Keto Vegetarian Diet Guide: Foods, Benefits, and Risks

Dr. Eric Berg 04/17/2024

A keto vegetarian diet provides a balanced approach to plant-based eating that can effectively support weight loss and overall health.

Let's look at what it means to pursue a healthy vegetarian keto diet, discovering its benefits and potential risks.

Keto spelled with low-carb foods

Can you do keto if you’re vegetarian?

With thoughtful planning and a good understanding of the nutritional balance required, it’s possible to successfully follow a keto diet as a vegetarian.

Generally, a vegetarian keto diet will center around plant-based fats and proteins, low-carb vegetables, nuts, seeds, and low-glycemic fruits.

You can creatively combine these foods to create delicious and satisfying keto-friendly meals.

Choosing the best vegetarian keto diet combination

There are many subcategories of both the vegetarian and ketogenic diet, and some are healthier than others.

Before embarking on a vegetarian keto diet, you need to hone in on which combination of these diets will work best for you.

Here are some of the most common variations of vegetarian diets:

Pesco vegetarian
Lacto vegetarian
Ovo vegetarian
Lacto-ovo vegetarian

Ketogenic diet variations include:

Standard keto
Cyclical keto
Dirty keto
Healthy Keto®

It’s important to note that some of these diet plans may be more effective than others in achieving healthy ketosis.

This underscores the importance of thorough research and preparation before pursuing a somewhat restrictive diet such as vegetarian keto.

Watch the video below to learn if carbs from vegetables can slow down weight loss.

Vegetarian keto diet basics

A lacto-ovo vegetarian diet consists of plant-based foods with the addition of dairy products and eggs.

This approach, combined with Healthy Keto®, can be an excellent choice for those who want to follow a ketogenic diet while avoiding eating meat altogether.

Healthy Keto is a nutritious low-carb diet focusing on high-fat, low-carb foods while avoiding sugar consumption.

In addition, Healthy Keto is distinctive for its added emphasis on food's nutritional value and quality. It prioritizes organic and non-GMO produce, grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, game meat, pasture-raised eggs, seeds, nuts, and organic full-fat dairy.

What are the macronutrient goals for a vegetarian keto diet?

Achieving the right balance of macronutrients is crucial for anyone following a keto diet to promote effective ketosis and fat-burning.

For those on a vegetarian keto diet, the macronutrient goals are similar to those of Healthy Keto.

"To achieve ketosis, you'll want to maintain a daily net carb intake of 50 grams or less,” explains Dr. Berg. “Individuals with a slower metabolism may need to focus on a slightly lower carbohydrate intake of around 20 to 40 grams daily."

Here's a breakdown of the ideal daily macronutrient composition of a vegetarian keto diet:

Net carbs: 5 to 10 percent of your daily caloric intake
Fats: 70 to 75 percent of your daily caloric intake
Protein: 20 to 25 percent of your daily caloric intake

Vegetarian keto diet animal proteins

What foods can you eat on vegetarian keto?

Many vegetarian diets rely heavily on grains and starchy vegetables that aren’t keto-friendly.

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of quality foods available to vegetarian keto dieters that are both healthy and help maintain ketosis.

Foods to eat

Here are some of the healthiest options for those following a vegetarian keto diet:

Low-carb vegetables: Asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, mushrooms, pickles, radish, rutabaga, turnips, horseradish
Leafy greens: Arugula, beet greens, bok choy, chard, collard greens, kale, spinach, sprouts, mustard greens, mixed greens, tatsoi, watercress
Herbs and spices: Allspice, basil, black pepper, chili pepper, cinnamon, cilantro, clove, dill, fenugreek seeds, ginger, garlic, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric, parsley, thyme, oregano
Healthy oils: Unrefined avocado oil, coconut oil, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, extra virgin olive oil
Organic animal protein: Pasture-raised eggs, organic full-fat dairy including milk, whole milk yogurt, Greek yogurt, cheese, kefir
Low-glycemic index fruit: Avocados, berries (in moderation), lemons, limes, olives, spaghetti squash, tart cherries, tomatoes
Low-carb nuts and seeds: Almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds
Zero sugar beverages: Water, black or green tea, herbal tea, coffee, lemon water, carbonated water, mineral water

Many vegetarians opt for plant-based meat substitutes to achieve their daily protein requirements. Unfortunately, many of these products include a long list of unsavory ingredients that conflict with the dietary requirements of Healthy Keto.

