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Vegetarian Keto Diet: Is It Possible?

The keto diet – also vegetarian possible

The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is particularly popular because it promises big weight loss in a short amount of time.

  • It is a diet that is extremely low in carbohydrates but high in fat and protein. The idea behind this is that low carbohydrate consumption puts the body in a state called ketosis.
  • In this state, the body turns to fat for energy – both fat from your diet and fat stores.
  • To achieve ketosis, you must consume a maximum of 5% of your calories from carbohydrates. Usually, this happens with lots of meat, eggs, fish, and cheese.
  • The traditional keto diet is therefore not particularly suitable for vegetarians, but with a little adjustment, you can also enjoy the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian keto diet

If you’d like to try the keto diet but don’t want to eat meat, don’t despair: keto can also be implemented for vegetarians.

  • For example, if you give up meat but still eat fish, you can easily base your meals around salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
  • And even if you want to give up fish, you don’t have to give up the ketogenic diet by a long shot. In this case, however, you would need to consume a lot of eggs, as well as butter and cream, which can help you get enough calories.
  • Cheese is also vegetarian and keto, as are many nuts and seeds. For example, you can eat chia seeds, almonds, or even walnuts. Avocados and low-carb vegetables are also extremely popular on the keto diet.
  • And of course, you can use healthy oils like olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil for cooking, as well as spices.

Pros and cons of the diet

The same advantages and disadvantages apply to the vegetarian form of the ketogenic diet as to the conventional type of diet. Here the great effectiveness in losing weight and sustainability are opposed.

  • The keto diet can lead to large weight loss relatively quickly but is not very sustainable in the long run.
  • Because the keto diet, with its focus on meals with only a few ingredients – that is, just a serving of meat or eggs with no side dish – is not particularly socially acceptable.
  • In addition, not eating fruit can lead to long-term deficiency symptoms.
  • For many, the transition of the body into ketosis is also difficult, since many this involves fatigue, nausea, and even sleep disorders. However, these are usually only temporary side effects that disappear on their own as soon as your body has adjusted.
  • To make matters worse the vegetarian keto diet is very low in iron due to the lack of meat. Since plant sources of iron such as beans are also not permitted, you should definitely contact your doctor in advance.
  • They can assess whether this diet is right for you and may conduct regular testing of your iron levels as you lose weight on the keto diet.

 

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Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

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