grilled portabella mushrooms with avocado and vegetables; mashed cauliflower baked with cheese and served with avocado; chili beans with salsa and sour cream.

It’s always a good idea to make double or triple recipes of any dish you enjoy; you’ll save time and have easy lunches or extra meals for your effort. Freeze leftovers to use when you’re in a hurry.