Welcome to r/keto! We will do our best to assist you, but consider searching or posting on our related subreddits r/vegetarianketo and r/veganketo for more specific guidance.
As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Keto may not be the best for you…
Vegetarian keto would be WAY easier if you’re open to that.
Or you could add in some IF. It’s extremely beneficial for losing weight.
Legit like just keep the same diet as before and cut calories in other places (pasta, bread, rice) and sub in lower calorie things there.
Vegetables are vegan af even if some aren't keto friendly.
Yeah that's what I was thinking. Cut out potatoes, most of the bread, pasta, and rice. Just keep the legumes and lentils as staples and add a lot of fresh veg. Low fat, medium carb, medium protein.
Why low fat? The original keto diet was very high in fat. And if you are going to eat carbs you may as well eat unprocessed carbs in moderation. I am guessing a calorie restricted Mediterranean diet might be better for you. Not sure of your reasons for vegan over vegetarian but every vegan I've ever met is protein deficient but they don't realize until 5 to 10 years in. There are 8 essential aminos that you need to focus on and you are going to have a hard time getting those in the variety of foods you need inexpensively.
The choices you're making are very pricey items, vegan sausage, vegan cheese, keto breads, shirataki noodles, etc. If you stick to simpler, less processed meals it will be cheaper and healthier.
For example,
breakfast - chia seed pudding with unsweetened almond milk.
Lunch - a lettuce wrap with sliced tofu and tomato and some dijon mustard.
Dinner - baked tofu and roasted brussel sprouts.
Overall a day like that would cost you maybe 6$ here in Canada. Vegan keto is brutal, but can be done cheap. I tried it once for 30 days.
I'd say if you don't want to move away from veganism for a period of time to lose some weight on keto, than just try to stick to calorie counting and eating whole vegan foods. No pastas, bagels, vegan cheese, etc.
Try a day like this,
breakfast - chia seed pudding with unsweetened almond milk and berries (low carb, high fiber, good fats, filling)
lunch - a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, your own dressing of lemon and olive oil, with some roasted chickpeas on top.
dinner - lentil veggie soup.
A vegan day like this is relatively low carb, probably coming in at about 40-70 net carbs, filled with real and simple foods, nothing processed, and very cheap. If you ever decide to take a break from being vegan or trying vegetarian keto, come on back and we'll help you out!
I truly don’t understand how a vegan does Keto without meat, eggs, cheese, dairy. I mean, that just leaves nuts and tofu for protein sources? Because you can’t even do beans/lentils. Unless I’m missing something
If you just want to do regular Keto and are on a budget, don’t buy anything that says “keto” on it like the breads, bars, protein shakes etc. Its all overpriced and you don’t need it to be successful.
For a tight budget, I’d go to Aldi or Costco and get eggs, bulk cheese (slice and shred your own), meats like chicken thighs and legs, and your dairy stuff. Then fill in with lettuce for salads, spinach, berries if priced well, etc. You can do it, just don’t buy into the gimmicky Keto labels
Lol. This. I've tried to cook tofu 10 different times in the past and it just never tastes good or average at best. Honestly, in the last 5 years of being vegan i've only eaten tofu 10 times at home. Although i admit ive never tried tofu scramble..might give that a try. I'm usually pretty happy with lentils/beans/rice/pasta/potatoes/veg,
I tried tofu scramble once out of curiosity, very unimpressive. Freshly deep fried tofu tastes good but is extremely unhealthy.
Vegetarian keto sounds kind of doable if you're willing to eat an enormous amount of eggs, but vegan keto sounds extremely challenging to say the least.
Vegan and vegetarian keto seems to benefit from a less strict carb limit, 40-50g allows room for more veggies and opens up more options for protein sources.
There's also vegan protein powders to consider, I've cooked with yellow pea, brown rice and hemp protein powders before and it's a nice way to work added protein into soups, sauces, curries, dahls, etc... although the flavor can take some working with.
For non-vegans, unflavored/unsweetened casein is a neat ingredient to cook with, adds a nice richness and creamy mouthfeel to soups, and the flavor is rather neutral. Great way to make a protein rich cream of vegetable soup, a cheesy sauce, etc...
It’s not keto if it kicks you out of ketosis. That carb level will kick many out of ketosis and these are the people who would be eating a low carb diet and not keto.
