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Taking a GLP-1 medication can change your appetite and specifically how much food feels comfortable at a meal. If you also eat a plant-based diet and prefer to limit carbohydrates, deciding what to cook can start to feel complicated. A useful place to begin is with a few familiar meals that you can modify to meet your needs. This guide will help you get started with some meal planning ideas and low-carb vegan recipes to help ease the burden of figuring out what to eat, especially with a modified diet.
All the recipes linked here are vegan, low-carb, gluten-free and include allergen-friendly substitutions. You can use the planning ideas whether you eat entirely plant-based or are adding more plant-based meals to your week!
Note: This article provides general food and nutrition education. Your prescriber or a registered dietitian can help you adapt meals to your medications, health history, and nutritional needs. The linked recipes have not been clinically evaluated for GLP-1 use.
Want a recipe first?
If you want to dive right into cooking, these recipes offer a few different options for each meal. Be sure to check the nutritional information on each recipe to see how it fits into your needs! These recipes are high-protein and high-fiber, perfect for those with reduced appetites.
- Breakfast: Maple Cinnamon Noatmeal or Protein Waffles. For more ideas, browse 6 High-Protein Vegan Keto Breakfasts.
- Savory meals: Tomato & Tofu Stir Fry, Tofu Noodle Soup, or Mushroom Burgers.
- More to explore: Browse all recipes or the plant-protein guide.
In this guide
- Choose a flexible starting point
- Build a meal around a plant-protein source
- Choose recipes for the kind of meal you want
- Think about what a smaller portion contains
- Make a short shopping list
- Plan the next three days
- When your usual meals are difficult
- Common meal-planning questions
Choose a flexible starting point
If you’re trying to decide between a low-carb way of eating and full ketogenic diet, it can be a little confusing! Especially when tossing GLP-1 medications into the mix. Low-carb eating and a ketogenic diet are different approaches, but the difference really boils down to a simple idea: keto is more restrictive about carbohydrates and often leads to faster results, but can be more challenging to stick to. A broader low-carb pattern can leave more room for foods such as beans, lentils, fruit, and whole grains and can be far easier to navigate.
For a fuller explanation of the differences between ketogenic diets and low-carb ways of eating, check out Vegan Keto vs. Plant-Based Low-Carb: How to Choose the Right Approach.
If you’re feeling a little restrained by carbohydrate limitations, understand that low-carb can be as flexible as you need! An exercise that can help is to write down what “low carb” means for you. Are you following a target agreed with your clinician, choosing fewer sugary foods, or looking for alternatives to your usual meals? That answer will help you choose recipes without treating every carbohydrate-containing ingredient as off limits.
GLP-1 nutrition guidance emphasizes individualized eating patterns and adequate nutrition. It does not establish one carbohydrate target for everyone, so there is certainly some wiggle room when it comes to macronutrient targets (source: Joint clinical advisory).
Of course, if you also take insulin or medicines such as sulfonylureas, be sure to discuss substantial changes in carbohydrate intake or meal size with your care team. Too little carbohydrate or skipped meals can contribute to low blood glucose with these medicines!
Build a meal around a plant-protein source
The easiest way to start meal planning is by choosing the ingredient that will supply the bulk of the meal’s protein. That might be tofu, tempeh, edamame, another bean or lentil, or a suitable protein powder used in a recipe. Be sure to check the amount you will actually use: these ingredients are not interchangeable serving for serving.
Next, choose the rest of the meal, which is most likely whatever veggies and sides you’d like to add on, as well as the seasonings and garnishes.
| Planning decision | Examples to consider |
|---|---|
| What is the main protein ingredient? | Tofu for a skillet meal, tempeh for satay, or protein powder for waffles |
| What produce would you enjoy with it? | Tomatoes, mushrooms, cooked zucchini, leafy vegetables, or fruit with breakfast |
| What makes it taste good? | Herbs, a sauce, seasoning, or a dressing you already like |
| What else belongs in your meal? | Additional vegetables, beans, rice, or another accompaniment that fits your individual plan |
While most people don’t really need to worry about getting enough protein, reduced appetite can make adequate protein harder to obtain especially if you eat a plant-based diet, where protein sources typically need to be eaten in larger quantities than animal products. For this reason, I definitely recommend prioritizing protein sources in your meal planning process. The good news about plant-based proteins is that they all contain fiber to an extent as well!
For more specific information about plant-based protein sources, check out these articles:
Note: It’s important to know that protein needs are individual, and protein alone is not enough to preserve muscle; the joint clinical advisory also emphasizes strength training appropriate to the person.
A quick savory meal: tomato and tofu
The Tomato & Tofu Stir Fry combines tofu, tomatoes, scallions, and tamari, served with cauliflower rice. The published recipe makes one bowl.
It is a useful starting point when you want a short ingredient list. Consider the whole bowl when planning your portion, including the rice underneath it.
A breakfast option: protein waffles
Vegan Keto Protein Waffles use plant-based protein powder, psyllium, nut or seed butter, and water or nondairy milk.
The choice of protein powder affects both flavor and nutrition. Use one you enjoy, and account for any toppings separately when tracking your meal. The recipe includes alternatives for the nut or seed butter.
