For those following a vegan ketogenic diet, obtaining sufficient protein from plant-based sources can be a significant consideration. This article explores how to meet protein needs on a vegan keto diet, focusing on whole-food sources and addressing common concerns about complete proteins and essential amino acids.
Understanding Protein Needs on a Vegan Keto Diet
Determining the right amount of protein intake on a vegan ketogenic diet requires understanding that protein intake is dependent upon your lean muscle mass, activity levels and fitness goals. A rough estimate can be determined using a fitness app or a keto calculator. For example, in vegan keto meal plans, a minimum of around 70 grams of protein daily is often recommended. This accounts for the lower bioavailability of plant protein sources.
On a standard Ketogenic diet (SKD), 15-35% of your calories should come from protein. It is recommended to aim for the higher end of the scale if you’re very active, pregnant or breastfeeding.
In grams, this looks like:
- Very active people should aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (100 grams for a 140-pound person)
- Moderately active people should aim for 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (80 grams for a 140-pound person)
- Sedentary or minimally active people should aim for 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (60 grams for a 140-pound person).
Top Vegan Keto-Friendly Protein Sources
Here are some low-carb, plant-based protein sources suitable for a vegan keto diet:
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- Soy Products: Soy products are a complete protein, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids. Soybeans are also packed with fiber, potassium and iron.
- Tofu (firm): 9g protein, 1.9g net carbs per 3oz/85g serving. Tofu doesn’t have much flavor of its own, so is delicious marinated and fried in a stir fry, added to a soup or curry, or even packed into a sandwich with some Keto-friendly bread.
- Tempeh: 19g protein, 4g net carbs per 3.5oz/100g serving. Tempeh is made from soybeans that have been fermented and pressed into a block. It has a nutty flavor and is delicious in soups, stir-fries, marinated and fried or barbequed, or added to a salad.
- Soy Milk: 9g protein, 1g net carbs per serving. Any way you’d use dairy milk. Soy milk is often fortified with vitamins and minerals - choose a brand with added B12 if you don’t eat meat.
- Soybeans (mature, yellow): 14g protein, 3.5g net carbs per 1/2 cup.
- Soybeans (edamame, green): 11g protein, 6g net carbs per 1/2 cup. Edamame are immature soybeans, usually bought in their pods or frozen. You need to steam or boil them before you eat them. They are delicious eaten straight out of their pods with salt or chilli powder.
- Soybeans (dry roasted): 17g protein, 10.5g net carbs per 1/2 cup.
- Seitan: 20g protein, 4g net carbs per 3oz/85g serving. Seitan can be fried, sauteed or grilled. Add it to stir-fries or curries, use it in burgers or even put it in sandwiches. Keep in mind that it is made from wheat gluten, so is not suitable for anyone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.
- Nuts and Seeds: Nuts contain fiber, healthy fats, B-vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Because high heat can damage the nutrients in nuts, it’s best to buy them raw - if you like the taste of roasted nuts, roast them yourself at no more than 275°F (140°C) for 15 minutes or less to preserve the nutrient content. Seeds are a great source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Almonds: 6g protein, 2.5g net carbs per 1/4 cup. Almond flour is a staple of Keto-friendly baking - it makes great pancakes, crackers and cakes. Almonds and almond butter are also delicious in everything from curries to soup.
- Peanuts: 9g protein, 3g net carbs per serving. Add peanuts to trail mix, salads, or turn them into a satay sauce and add to stir-fries or grilled veggies. Peanut butter is also delicious on Keto-friendly toast, in smoothies or added to baking - just make sure the brand you buy contains only peanuts and salt. Better still, make your own.
- Cashews: 6g protein, 9g net carbs per serving. Cashews are delicious as a snack, in curries or stir-fries. They can be soaked, or roasted at a low heat, then blended into a smooth, creamy paste - making them a staple in plant-based cheeses, dips and sauces.
- Hemp Seeds (hulled): 10g protein, 0g net carbs per 3 tbsp. Hemp seeds are a complete protein. They can be sprinkled onto salads or buddha bowls, added to baking, used to create low-carb ‘oatmeal’, or blended into smoothies.
- Sunflower Seeds: 7.3g protein, 4g net carbs per 1/4 cup.