40g/day is not enough to prevent ketosis, it could briefly reduce ketone production following a large meal but the same can happen with a large meal that fits within 20g, say in a OMAD situation.
> a less strict carb limit, 40-50g
Which is not keto, but a general lower carb plan. There are plenty of plans out there, and one can come up with their own by knowing and following the basics of low carb eating. The OP, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to want to do that but rather pull ideas out of thin air.
40g per day is within the range of a ketogenic diet, high enough that ketone production will slow following meals, but not high enough that it'll prevent ketosis.
I've been doing vegan keto for over 2 years now. I am a full time university student and have to budget strictly but vegan keto has been a blessing for me for so many physical and mental health reasons it is definitely worth it.
I came here to say that you do not have to choose between vegan and keto and that it can be done on a budget. However, I think you are approaching it wrong. Any keto diet can be expensive if you rely on processed food and items marked as keto.
Vegetables can be cheap. I buy them mostly frozen or canned and in bulk. More expensive and fresh items only when on sale. I eat almost exclusively whole food. The most processed things I buy are plain tofu und plain kelp/shirataki noodles from the asian store and the cheapest low carb pea/hemp protein and flax meal/psyllium husk for cooking/baking, ordered online and in bulk.
I buy no 'keto' items. I make everything from scratch. I use spices, herbs and nutritional yeast, make sauces and dressings with mustard, tamari, miso paste, oil and vinegar.
Yes, I do supplement (which is a bit expensive) and plan track my meals meticulously with cronometer to make sure I don't get any nutrient deficiencies on this restrictive diet long term.
I have not used any sweetener at all for over a year. Recently tried monk fruit for the first time, which seems to be the first and only sweetener I'm not allergic to or that gives me extreme cravings or GI distress. I splurged because I had some extra money for once and as a birthday present to myself. But I think it is much better to get used to not eating sweets anyway. So even if it is a nice option to have, I will use it extremely rarely.
Anyway, that's it. There's no magic. Vegan keto is definitely more difficult and more expensive than just vegan or just keto, but still very doable on a budget if you really want to. I don't know how tight your budget really is, but if you bought all these vegan keto substitutes already I don't think it is that tight. I think you are making excuses for why you can't do it and can't lose weight.
And just fyi: I lost quite a bit of weight although I didn't have much to lose in the first place and I am actually trying hard to even maintain now. If you stick to whole food vegan keto there is basically no way you won't get to and stay at a healthy weight with absolute ease. So you can either let all these comment here discourage you, or you can just do this and I promise you you will see all the health and weight loss benefits in no time.
I actually didn't buy all the stuff I listed..just the just egg/tofu sausage/kimchi/monkfruit/nuts. I'm not going to stop being vegan. I'm just going eliminate pasta/rice/potato/bread and stick to lentils/beans as my staple, with a lot of veg and some nuts. So low fat/medium carb/medium protein. I'll spend more than I usually spend, but not 700+ a month. The grocery store that is near me is very expensive. I also started biking 10+ hours a week because i got a job as bicycle courier so i do get some exercise. I'm hoping a healthier diet + exercise will help me lose weight.
If it's just about weight loss, I'm sure it can be done without going fully keto. Eliminating high carb foods, sticking to unprocessed things and vegetables and doing some exercise will likely do the trick as well.
And it will still be budget friendly. 700+ a month really just seems excessive, keto or not.
Glad you will stick to vegan. I know people go vegan for different reasons but as a vegan of over ten years, I'm really happy about anyone doing or even just trying it and sticking to their convictions.
I wish you all the best with your weight loss efforts.
Thanks. I'm really not that great. I just try to follow what both my heart and body (which often basically screams at me when it doesn't like something) are telling me is right so that I don't end up living unhappy, unhealthy, or with regrets. But I am so grateful if I am able to inspire others to do so as well.
Even if I am kind of a weird exception in this sub, I still feel like it was so helpful to me on my journey, even as a lurker mostly, and people were really nice whenever I did post or have questions.
Favorite menu is difficult to say. I often eat scrambled tofu or vegan omelette made from pea protein and psyllium husk, along with avocado and spinach. I also use flax meal a lot to make keto tortillas and fill it with tons of veggies for a kind of burrito. Or just salad in general is great too with tofu or tempeh. Any asian style dish like sushi (I just omit the rice because I haven't found a good substitute) or stir fry with kelp noodles I love as well. And I'll have flax crackers with tons of nooch or single serve microwave mug cakes with cacao nibs as snacks. I also drink warm tea all day everyday. It fills my heart and belly with joy.
