Keto for Vegetarians

By Alice Winters

Would you like to learn how to eat keto as a vegetarian the easy way?
You may have thought that the ketogenic diet is designed for meat eaters, but vegetarians can also enjoy the many benefits too. The proven recipes in Keto for Vegetarians are very easy to follow and can help you to:
• Lose weight safely and rapidly
• Trim your waist and stomach
• Flush out harmful toxins
• Have more energy and vitality
• Increase mental clarity
• Balance Hormones
• Sleep Better
• Get real results with less exercise by understanding which foods to eat

You will also learn exactly how ketosis works in your body then use the shopping list and tailored meal plan to get started right away. By following the guidance in Keto for Vegetarians you can expect to feel energized and motivated because the results will start to happen swiftly and the new hormonal balance in your body will bring all kinds of benefits.

You can expect to enjoy nutrient-dense nutrition and incorporate whole, natural foods that are rich in healthy fats and proteins in your diet. All recipes contain nutritional information and there are tips and insider secrets to ensure that you have lasting benefits by seamlessly integrating this powerful new way of eating into your lifestyle. The results will speak for themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alice Winter
• Release date: Jul 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393340423

Book preview

Chapter 1:

Part 1: Keto ins and outs

We know what a Vegetarian is but what is Keto?

Keto diets have been shown in multiple studies to be able to improve your health by lowering your weight. It’s been shown to be a good way to combat diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease. It immediately resonated with me because I have a family history of Diabetes and since I also happen live in the West of Scotland-the heart attack capital of the world-I am particularly interested in the health boosting benefits of Keto. (see more on Keto at the end of this book)

In very broad terms you are replacing the number of carbs you burn with an increased amount of fat. Soon, the body begins to burn fat to create energy, and ketones are manufactured, which can supply the brain and body with energy. Ketogenic diets reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, which can help prevent diabetes. Okay, so in my mind, it sounds like running your car on high-octane fuel, so it can get the gunk out of the valves and run more efficiently.

There are different types of Ketogenic diets.

Standard Keto Diet (SKD): This is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet consisting of about seventy-five percent fat and only five percent carbohydrates.

Cyclical Keto Diet (CKD): This diet lets you cheat with five Ketogenic days and two higher carbohydrate days.

Targeted Keto Diet (TKD): This diet is more focused for athletes—to add more carbohydrates to burn off.

High Protein Keto Diet: It’s like the standard Ketogenic diet, but this has more protein involved.

Clinical studies are currently only available for the standard and the high-protein Keto diets. The cyclical and targeted types are used most for bodybuilders and athletes, so we can scratch those two right off the list for now at least.

It’s worth mentioning that implementing this type of lifestyle will also benefit you in other ways as you will be avoiding some of the unhealthy practices which are used in the meat industry. Typical meat and dairy products are often raised in large, abusive controlled environments with questions being raised about the welfare of the livestock.

Another noteworthy benefit of this is type of diet is the absence of having to obsess over your daily calories or tracking your food intake. This was one of my main issues with Weight Watchers and some of the late-night infomercials selling guides and checklists—it's just too time-consuming to spend hours reading labels in the grocery store, worrying over the different calories in a can of beans. Even the so-called diet foods in the grocer’s freezer are over-processed and generally full of heart attack-inducing salt so that they can last without spoilage until the 22nd century. In this diet, you can pretty much eat until you're full and still lose weight and get healthy. Easy and simple—and I like easy and simple!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Any food high in ‘fast’ or non-complex carbohydrates should be greatly reduced or totally eliminated.

Sugary foods: Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup, Soda, fruit juices, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, bowls of Sugar Pops, etc.

Grains or starches: This includes staples in most diets like pasta, rice, cereals, as well as corn and corn-based products.

Fruit: Most fruits contain high amounts of natural sugar. The exceptions are small portions of berries like strawberries.

Bean or legumes: Most above-ground beans can be unhealthy because of the number of carbohydrates they have.

Root vegetables: Starchy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots are also high in carbohydrates.

Low fat or diet products: Beware! Although marketed towards the diet conscious, they are typically high in carbs and salt.

Unhealthy fats: Processed fats like vegetable oils and mayonnaise are unhealthy.

Alcohol: Alcohol is high in carbohydrates and sugars. (Sadly)

Diet foods: These usually have a lot of preservatives and added salt.

Okay. I’m taking a very deep breath now. I have virtually eliminated every food I’ve consumed in the last 45 years. It is hard to imagine any meal or snack I’ve had that has not had one or a combination of the above. So, now imagining crawling through the Sahara Desert looking for an oasis, with cautious optimism, I must move ahead.

Under the rules of the Ketogenic diet, the following are the GOOD foods.

Meat: Fresh meats from cattle, pigs, chicken, and turkey

Vegan Meats: Tempeh, tofu, seitan

Fatty fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel

Eggs: Regular eggs are OK but try to get pasteurized or free-range types.