Individual patties: mushroom burgers
The Low Carb Vegan Mushroom Burgers make three patties using mushrooms, tahini, chia, and pea protein powder.
Their individual shape makes it easy to see how much you are serving. The recipe allows some variation in protein powder for texture, so follow its notes when comparing your version with the published nutrition.
A tempeh option: satay with peanut sauce
Vegan Keto Tempeh Satay With Peanut Sauce combines tempeh with a peanut-based sauce. The recipe is written as one serving.
Include the sauce when considering the portion. If you are planning leftovers, note that the recipe warns the tempeh can become dry after chilling and reheating.
Think about what a smaller portion contains
Serving half a recipe also means receiving roughly half its listed protein and other nutrients, assuming the ingredients are distributed evenly. A smaller plate does not retain the nutrition of the original full serving.
Before adding a recipe to your regular rotation, note:
- How much the recipe makes.
- How much you actually serve.
- Whether its nutrition refers to a serving or the entire batch.
- Whether your brands, substitutions, and toppings change the calculation.
If you are repeatedly unable to eat enough, ask your care team for help rather than continuing to shrink your meals. Smaller, more frequent eating occasions may help some people, but the plan still needs to provide adequate nourishment (source: joint clinical advisory).
Make a short shopping list
Choose two recipes before buying a week’s worth of ingredients. Check their exact quantities, then look for overlap. I like to find recipes with similar ingredients, so my shopping trips are shorter and my fridge isn’t bogged down by half of 10 different vegetables.
For example, the tomato–tofu dish and tempeh satay both use tamari. The waffles and satay can both use peanut butter if that is suitable for you. A single ingredient can support more than one meal without requiring you to cook a large batch of the same dish.
Add one convenient backup meal you already know how to prepare. Keep it specific enough to use: write down the ingredients, not just “something quick.”
The Ultimate Vegan Keto Shopping List offers a broader ingredient reference. Use the sections relevant to your meals; you do not need to buy everything or follow strict keto to use the list.
Plan the next three days
Start with a short planning window. I find the easiest way to do this is to repeat the same meals throughout the first few days. Is it a little boring? Yes, but it keeps things way easier to shop for, prepare and keep track of. Three meals that you prepare once and then reheat the next few days saves you on time and mental energy, which can be really help when you’re starting a new medication.
Copy this table into your notes:
| Planning prompt | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast and its protein source | |||
| Lunch and its protein source | |||
| Dinner and its protein source | |||
| Other food or eating occasions needed for my plan | |||
| Ingredients I can use again | |||
| Backup if the planned meal does not appeal |
Use the recipe ideas above (or whatever your chosen recipes are) to fill in individual meals, then add the accompaniments and other food your plan needs. This table organizes choices; it is not a nutritionally assessed three-day menu. Doing a nutritional assessment on recipes can be challenging.
For each selected recipe, check the yield before shopping. A recipe making three patties and one making a single bowl will create different amounts of food to plan around.
When your usual meals are difficult
If your usual meals feel uncomfortable, note the portion, ingredients, texture, and timing, along with what you experienced. This can help you describe the problem to your prescriber or dietitian.
The clinical advisory discusses adjusting meal size and food choices for gastrointestinal symptoms. There is no single recipe modification that works for everyone. Persistent difficulty eating or drinking needs clinical advice (source: joint clinical advisory).
The examples here can help you organize cooking choices, but they cannot establish which foods will be comfortable for you during treatment! This is truly up to you and your care team.
Common meal-planning questions
Do I need a different recipe for every day?
You can repeat meals you enjoy! I find the easiest strategy is to start out by repeating the same few meals for a few days. Then maybe start introducing a different dinner, and then branching out to lunch and breakfast if you’d like. Slow and steady change is much easier to adjust to than trying to plan, shop for and make a bunch of completely new recipes all at once, especially if you’re not feeling your best. Try choosing a breakfast, two savory recipes, and a backup option first, then decide what else you need for your week. Variety can build over time as you find reliable combinations.
Should I choose the recipe with the highest protein number?
While you don’t have to exclusively pick the absolute highest protein numbers, it definitely helps to look for recipes with higher protein-per-servings. I like to shoot for smaller meals and snacks with between 15-30g of protein each.
Can I use recipes labeled keto if I eat a broader low-carb diet?
Yes, but be sure to check the provided nutritional information! If there is adequate protein in the recipe/food, then keto recipes will totally work. I would caution you to generally avoid recipes labeled “fat bombs,” as those tend to be low in protein and high in fat, so they will be satiating without providing much (if any) protein, and may even make you feel nauseated.
Do I need a complete meal plan before starting?
For organizing your cooking, a few planned meals can be a useful first step. If you need help assessing whether your overall intake meets your needs, bring your meal notes to a nutritional professional. While you don’t need a meal plan necessarily, creating or purchasing one can certainly be helpful to ensure that you’re meeting your nutritional needs.
A practical place to start
Choose one breakfast and one savory recipe from this guide. Check the ingredients you already have, write down the remaining groceries, and note the recipes’ serving sizes. After making them, record what you would want to repeat or change.
For your next planning session, return to the protein guide for ingredient ideas or the shopping list to build out your pantry.