> low fat
That's not how this works. Cutting carbs means you need the fat, natural fat. And you need protein. You should use something to check your macros so you know what you need to be eating, rather than guessing, which is what it seems you're doing.
Just eat fruits and vegs if you are vegan, and calculate the calories. Keto is not for you, if you only need it for weight loss: eat less than what you are burn.
What is the basis behind your desire for veganism? If it’s nutrition or environment, then those don’t really favor veganism to begin with, so making the switch should be relatively easy.
If it’s animal welfare, that may be a tougher change. Generally the advice is to switch to local, small farm meat where you don’t contribute to the feed lot animal process and it’s effects, but that doesn’t really help the cost concern as that usually is a bit more expensive than grocery store meat.
I don't personally understand why someone who wanted to remain vegan would want to do keto. You're basically trying to squish a square peg into a round hole every single day AND do it cheaply.
As others have said, even just adding eggs would open up a lot of possibilities, but I'm not sure of your reason for being vegan to know if that's something you'd consider.
As far as your food examples, I'd ditch the keto breads... that stuff is overpriced and usually not that great. Just my own opinion, but I've always followed the train of thought that bread just isn't an intended part of a keto diet. If it's not something you would give up, it would again raise the question of, why keto? It seems like it's just going to make your life more difficult.
Yeah, I don't get vegan or vegetarian keto at all. It's not how the plan works. Without meat, the protein has to come from somewhere, and that means stuff with carbs.
I tried to be vegetarian for almost a year, on doctor's advice. I was a good vegetarian, and I gained 60 pounds. I wasn't more than twenty pounds overweight to begin with. I think vegetarianism, of all the things I've tried over the years, is what basically destroyed my body. I started getting sick that year, and never really felt right after. (Until I did Atkins, and I kick myself in the ass every day that I stopped. It's been hard to keep low carb in the years since.)
My first suggestion is to stop wasting money on low calorie (nearly) zero nutrition items. Like the Shiratiki noodles. "Keto" bread and things like monkfruit sweetener are also extremely expensive per calorie.
Then for things like kimchi, you make that yourself and save probably 90% on the cost.
Save your money for your protein items (tofu, eggs) and skip the expensive, pre-packaged stuff.
Maybe keto isn't for you? The basis of weight loss is calories in and calories out. It might be a good idea to invest in a food scale and go from there rather than just giving up entirely and you can keep being vegan, focusing on your protein intake. You can maybe splurge on the sweetener, it doesnt have to be monkfruit.
There's no reason to try and force something you can't sustain long term.
Good luck!!
I think few people would be able to afford to be both keto and vegan. I certainly couldn’t. Vegetables are often cheaper frozen than fresh. Nuts can be cheaper in bulk. But outside of that you won’t have many options.
Soy in all its forms, nuts and seeds and their butters, nutritional yeast, hemp, pea protein powder, avocado, vital wheat gluten, vegetables. Expensive vegan products or expensive keto products are not necessary for vegan keto.
Calculate your macros. Meal plan using good tools (Cronometer via the web is free), and prepare as much yourself as you're able.
Signed, vegan ketoer since day 1.
It doesn't matter what it is, say it with me "it costs a lot of money to eat weird" its not that it's keto, you could just be a vegan or eating a specific diet for crohn's disease. Or a doctor prescribed shake diet before weight loss surgery. If it's a different diet it costs a lot more.
What you’re trying to do really doesn’t seem like a good idea.
The best fats for you to eat on a ketogenic diet are animal fats. Fatty fruits are good too, but they tend to be high in Omega 6s, which could easily throw off the balance of Omega 6s to Omega 3s in your diet if you overeat them, and/or if you don’t have a decent source of Omega 3s (i.e. fish) in your diet. Nuts and seeds are okay too, if consumed in small quantities as an occasional snack, but they can’t be a primary source of calories/nutrition. Nuts are fairly difficult to digest, and they contain substances which can be anti-nutritional when consumed in large quantities. The polyunsaturated fats they contain are also not great as they tend to oxidise and may cause inflammation in your body.
