Is there such a food that's vegan, high protein AND low carb??
I noticed most foods I eat are vegan and high carb (well, the veggies I eat aren't starchy, but I eat A LOT of veggies and a little adds up here and there).
Are there any vegan foods (not an animal product or even imitation animal products) out there that are low in carb? I'd like them to be high protein but probably better if they are low carb. I would really like to keep my bionutrients in a good ratio.
that discusses protein in a vegan diet. They include protein counts for some of the best foods. As for their relative carb content, I am sure you could look it up to do the correlation. It seems that beans are at the top of the list, but I know that there are almost as many carbs in beans as there are proteins. Sigh. Hope this helps you out!
Funny thing, I'm not vegan either but I would like some vegan foods to be high in protein while being low carb. I do have tofu and almonds, but only those two on my list. Thanks though!
I was a vegan for a long time, and really liked Almond Cheese. It can be hard to find, some good health food stores will have it. The nutritional value is quite good, and the pepper jack flavor is great. They also melt very well. Tempeh, soy beans, quinoa ( not super low carb, but a very high protein grain)
Edamame is so good and fun to eat! I like to get the kind in the pod so I can suck the beans out. Seitan is almost purely protein and very adaptable to many recipes. You can buy it in stores like Whole Foods or take a stab at making your own http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77217 A bit time consuming but so worth it for the money you’ll save.
I think it depends on what you mean by "high" and "low." For example, broccoli gets almost a third of its calories from protein, but we don't tend to think of it as a protein source. If you eat sufficient calories on a varied diet of whole, natural vegan foods, you should be getting both the protein and the carbs (and the fat) that you need. Legumes will probably offer the highest concentration of protein, although nuts and whole grains are also good sources. If you're looking for something that will get you adequate protein, a vegan diet is fine... but if you're looking for something which would give you, say, Atkins-level protein amounts, you'll have a very hard time.
(Me, I've lost 25 pounds since going vegan, and I never felt better. So just speaking for me personally, I know that something is working. I hope you find what works for you!)
Junia, I'm not even thinking about Atkins. All I know is that eating a 2000 calorie diet of veggies may get me past 300 g of carbs a day, which is usually the recommended amount. I just wanted a bit less than 200g of carbs a day. BUt thanks, I do know a vegan diet works occasionally, but I needed more protein in my diet.
Junia, I'm not even thinking about Atkins. All I know is that eating a 2000 calorie diet of veggies may get me past 300 g of carbs a day, which is usually the recommended amount. I just wanted a bit less than 200g of carbs a day. BUt thanks, I do know a vegan diet works occasionally, but I needed more protein in my diet.
Do you eat peas, lentils, beans, and other legumes/pulses? Sometimes people who try eating veg miss that food group.
It occurs to me that tofu might meet your requirements. There is also a lowfat version now.
I'm not trying to push the veggie thing on you, but if it's something you're interested in, I would recommend you do some more reading. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you learn about protein and other nutrients. If you're interested, I could happily recommend a few books.
I followed a lowcarb diet for years (both as a carnivore and as a ovo-lacto vegetarian) and didn't have a problem but when I decided to go vegan, I knew I would be very limited if I went totally lowcarb. As one person mentioned here, it depends on what you consider "low" and "high". Though I'm not lowcarbing I know that grains (even whole grains) are my weakness so I keep them to a minimum (usually, no more than a serving or two a day). The rest of the time I eat veggies, fruits, legume, meat subs (I try not to go for too many processed foods like veggie burgers or sausages - I usually go for Morningstar Farms veggie "crumbe", which is about 3 gr carb and 10 gr protein for a 2/3 cup serving - tofu, of course - and I just discovered Bob's Red Mill TVP - a 1/2 cup serving is 6 carbs and a whopping 24 gr protein ), and some good fats (olive oil, mainly). I am usually able to get to about 100-120 carbs a day (which by Atkins and other lowcarb diet standards, is pretty high, but by ADA guidelines, is more than half of what the recommended daily allowance is) and 60-70 gr protein. One day I managed to average 80 gr protein but don't ask me how I did it!
So, yes, there is such a thing as lowcarb/high protein vegan, if you loosen your definition of lowcarb (i.e., not the 20-50 gr carb/day you usually see with most of the standard lowcarb plans)
Soy protein isolate powder mixed in water springs to mind as seriously high in protein. Taste may not be brilliant, but hey, you can't have everything. It can be added to a berry smoothies as well if you're trying to eat as much protein as possible.
1. soy milk (fat free, unsweetened)
2. edamme soy beans
3. tofu (low fat)
4. cucumbers/carrots/lettuce/spinach
5. most fruits are ok (orange,melons etc.) as they have sugar alcohol(like in splenda)/fiber and less of the harmful carbs
6. low carb soya/whey protein powders (I got mine from whole foods market) and I mix it with my cereal and soy milk.
Is there such a food that's vegan, high protein AND low carb??
), and some good fats (olive oil, mainly). I am usually able to get to about 100-120 carbs a day (which by Atkins and other lowcarb diet standards, is pretty high, but by ADA guidelines, is more than half of what the recommended daily allowance is) and 60-70 gr protein. One day I managed to average 80 gr protein but don't ask me how I did it!