Butter and Cream: Most brands are OK, but higher fat is desirable and even better if you can find grass-fed types.

Cheese: Hard, unprocessed cheeses, like cheddar, goat, cream, blue or mozzarella.

Fruits: Most of the vine berries are good in limited quantities.

Nuts and Seeds: Seeds like almonds and walnuts are used for cooking or as a snack food.

Healthy oils: Try to use oils like olive oil or coconut oil instead of corn-based oils.

Avocados: I love Avocados. They are healthy either whole or pureed into guacamole. Get some Avocados into your daily diet.

Low-carb veggies: Most green vegetables are good for you, just like your granny told you.

Sweeteners: Stevia, monk fruit

Condiments: The fresher, the better for you.

Now, I know this book is geared toward the vegetarian Keto diet so the meat on the top of this list would obviously be scratched out. Also, by the general standards of the Vegetarian Society, the meat of fish and fowl are to be also eliminated because they are also animals. For purely vegan diets, you can go one step further to eliminate animal-produced items, like milk, butter & cream, cheese, eggs, etc.

General Rules

In order to implement a vegetarian Keto diet, there are some basic, foundational rules to follow:

Limit your daily carbohydrates. Now this is a biggy. The exact amount of daily carbs will vary from person to person and I’d advise you to experiment until you find your own personal sweet spot. I know people who only take in less than 10 grams or less per day whereas others are in ketosis at around 20 grams +. I am experienced and disciplined enough to enable me to cycle my carbs depending on my predicted activity levels and how I feel of course.  My carb intake can even be as high as 30 – 35 grams + and I’m still very much in ketosis. This will take some trial and error and will be determined by your gender, goals, current BMI and activity levels.

Some of deserts in this book have slightly higher carbs and clearly should be used in extreme moderation or during periods where you know for certain that you will burn of this extra energy i.e. during intense exercise like cycling or running.

Remove all meat, including mammal, fowl, and fish.

Eat a lot of green vegetables.

Get at least seventy percent of your calories from good fats.

Eat around twenty-five percent of your diet from eggs and dairy. Again this could vary a little depending on your own specific preferences.

Take vitamin supplements to replace nutrients.

Regularly search the internet for new interesting meals to expand your diet and variety.

At the Grocery Store

Now some of the ingredients in this book may at first seem as familiar as walking on Pluto, but fear not. In time they will become go to staples that you are very comfortable with. Sharing a complete master list would be lengthy and ultimately redundant, but a general starter list is valuable and may save you time exploring aisles in your grocery store that certainly haven't been well-worn by your shoes. I have to keep reminding myself to keep it simple. So, here at least is a good starter list that will give you about 75% of the ingredients used in this book. If you pick up these ingredients and replenish them when you get low, you'll save yourself repeated trips to the store (like I had to do!)

SPICES

Salt – common table salt is ok, but better to use Kosher Salt. Pick up some Sea Salt while you’re there too, its recommended for some recipes. Unless otherwise specified, when I say salt in this book, I am referring to kosher salt.

Pepper – again, common table pepper is ok, but better yet, get a pepper grinder. Fresh ground pepper is a little more expensive and a little more work, but much fresher tastier pepper. Again, when I recommend pepper in a recipe, I use my pepper grinder and make mine fresh from the kernels.

Parsley, chives, etc. – As a general rule, don't keep spices around for more than a year. They do lose their flavor. If you like you can buy (or even grow) some of these fresh. It’s super easy. Just buy potted fresh herbs and stick them in a pot with some soil and sit them on the window ledge or in the garden. They are very low maintenance and you get lovely fresh aromas from them.

COOKING OILS

Olive Oil. My personal favorite is virgin olive oil. It’s useful for cooking at lower temperatures, but also as a dressing for salads. Don’t cook above 400° F, or it will burn out the healthy components of the oil.

Avocado oil possesses a property that enables it to withstand boiling even up to very high temperatures, which makes it ideal in frying as well as baking.

Coconut oil has an abundance of healthy fatty acids. It cooks at up to 350° F (similar to butter) so it is sort of in between the range of the olive oil and avocado oil albeit it still contains saturated fat.

VEGETABLE AISLE

Cauliflower is the great key to the Keto diet. Even if you don't like cauliflower as you've had it in the past, the Keto diet transforms it into a little miracle of nature. You will need it for meals, salads, even the base for bread. Preferably get them fresh, but I also keep a large bag of frozen florets on hand, for use in between store runs. It's a cost saver too if you only need a little and don't want to waste a whole head of cauliflower.

Avocados are a versatile staple, so plan on getting a handful every time you shop. They are jam-packed with all sorts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Broccoli like cauliflower should always be somewhere in your kitchen. It’s useful in dozens of meals, or even fresh as a dip. Also, keep a bag of frozen broccoli for smaller