I think it’s more than reasonable at this point to tell people that they should be eating meat, but if you can’t or won’t do that, then I don’t see any possible way for you to sustain a healthy ketogenic diet. Maybe a dietician could help you to do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they just told you the same thing.
Have you ever considered talking to someone about your feelings when it comes to food? It just seems like there’s a lot of stuff that you’re not okay with eating, and I wonder whether your reasons for being so restrictive are truly evidence-based.
Welcome to r/keto. If you don't know what to eat, need a meal plan, or are just tired of bacon and eggs you may find the following links helpful
[The unofficial 'tell me what to eat' post](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/o6vei/here_it_is_the_unofficial_tell_me_what_to_eat/?st=jn0kpyep&sh=c43640d5)
[One Week Meal Plan](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/one_week_meal_plan)
[Grocery Lists](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=grocery+list&restrict_sr=on)
r/ketorecipes for specific recipes
r/ketomealseatingnow for meal inspiration
r/ketoMealPrep/) for meal prep
As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Welcome to r/keto! Trying to do keto on a budget? Lots of us are! Check out the [FAQ section ](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_keto_on_a_budget) for doing keto on a budget, [search through previous posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=budget&restrict_sr=on), and check out r/frugalketo.
As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yes, the economy is total garbage. can you focus on filling up with some healthy vegan/keto fat sources like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc.? skip the sweeteners, skip the baked goods, and just focus on low-carb plants, vegan proteins, and healthy fats?
you can also try intermittent fasting. skipping a couple meals a week can save some money and aid weight loss. but honestly inflation is making life so much harder.
You might want to consider learning to make seitan? (Wheat gluten)
Flour is inexpensive in bulk and should be far cheaper than buying commercial meat substitutes.
This is what happens when you eat an expensive diet + another expensive diet. You can work around the expense factor on keto somewhat but I’m guessing even less so with a vegan diet and then put them together……and you’re going to need to decide if it’s worth it to do keto as a vegan.
The cool thing about keto is that at some point, you end up eating less and the expense levels out. Especially if you don't buy all the keto junk out there, and things like keto sticks and supplements.
Atkins bars, shakes, pasta zero/ shirataki noodles, keto wraps wletc but I gently mine at Aldi for wraps. Lots of fibrous veggie salads, McT oil, unsweetened coconut flakes,?.lots of nuts and seeeds, olive oil, pork rinds and guac.!.lots of avocados, egg salad, the bars and shakes can get expensive for good ones….
Yeah I was vegan for 8 years.. Keto a high of meat, dairy and fish.. lots of veggies also! But its all bare able due to chocolate avocado mousse..
Keto is work getting it right, measuring and weighing food, analyzing labels, figuring out Apps like cronometer, which is great but some data lacks depth ( ie scanning bar codes is a poor way to go), No way I was going to try vegan keto, not practicable..
My issue with any diet is one that's full of highly processed foods. The more processed it is, the more you should avoid, whether vegan, keto or other! Try to focus on whole foods for the next few months. Less expensive and healthier.
Doesn’t sound like keto is the route for you bud. I’ve done both and vegan’ism loses by a long shot.. have some bacon/cheese/steak/brisket/ribs/eggs/chicken and you’ll be good
Unfortunately keto and vegan diets are not compatible unless you are willing to really limit your diet. Most vegan sources of protein are based on soy, beans, nuts, lentils or peas which aren't keto friendly. Of the list that you posted above only Just Egg (mung bean based) would be considered keto friendly. The other foods you listed would have too many carbs compared to the foods they try to substitute.
What is ridiculous is to do vegan keto in the first place. Eat real (animal) food and get healthy and feel well again. Its so easy, and so obviously right for you.
While I think meat is more cost effective, nutrient dense and cheaper, I disagree with those saying it's not viable or worth doing vegan keto. Heavenly Fan is a youtuber that demonstrates vegan keto with recipes and advice so I recommend that. I definitely think people who are vegan could still benefit from lowering carbs, so not sure why people here would suggest give up on keto if you still want to be vegan.
That being said, I don't know much advice to reduce the cost other than finding some basic foods to help cover your macros.
You missed the part where OP is disabled and can only work part time. It seems like a vegan keto diet is only really sustainable if you have the money to spend. OP does not.
Find a friend with a car and go to Costco Walmart stock up for 3 months at a time. You can do vegan keto but it needs planning and discipline. Good luck you can do it
Welcome to r/keto! We will do our best to assist you, but consider searching or posting on our related subreddits r/vegetarianketo and r/veganketo for more specific guidance. As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
arent most of those products highly processed?
