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Table of Contents
How Does It Work?
What to Eat
What to Avoid
Potential Health Benefits
Potential Downsides
Who Should Avoid This Diet?
The vegetarian keto diet aspects of both thevegetarianandketogenic(keto) diets into one nutritional plan. Many people follow it due to the alleged health benefits of both diets, such as lower blood sugar and weight loss.
While the keto diet typically contains animal products, you can adapt it to fit a vegetarian diet.
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How Does the Vegetarian Keto Diet Work?
Just as the name indicates, the vegetarian keto diet involves following both the vegetarian and ketogenic diets at once.
Most people are familiar with the vegetarian diet, which excludes all animal meats, such as beef, poultry, seafood, lamb, pork, and wild game meat. This differs from a vegan diet, which excludes animal flesh as well as all animal-derived products, like cheese, eggs, yogurt, milk, and honey.
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. Although it was initially designed to reduce the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy, it’s now been adapted for fat loss and other potential health benefits.
People who follow a keto diet for weight loss usually restrict their carbohydrate intake to fewer than 50 grams ofcarbohydratesper day to enter into the metabolic state known as ketosis. In this state, the body burns fat and producesketonesfor energy.
The standard American diet involves getting about 30% of your daily calories from fat, 55% from carbs, and 15% from protein. By contrast, a standard ketogenic diet involves getting about 75% of your daily calories from fat, 5% from carbs, and 20% from protein. A vegetarian keto diet aims to achieve a similar dietary profile and enter ketosis while avoiding meat products.
To follow a keto diet as a vegetarian, you’ll need to plan your meals and track yourmacronutrients, especially your carb intake. Keto tracking and meal planning apps are available to make the transition easier. You can also work with a registered dietitian or dietitian nutritionist if you think you need help.
You’ll also need to check for the presence of ketones in your blood, breath, or urine to ensure that you’re entering ketosis. Typically, you should do this twice a day at first. Using an at-home monitor may be the simplest way to test.
Plant-based foods that arelow in carbohydratesand high in fat,fiber, and/or protein fit into a vegetarian keto diet. Examples include:
Often, vegetarian diets are associated with plant-based eating habits. However, many highly processed and refined foods are technically vegetarian.Also, many of the typical foods you might eat as a vegetarian are off-limits on a keto diet.
Some of the foods you’ll need to steer clear of on a vegetarian keto diet include:
Studies suggest thatlow-carb, plant-based diets can help to control blood sugar and promote weight loss, especially among people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, vegetarian keto diets haven’t been researched extensively.
However, there is some evidence available about the possible upsides of both diets individually. Both vegetarian and keto diets may aid in blood sugar control, promote weight loss, and protect against certain chronic diseases.
Aids Blood Sugar Control
People withinsulin resistancemay benefit from following the keto diet due to its potential in regulating blood glucose (sugar) levels.
One study, for example, found that the keto diet was more effective than a low-calorie diet in reducingblood sugarlevels among people with type 2 diabetes after just a few weeks.Similarly, vegetarian diets focusing on nutrient-rich, plant-based foods are associated with better blood sugar control.
Promotes Weight Loss
Research indicates that vegetarian and vegan diets promote both weight loss and fat loss in people with type 2 diabetes and/or those experiencing obesity.The same is true for the keto diet, which has been linked to faster weight loss and loss ofvisceral fat(deep abdominal fat). Both diets are also associated with better insulin sensitivity and lower inflammation, which can further increase the chance of long-term weight loss.
Protects Against Chronic Diseases
The ketogenic diet is designed to prevent and treat the symptoms of a number of different chronic diseases, such as:
Vegetarian diets have also been linked to a lower risk of, and fewer complications from, chronic diseases like:
Despite the purported benefits, there are also potential nutritional deficiencies and side effects from following the vegetarian ketogenic diet.Additionally, it’s a strict, restrictive diet, which makes it harder to stick to it. Here are a few of the possible risks.
May Increase Risk of Nutritional Deficiencies
Vegetarian diets can increase the risk of deficiencies in certain nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals. These include:
Some of these deficiencies are more likely to occur if you follow a vegan diet rather than vegetarian diet (i.e., if you don’t consume dairy products). Fortified foods and dietary supplements may help to bridge the gap and give your body the nutrients it needs to function optimally.
If you’re concerned about any of these deficiencies, consider reaching out to a registered dietitian to help you craft a nutritional plan that works for you. You can also ask a healthcare provider about any tests you might need for related conditions, such as serum (blood) tests foriron deficiency anemia.
Transitioning Can Cause Flu-Like Symptoms
Whether vegetarian or not, transitioning to a ketogenic diet can lead to a cluster of symptoms that are sometimes known as the “keto flu.” Symptoms of the keto flu include:
These symptoms don’t occur for everyone. If you do experience them, they typically begin after about three days of beginning the diet. They usually go away after a few days or weeks, although they can last up to 30 days. Staying hydrated and switching to a keto diet slowly rather than all at once may make the transition easier.
A ketogenic diet isn’t right for everyone. It may increase the risk of health complications, such askidney damage, increased cholesterol, andhypoglycemia(low blood sugar), for certain people. This might be true whether you are adopting the standard keto diet or the vegetarian keto diet.
Research suggests that to the keto diet may not be right for:
Summary
A vegetarian keto diet excludes meat products and heavily restricts carbohydrates while increasing fat. Potential health benefits of a vegetarian keto diet may include blood sugar regulation, weight loss, and protection against chronic diseases. Downsides include “keto flu” symptoms and a higher risk of certain nutritional deficiencies.
If you’d like to start a vegetarian ketogenic diet, consider reaching out to a medical professional such as a registered dietitian. They can help you decide whether it’s right for you, discuss potential side effects, and plan meals effectively.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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