Vegan Keto may seem like a contradiction in terms…isn’t Keto that crazy butter and bacon diet? GROSS!  However, there is a way to do keto vegan and delicious!

After all, anything you can do I can do vegan, right? 

So whether you are looking for a rapid weight loss diet, a cleanse, or something new, giving vegan keto a try could be worth it– you will eat ALL OF THE AVOCADOS, who doesn’t want that?

For me, Vegan Keto is the perfect way to transition between the seasons, reset my food habits, drop some pounds and change up my metabolic rate! I usually go 1-2 months Keto and then enjoy the comfort foods of the winter, the fresh fruit abundance of the summer, the crisp apples of fall, and the florals of spring. I’m never one to compromise flavor, so come and get inspired with my vegan keto shopping guide and meal ideas below!

The Keto diet requires high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate intake.  If you have been on a diet in the last 15 years you are probably familiar with low-carb diets.  Forget everything you know about low carb diets, because this is low-carb to an ENTIRELY new level.  For optimal ketogenic diets, maximum carbohydrate intake is usually between 25-35 net carbs a day (net carbs = Total Carbohydrates – Fiber*), with the truly fanatical among us aiming for no more than 30 total carbohydrates a day. Here is a great, customizable Keto Macro Calculator you can use to meet  your specific needs.

Right away this tells you that all fruit, starchy veggies, grains, and most legumes are completely out the window. Cue the vegan gasp! Yes, I know, that’s basically what we eat.  The good news is, after an initial strict period of 25-30 net carbs for 1-2 weeks, it is very common for light-moderately active vegans to be able to sustain net carb amounts as high as 45-50 a day.

The important thing to keep in mind is that unlike omni sources of fat, which almost always come bundles with protein, vegan sources of fat are usually paired with carbohydrate and vegan sources of protein do too.  So, it’s important to consider your protein sources for their low carb count, rather than their high-protein count, and keep in mind you want a pretty hefty dose of fat in each meal.

The truth is, the list of foods that are safely part of everyday Vegan keto are small, so keep these classics on hand all the time to eat in heavy rotation:

• Green Olives, my personal favorites are Castelvetrano
• Pecans, Walnuts, and Macadamia Nuts
• Almond and Peanut butter, with only nuts and salt as ingredients
• Broccoli Rabe
• Celery
• Bok Choy
• Cabbages
• Swiss Chard
• Green Bell Pepper
• Eggplant
• Mushrooms
• Asparagus
• Zucchini
• Brussel Sprouts
• Spinach, Arugula, and Kale
• Radishes
• Avocado everything
• Coconut meat and milk
• Seaweed, and Seaweed Snacks
• Shiritake, Konjac, and Kelp Noodles
• Pesto, Zhoug, and Chimichurri
• Kite Hill and Miyoko’s Cream Cheese
• Dang Bars
• Tofu and Tempeh
• Beyond Sausages
• Tofurkey Slices
• Cauliflower and Cauliflower Rice
• Raw Chocolate
• Coffee and Tea

Other classic vegan faves are ok in limited amounts, or as a treat:

• tomatoes
• onions
• garlic
• red and yellow peppers
• broccoli
• cashew and almond
• strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries
• passion fruit

Believe it or not, you can be very creative with these constraints, from Thai Coconut Curry (above) to Cauliflower Rice Risotto (below), and Keto Chocolate Truffles (top).

Looking for recipes or a meal plan? Want to see a 5 day Keto Jumpstart? I want to hear from you!

*there is much debate about alcohol derived sugars, that have little-no caloric or glycemic impact. While you can assume these to not negatively impact your net carbs for the day, you SHOULD recognize that it may overall change how ketogenic, or fat burning your body is, because it is confusing your body about what the ideal fuel source is: fat or carbs.  Like all alcohol, the carbohydrate or caloric impact of things like sugar alcohols or clear spirits may not contribute to weight gain on this or other low carb, low calorie diets, they WILL be preferentially utilized by the body slowing down metabolism and potentially arresting fat burning.