One of the best and most flavorful plant-based proteins is organic unfortified nutritional yeast.

Nutritional yeast is a plant-based complete protein source, meaning it naturally provides all nine essential amino acids needed for optimal bodily functions.

Its rich nutritional profile also includes an abundance of B vitamins, essential minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, making nutritional yeast an excellent protein source suitable for a vegetarian keto diet.

Magnifying glass inspecting GMO food

Foods to avoid

Knowing which foods to avoid is as crucial as recognizing which ones to include.

This is especially true for vegetarian keto dieters, as many non-keto ingredients are often hidden in seemingly healthy plant-based dishes.

Here are some of the foods to avoid:

Starchy vegetables: Corn, rice, wheat, oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas,
Low-quality cooking oils: Canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, soy oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil
Unfermented and processed soy: Soy protein isolate, soy protein powders, soy protein concentrate, soy leghemoglobin
High-carb fruits: Apples, bananas, cherries, grapes, mango, melons, peaches, pears
Sugar: Table sugar, fructose, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, molasses, coconut sugar, maltodextrin
Grains: Corn, rice, wheat, oatmeal, barley, millet, couscous
Legumes: Black beans, great Northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, soy, peanuts
High-carb nuts and seeds: Cashews, pistachios, anise seeds, lotus seeds, dill seeds

Fit woman eating

Benefits of vegetarian keto

A healthy vegetarian keto diet integrates the advantages of plant-based eating with the metabolic efficiency of ketosis.

Here are the three top benefits of making the switch to a vegetarian keto diet plan.

1. Promotes weight loss

By focusing on healthy fats and avoiding processed, high-carb options such as refined grains and certain plant-based meat alternatives, the body shifts towards using fat as a primary energy source. This triggers ketosis, facilitates more efficient fat-burning, and enhances weight loss.

Research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the ketogenic diet not only facilitates weight loss by enhancing fat burning but also impacts appetite-regulating hormones, effectively reducing hunger sensations and cravings.

2. Supports long-term immunity

A study published in Nature Medicine found that transitioning to a ketogenic diet profoundly affects immune system functions.

Following a ketogenic diet can enhance the adaptive immune system, which helps improve the body's ability to detect and eliminate harmful invaders such as bacteria or viruses.

Moreover, research published in Phytomedicine covered the vast benefits of including more antioxidant-rich plant foods, such as those included in a vegetarian Healthy Keto diet.

The study highlights the potential of plant-derived antioxidants to regulate the activity of T-cells and macrophages, which are crucial for coordinating immune responses.

These findings suggest that adapting to a vegetarian keto diet can help support long-term immunity and may play a pivotal role in reducing recovery time when confronted with an illness.

3. Reduces risk of chronic disease

Adopting a vegetarian keto diet can have notable anti-inflammatory effects and may play a pivotal role in preventing chronic diseases.

Evidence published in Lipids demonstrated that low carbohydrate diets could better support individuals with metabolic syndrome than a low-fat diet.

Participants who adopted a carbohydrate-restricted diet saw notable improvements in key health indicators, such as better blood sugar control and reductions in body fat, than those following a low-fat diet.

In addition, by refocusing eating habits on more nutrient-dense organic produce, Healthy Keto vegetarian dieters often increase their consumption of nutritious plant foods.

Consuming more nutrients while avoiding inflammatory food, such as sugars and refined carbohydrates, can help lower the risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Frustrated hungry woman holding utensils

Downsides of vegetarian keto

A vegetarian ketogenic diet has several impressive health benefits. However, there are also disadvantages to adopting a restrictive meal plan that limits animal products.

Here are three potential downsides to the vegetarian keto diet.

1. Nutrient deficiencies

Limiting carbohydrates, a staple in vegetarian diets, and excluding meat, a key component of keto dieting, may make it more difficult to plan meals that meet nutritional requirements.

