When you think of low-carb diets, platefuls of chicken breast, steak and bacon may come to mind. Although it might sound impossible, you can follow a low-carb diet with fewer than 150 g of carbs per day while adhering to a healthful vegetarian lifestyle. Low-carb diets can help you lose weight, as long as you monitor your calories and keep them below the number you burn daily.
Significance
A vegetarian low-carb diet may be a healthy way to lose weight. Vegetarian diets, when appropriately planned, can promote health and lower body mass index, according to the American Dietetic Association. A study in the Sept. 6, 2010 issue of the "Annals of Internal Medicine" followed 120,000 low-carb dieters for more than 20 years and found that those who whose diets were based on vegetable proteins instead of meat-based protein had lower incidences of death and cardiovascular disease. Eliminating animal proteins helps reduce your intake of saturated fat, too much of which can raise your risk of heart disease.
Food Choices
When you lower your carbohydrate intake, your consumption of protein and fat increase. While animal sources of protein, such as poultry, beef and fish, are common for low-carb dieters, vegetarian low-carb dieters focus primarily on tofu, nuts, hemp and beans. An ovo-lacto vegetarian may also use some dairy and eggs for protein. Vegetables, including dark leafy greens, mushrooms, cauliflower, radishes, zucchini and tomatoes are low in carbs and high in nutrition. A low-carb, vegetarian diet limits grains, bread, pasta, sweets and fruit. Heart-healthy vegetarian fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Calories and Carbs
A low-carb, vegetarian diet containing 1,200 to 1,800 calories per day will yield weight loss for most people. The exact amount you should consume depends on your size, gender and activity level. Men should never consume fewer than 1,500 calories per day. Women should never consume fewer than 1,200 calories unless under the supervision of a health-care provider. Low-carb diets generally contain 50 to 150 g of carbs per day, which amounts to 13 to 40 percent of a 1,500-calorie plan. A vegetarian low-carb diet may be in the higher end of this range, because many vegetarian proteins include carbohydrates, unlike meat-based proteins which are generally carb-free.
Sample Plan
A low-carb vegetarian plan with 1,490 calories and 114 g of carbohydrates begins with four egg whites scrambled with a whole egg, 3 cups of raw baby spinach and 1/4 cup of feta cheese. Have a cup of raspberries on the side. For a mid-morning snack, eat 1 oz. of almonds. At lunch, toss a salad with romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup of black beans, half of a sliced avocado and a chopped tomato. Dress the salad with 2 tbsp. of low-calorie balsamic dressing. Mid-afternoon, snack on a cup of low-fat cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 cup of blueberries. At dinner, stir fry 6 oz. of firm tofu with 1 1/2 cups of bok choy, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tsp. of soy sauce and a minced garlic clove. Have a large salad of butter lettuce, radishes and alfalfa sprouts on the side, and dress with 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. After dinner, make a low-carb pudding by mixing 1/4 cup of part-skim ricotta with a drop of vanilla extract and no-calorie sugar substitute to taste.
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