- Pumpkin Seeds: 8.8g protein, 2.3g net carbs per 1/4 cup. Pumpkin seeds are excellent as a snack, added to trail mix, baked into bread or crackers, blended into bliss balls, or sprinkled on top of salads or soup.
- Chia Seeds: 3g protein, 2g net carbs per serving. Chia seeds are another complete protein. They form a gel when soaked in water. Perfect for making sugar-free berry jam, chia pudding, or adding thickness to smoothies.
- Lupins (lupini beans): 26g protein, 11.4g net carbs per 1 cup. Lupini beans need to be soaked and boiled before eating.
- Other Sources:
- Nutritional Yeast: 8g protein, 1g net carbs per 2 tbsp. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy taste, perfect for making plant-based cheeses and sauces.
- Spirulina: 4g protein, 1g net carbs per serving. Spirulina is typically sold dried and ground into powder. Add to a smoothie, juice, water, or sprinkle some onto a salad or over roasted, salted nuts.
- Tahini: 5g protein, 4g net carbs per serving. Many people are most familiar with tahini as a key ingredient in hummus, but it’s also delicious as a dressing for salads or vegetables. Tahini can also be used like peanut butter in baking or cooking.
- Peas: 5g protein, 9g net carbs per 2/3 cup.
- Spinach (frozen): 4g protein, 1g net carbs per 1 cup.
- Mushrooms: 2g protein, 2g net carbs per serving. The meaty texture of mushrooms makes them great animal protein replacements for ragu sauces, stir-fries, curries or burgers. They’re delicious grilled, roasted with herbs and plant-based butter, or added to a cashew-based cream sauce and eaten for breakfast.
Complete Proteins and Lysine
While animal foods contain all nine essential amino acids, making them “complete” protein sources, a few plant foods also have all nine - the rest are missing one or more. All this means is that if you’re choosing not to consume animal products, you need to eat a variety of plant proteins across the day to ensure you’re getting all the amino acids your body needs.
It was previously thought that vegans needed to combine certain foods in the same meal to obtain all essential amino acids, but recent findings indicate that so long as you ingest the full range of amino acids in the proper amounts each day (not each meal), you should be fine.
One amino acid that vegans on a low carb diet need to watch out for is lysine, this is especially true of soy-free diets. Lysine is an essential amino acid that is most commonly found in beans. The good news is that lysine is present in other beans (like peas or lupins), and barring that, protein powders. Pretty much any quality vegan protein powder blend will have all of the amino acids in proper ratio. And of course, legume-derived protein powder (so, pretty much pea protein powder) will have lysine as well.
Sample Vegan Keto Meal Plan for Adequate Protein
Here’s a sample one-day meal plan to show how easy it is to get enough protein from whole-foods sources on a vegan keto diet.
- Breakfast: 2 vegan keto bagels w/1 oz nut-based cream cheese
- Lunch: Zucchini Pad Thai
- Dinner: 1 serving vegan keto Kathmandu curry & 1 cup cooked spinach w/2 tbsp nutritional yeast & 1 tsp olive oil
- Dessert: Almond Butter & Jelly chia pudding
Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of Vegan Keto
Following a vegan diet has been shown to lower the risk of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Vegans tend to weigh less than non-vegans, and those who adopt vegan diets are more successful at losing weight than people who eat animal products
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Like the vegan diet, research has shown that following the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet may positively impact your health. The keto diet is well known for its effectiveness in weight loss, blood sugar control and reduced heart disease risk factors. Being that both vegan and ketogenic diets may benefit your health in similar ways, it’s likely that combining the two by following a vegan keto diet would positively impact health as well.
However, the vegan keto diet is highly restrictive, which makes it difficult to sustain. It’s easier to get enough protein as a keto vegan than you might think. Some good sources of plant-based protein include leafy greens, soybeans, nuts and seeds, and, for some keto-vegan eaters, meat substitutes like tofu.
Transitioning to a ketogenic diet can be difficult. Often referred to as the keto flu, the transition period from a higher-carb diet to a keto diet can be challenging on your body. Side effects of the vegan keto diet may include fatigue, nausea, irritability, constipation, poor concentration, diarrhea, weakness, headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping.
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