In an omnivorous diet most proteins are derived from meats, eggs and other foods of animal origin, so when we decide to take a vegetarian diet we tend to go to a variety of foods whose main nutrient is carbohydrates. However, is it possible for a low-carbohydrate diet to be a vegetarian?
How is a low-carbohydrate diet?
Although hydrates should be the main source of energy in a healthy diet, many times we want to reduce this nutrient in order to lose weight for example or to control some metabolic disorders.
If you take a diet without meat, eggs or dairy, most of the foods in your diet insurance offer some hydrates, however, it is possible to reduce the contribution of this nutrient in your day to day .
The first thing we should know is that a diet is low in carbohydrates when it already offers less than 50% of the daily calories of this nutrient. On the other hand, when we reduce the total calories of the vegetarian diet, we will automatically reduce the proportion of hydrates in it.
The important thing in a low carb vegetarian diet is that calories that do not provide the hydrates are offered by quality proteins or fats if we do not seek to lose weight but only control the intake of this nutrient.
The most frequent mistake when we start a vegetarian diet
It is very common that when you start a vegetarian diet you go to a variety of foods filled with refined carbohydrates or sugar , so we will be making a big mistake that causes nutritional imbalances in our diet.
So, we must avoid foods of vegetable origin with sugar or refined flours such as industrial bakery, cookies, commercial snacks, soft drinks or other sweetened beverages, commercial juices, sweets, ice creams or vegans, among others.
There is a variety of vegetarian foods filled with sugar that may be increasing the calories and the intake of carbohydrates in the diet in addition to offering poor quality nutrients such as trans fats or sodium. Therefore, a first step to achieve a low-carbohydrate diet being vegetarian is to reduce the intake of them and above all, avoid processed ones.
Choose whole grains and legumes
If we change to whole grains we will be reducing the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet, because they contain more protein and also, they easily satiate so they can help us reduce the amount eaten in comparison with the one we ate from refined grains.
On the other hand, an excellent alternative are legumes, rich in vegetable proteins and fiber and with a much lower proportion of carbohydrates than cereals, so they can offer quality energy helping to achieve a low carb diet.
Then, we can change breakfast cereals for quinoa or oats, use brown rice to replace white rice, choose amaranth, wholemeal flour and other whole grain cereals to replace refined ones.
On the other hand, this implies reducing the consumption of processed foodsthat can not only have hidden sugars but also a large amount of sodium, trans fats and additives not recommended for the body in excess.
Fruits, vegetables and seeds with more proteins
Although vegetables and fruits offer hydrates in a minimal proportion, this is their main nutrient in the vast majority of them, because there are some exceptions that we can use if we want to achieve a diet low in carbohydrates and with more proteins of vegetable origin.
The seeds and nuts will be very helpful to satiate without resorting to sources of hydrates, since they offer above all vegetable proteins and good fats for the body, accompanied by fiber and other nutrients that will undoubtedly be welcomed by our body.
In addition, we will prioritize the use of fresh fruits and vegetables with skin that satiate more and have less sugar than their juice for example, and therefore, can also help us achieve a low-carbohydrate diet while being vegetarian.
A diet reduced in carbohydrates is possible being vegetarian, we should only choose the foods of our diet adequately with the objective of avoiding refined sugars and flours as well as adding protein and fiber with foods of vegetable origin that suck and nourish us wisely.