The added complexity of combining keto with a vegetarian diet can lead to bland food choices that lack variety and nutritional diversity, which can cause deficiencies.

In addition, vegetarian diets often require supplementation to compensate for nutrients that are challenging to obtain through food alone, such as vitamin B12.

This underscores the need for a well-prepared approach to the vegetarian keto diet, which might be unsustainable for some people, especially those with a busy schedule.

2. Limited variety

While keto vegetarians have more convenient nutrient options compared to a stricter plant-based vegan keto diet, they still may face considerable limitations.

Despite increasingly more vegetarian keto-approved food options, many products advertised as healthy vegetarian or keto-friendly often contain unhealthy ingredients, hidden sugars, or artificial additives.

Furthermore, while restaurants have been adopting alternative dietary options, they don't often cater well to combination diets such as vegetarian keto.

The lack of convenient meal choices can present significant challenges for those trying to adhere to the requirements of vegetarian ketogenic diets on the go.

3. Requires more meal planning

Due to the limited availability of healthy pre-made food options for keto vegetarians, strategic meal planning is essential.

Research published in Nutrition & Diabetes found that although ketogenic diet plans can offer significant health benefits, many individuals find it challenging to adhere to the diet’s strict dietary guidelines.

Detailed meal planning can be time-consuming and demanding, particularly for individuals without prior experience or those with limited time for meal preparation.

Chocolate chia seed blueberry smoothie

Vegetarian keto recipes

Planning ahead by having the necessary ingredients on hand helps ensure you can always whip up a satisfying vegetarian keto-friendly meal without resorting to less healthy options.

Start by exploring Healthy Keto vegetarian versions of your favorite dishes. Choosing familiar recipes will provide less of a learning curve and is more likely to help keep your cravings at bay.

In addition, there are many Healthy Keto vegetarian meals to choose from that will help keep you feeling full and energized.

Here are a few delicious recipes to start with.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Deserts

Vegetarian keto salad with eggs and avocado

Key takeaways

Approaching a keto vegetarian diet using Healthy Keto principles can be a nourishing and sustainable approach to plant-based eating.

This strategy facilitates fat burning and weight loss while ensuring adequate intake of key nutrients from high-quality, whole food sources.

By carefully curating a combination of keto-friendly and plant-based foods, vegetarian keto dieters can achieve sustainable health improvements and potentially lower the risk of chronic diseases.

FAQ

1. Can I do keto if I’m vegetarian?

Yes, vegetarians can adopt a keto diet by modifying their macronutrient intake to fit ketogenic standards.

2. What is a keto vegetarian diet?

A vegetarian keto diet aims to achieve ketogenic macronutrient requirements while incorporating vegetarian food options.

3. Is vegetarian keto healthy?

Yes, a vegetarian keto diet can be healthy by incorporating Healthy Keto® guidelines, which emphasize high-quality, nutritious foods that support better health and reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

4. What are the downsides of vegetarian keto?

Potential challenges of the vegetarian keto diet include limited food variety, the need for careful meal planning, and the risk of nutrient deficiencies without proper dietary management.

5. How many carbs can I have on a vegetarian ketogenic diet?

It’s generally recommended to limit carbohydrate intake to between 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day on a plant-based keto diet.

6. What can I eat on a vegetarian keto diet?

To help maximize health benefits, a healthy vegetarian keto diet should prioritize healthy fats such as olive or coconut oil and organic full-fat dairy, eggs, nutritional yeast, low glycemic fruits including avocados and berries, and low-carbohydrate vegetables.

7. Is vegetarian keto good for weight loss?

Yes, by reducing carb and sugar intake and prioritizing healthy fats, low-carb vegetables, and nutrient-dense foods, a vegetarian keto diet can help you lose weight by stimulating fat-burning and improving satiety.

8. Is a low-carb diet safe for vegetarians?

When executed properly, a low-carb, high-fat diet can be safe for vegetarians, especially when adopting keto diet-led strategies, such as the Healthy Keto approach.

However, individual dietary needs and potential health conditions should be considered. It's recommended to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice before making significant dietary changes.