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Starting out on a vegan keto diet can be a little overwhelming – not only is this way of eating quite different from the Standard Western Diet, but for many of us, tracking calories and macronutrients (particularly net carbs) adds another layer of challenge. I’ve always found that following a meal plan, even loosely, can provide some guidance and inspiration so you don’t feel like you’re tied to constant mental math around meal time, or stuck in a cycle of eating the same things over and over, like some sort of culinary Groundhog Day.
How to Find (or Make!) The Perfect Vegan Keto Meal Plan
- Vegan Keto Meal Plan Overview
- How Many Net Carbs Should My Low Carb Vegan Meal Plan Include Per Day?
- How Many Calories Should I Eat on a Vegan Keto Meal Plan?
- How Many Grams of Protein Should I Eat Per Day?
- Look For a Nutritionally Sound Meal Plan
- Final Thoughts of Finding the Perfect Vegan Keto Meal Plan
Vegan Keto Meal Plans Overview
Of course, there are a few things to consider when choosing a vegan keto meal plan in order to make sure that it’s actually safe to follow. I’ve seen so many plans on the market with dangerously low caloric and protein content, and others that don’t even provide low enough net carbs to achieve nutritional ketosis! One such plan with crazy low carbs and protein and very high net amounts of net carbs is a plan designed by a doctor and is touted as being “vegetarian”-friendly, while including seafood. Following a plan like this that is low in protein and high in carbs is going to leave you malnourished and hungry all the time, while your body breaks down its own muscle tissue to obtain sufficient protein. So, let’s look at what you want to find in a meal plan to make sure you’re getting into ketosis in a healthy and beneficial way!
How Many Net Carbs Should My Low Carb Vegan Meal Plan Include Per Day?
Net carbs can be a bit of a controversial topic. In case you need a quick refresher, “net carbs” refers to grams of net effective carbohydrates – that is, the grams of carbohydrate that have an impact on blood sugar levels. To arrive at this number for a specific food, you would subtract the grams of fiber and any sugar alcohols or other non-nutritive sweeteners from the total amount of carbohydrates.
Traditionally, conventional keto guidelines recommended limiting net carbohydrate intake to just 20g per day. Some dieters even went to a more extreme level and disregarded the concept of net carbs entirely, opting to only consume 20g of total carbs per day! As you can imagine, this is incredibly difficult on a whole foods approach, especially if you aim to include any plant matter in your meals.
For those consuming a vegan or vegetarian ketogenic diet, the numbers tend to be a bit more lax. When choosing a vegan keto meal plan, you’ll want to select one that keeps your daily net carb intake below 50 grams. This threshold helps maintain a state of ketosis, where your body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Most people can achieve a state of ketosis eating between 20-50g of net carbs, so this is a great target to reach for. If you are relatively sedentary, or want to accelerate the process somewhat, looking for a plan closer to 20-30g of net carbs will be the best for you.
How Many Calories Should I Eat on a Vegan Keto Meal Plan?
In addition to keeping the net carbs low enough to maintain nutritional ketosis, the meal plan should provide a sufficient caloric intake—ideally between 1,500 to 1,800 calories daily. This range promotes healthy weight loss without depriving your body of the energy it needs for daily activities. Most people will be in a caloric deficit eating around 1,600 calories per day. If you are active, are taller and thus have a higher resting metabolic rate, or if weight loss isn’t your goal, you can always add some snacks in the plan to boost calories. This is another reason why seeking out ketogenic plans at around 20-30g of net carbs daily is better: it’s much easier to add snacks and stay in ketosis if the plan is already on the lower side of net carbs.
There are some individuals for whom 1600 calories may be too many, particularly very short women who are inactive. A surplus of calories can be remedied easily as well with many plans. In my meal plans, I always try to include snacks as part of the daily food intake, which can be eliminated to reduce calories. If there are not snacks in the plan, where this would be an option, it may be best to halve either the breakfast or dinner for each day (depending on whether you are hungrier in the morning or the evening).
For those who aren’t following a meal plan for weight loss, there are plenty of ways to add some calories to eliminate the deficit. Macadamia nuts, avocado, coconut, pecans and walnuts are all super low in carbs, but add healthy fat and calories.
How Many Grams of Protein Should I Get From a Vegan Keto Meal Plan?
Protein intake is another critical component of any health or fitness plan. Ensure the meal plan offers at least 65 grams of protein per day to maintain muscle mass, if you are sedentary. This is particularly important in a vegan keto diet, as plant-based proteins can sometimes be less bioavailable than their animal-based counterparts.
In general, when people lose weight, it’s not just fat, but also lean muscle mass. This is detrimental to your overall success, as muscle is metabolically active and requires energy to maintain, so having more muscle mass will raise your metabolism. Additionally, having muscle mass has been shown to increase survival chance in many illnesses, including various cancers.
Good sources of vegan protein include tofu, tempeh, seitan, and high-protein seeds like hemp, chia, and flax. I’ve seen many plans out there (including some created by doctors!) that contain dangerously low levels of protein, some as little as 17g daily (!!!). Consuming this little protein (far below the WHO’s recommended 53g for the average woman) will cause your body to break down its own muscle in order to maintain proper functioning.
While 65-70g is a good starting point for those that are less active, if you regularly exercise and want to continue building muscle, you will likely need to increase your protein intake a bit further. This will largely depend on the intensity, duration and type of exercise, and you may want to consult with a professional in this case!
Look For a Nutritionally Complete Vegan Keto Meal Plan
However, a common pitfall with many available meal plans is that they are not always designed with a deep understanding of nutritional science. Without proper formulation, these plans can lead to nutritional deficiencies and are not safe to follow in the long term. It is crucial to select a plan created with input from some with a background in nutrition to ensure that the meal plan is balanced, covering all essential nutrients while adhering to the principles of a vegan keto diet. The vegan keto plans in my shop are all nutritionally balanced, with sufficient protein and calories while keeping the net carbs well within the range for achieving nutritional ketosis.
When choosing a vegan keto meal plan, also consider the variety of the foods included. A diverse menu not only prevents dietary boredom but also ensures a broader intake of different nutrients, further enhancing the diet’s effectiveness and sustainability. Make sure the plan includes a wide range of vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins to keep your meals interesting and nutritionally complete. This also ensures that you’ll have a least a few meals you can switch around!
Final Thoughts on Finding the Perfect Low Carb Vegan Meal Plan
At the end of the day, vegan ketogenic meal plans are just designed to get you into ketosis, and shouldn’t be followed for too long a duration. They’re also just intended as a guideline (unless specifically made for you by a medical professional!), so if you have a meal plan that doesn’t perfectly align with your needs, changing it to me your needs is perfectly fine (and encouraged!).
To summarize, the main things you want to look for in a vegan keto meal plan are:
- sufficient caloric intake (at least 1500-1600 for most people to lose weight)
- adequate protein (aim for 65-70g, at a minimum, with more for those who work out)
- between 20-50g net carbohydrates
- a nutritionally sound plan with a variety of foods present
If you keep these points in mind, you should be able to find a plan that works for your needs, or to modify an existing plan! To keep track of everything, I’d suggest using a nutrition tracking website/app. I personally use Cronometer (not sponsored!), but there are many out there that will all work alike.