Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian On A Keto Diet: How To Succeed?

There are many types of vegetarians, but the most common one is Lacto-Ovo. These vegetarians eat dairy and eggs but don’t eat meat, poultry, and seafood.

Although they aren’t much restricted in food and can enjoy delicious desserts, such as the keto chocolate shake it still can be difficult to be on a keto diet. It’s because the meat is among the most used keto-products.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t practice the keto diet. In fact, there is a type of the keto diet known as the vegetarian keto diet. And, here are the steps you should follow for successful dieting.

Know The Foods You Can Eat

Knowing exactly which foods you can eat on a diet, make the dieting much easier. Most of the foods you can eat are low-carb and high-fat. But since, as a vegetarian, you don’t eat meat, there are some adjustments made. So, let’s have a look at the Can Eat list.

Low-carb proteins – tofu, tempeh, and seitan.
Low-carb vegetables – cauliflower, mushrooms, celery, spinach, broccoli, broccoli rabe, cabbage, kale, asparagus, swiss chard, bok choy, and lettuces.
Plant-based fats – avocado, coconut, and olive, and their oils.
Dairy – butter, hard cheeses, plain cottage cheese, and full-fat yogurt.
Nuts and seeds
Eggs
Berries

Have A High-protein Product With Every Meal

Animal products are the best source of proteins because they contain all 9 essential amino acids we need for a healthy life. Since you don’t eat meat, you should combine dairy products and eggs along with seeds and nuts to improve the quality of the proteins you consume. You can also eat Greek yogurt, hemp seeds, cottage cheese, soft, hard and semi-hard cheese, peanut or almond butter, tofu, tempeh, natto, and edamame beans.

Therefore, when planning your meals, try to come up with a meal that includes eggs and/or dairy products. For example, you could eat bread with Greek yogurt and berries for breakfast and tofu parmigiana for lunch.

Limit The Carbs Consumption

The keto diet allows eating foods that are low in carbs and high in proteins. Therefore, you will have to limit the intake of carbs when going keto. For a vegetarian, this means avoiding many vegetarian proteins sources, such as legumes, quinoa, pulses, and buckwheat, because they are too high in carbs. You should also avoid low-fat dairy products, milk, fruits, and starchy vegetables.

Eat Very-low-carb Vegetables At Least Twice A Day

Vegetables are healthy, so you can include them in your meals. However, some of the vegetables are higher in carbs, so you should be careful and include only those with the lowest carbs amount. Try to include 1 to 3 servings at least twice a day. The vegetables that are really low in carbs are spinach, cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, and avocado.

Use Healthy Oils

Oils are an inevitable part of nutrition since we use them for cooking or as salad dressings. They make each meal taste deliciously, improve food’s texture, make us stay full for hours, and are important for proper absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Having in mind that oils are a rich source of fats, you should use only the healthy oils when preparing meals. Therefore, instead of using sunflower, safflower or canola oil, you should use coconut, avocado, or olive oil, butter, and ghee.

Use Lots Of Herbs And Spices

Herbs and spices give a taste to every meal. They also increase variety when on a vegetarian diet and are a source of micronutrients. In order to give a different taste to the same or similar meals, you can experiment with seasonings by using different herbs and spices.

Hence, if you use the common ones, such as cinnamon, basil and rosemary, try some you haven’t used before, such as angelica, black cumin, cayenne pepper, and saffron.

The vegetarian keto diet is a perfect mix of low-carb, high-fat, and protein-rich products which satisfy your daily needs. It’s the perfect diet for all vegetarians who want to feel the benefits of the keto diet without giving up their diet. But, before you go keto, you should learn what you can and can’t eat and plan your meals.

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