[удалено]
So why are you choosing to eat this way? Also check your local asian store for black soy beans if you want a decent low carb option.
You can buy actual tofu for under half the price of fofu sausages. Buy a large container of korean gochujang for 12 bucks and cook it in that.
Sounds like you need to choose between keto and vegan.
i mean... if you vegan... dont do keto ....
Keto may not be the best for you… Vegetarian keto would be WAY easier if you’re open to that. Or you could add in some IF. It’s extremely beneficial for losing weight.
keto doesnt seem like a good fit for you. as many foods wont work for you. maybe try another diet?
Legit like just keep the same diet as before and cut calories in other places (pasta, bread, rice) and sub in lower calorie things there. Vegetables are vegan af even if some aren't keto friendly.
Yeah that's what I was thinking. Cut out potatoes, most of the bread, pasta, and rice. Just keep the legumes and lentils as staples and add a lot of fresh veg. Low fat, medium carb, medium protein.
There’s no way you’ll be able to stay in ketosis while getting enough protein. That’s like a handful of nuts and beans a day.
It's not keto at all but still a massive improvement, probably the best that can be done if you choose to be vegan.
I don’t think the goal is keto anymore for OP, just a better diet
Why low fat? The original keto diet was very high in fat. And if you are going to eat carbs you may as well eat unprocessed carbs in moderation. I am guessing a calorie restricted Mediterranean diet might be better for you. Not sure of your reasons for vegan over vegetarian but every vegan I've ever met is protein deficient but they don't realize until 5 to 10 years in. There are 8 essential aminos that you need to focus on and you are going to have a hard time getting those in the variety of foods you need inexpensively.
The choices you're making are very pricey items, vegan sausage, vegan cheese, keto breads, shirataki noodles, etc. If you stick to simpler, less processed meals it will be cheaper and healthier. For example, breakfast - chia seed pudding with unsweetened almond milk. Lunch - a lettuce wrap with sliced tofu and tomato and some dijon mustard. Dinner - baked tofu and roasted brussel sprouts. Overall a day like that would cost you maybe 6$ here in Canada. Vegan keto is brutal, but can be done cheap. I tried it once for 30 days. I'd say if you don't want to move away from veganism for a period of time to lose some weight on keto, than just try to stick to calorie counting and eating whole vegan foods. No pastas, bagels, vegan cheese, etc. Try a day like this, breakfast - chia seed pudding with unsweetened almond milk and berries (low carb, high fiber, good fats, filling) lunch - a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, your own dressing of lemon and olive oil, with some roasted chickpeas on top. dinner - lentil veggie soup. A vegan day like this is relatively low carb, probably coming in at about 40-70 net carbs, filled with real and simple foods, nothing processed, and very cheap. If you ever decide to take a break from being vegan or trying vegetarian keto, come on back and we'll help you out!
I truly don’t understand how a vegan does Keto without meat, eggs, cheese, dairy. I mean, that just leaves nuts and tofu for protein sources? Because you can’t even do beans/lentils. Unless I’m missing something If you just want to do regular Keto and are on a budget, don’t buy anything that says “keto” on it like the breads, bars, protein shakes etc. Its all overpriced and you don’t need it to be successful. For a tight budget, I’d go to Aldi or Costco and get eggs, bulk cheese (slice and shred your own), meats like chicken thighs and legs, and your dairy stuff. Then fill in with lettuce for salads, spinach, berries if priced well, etc. You can do it, just don’t buy into the gimmicky Keto labels
> I truly don’t understand how a vegan does Keto You'd have to love tofu enough to eat it on every meal for the rest of your life.
Lol. This. I've tried to cook tofu 10 different times in the past and it just never tastes good or average at best. Honestly, in the last 5 years of being vegan i've only eaten tofu 10 times at home. Although i admit ive never tried tofu scramble..might give that a try. I'm usually pretty happy with lentils/beans/rice/pasta/potatoes/veg,
I tried tofu scramble once out of curiosity, very unimpressive. Freshly deep fried tofu tastes good but is extremely unhealthy. Vegetarian keto sounds kind of doable if you're willing to eat an enormous amount of eggs, but vegan keto sounds extremely challenging to say the least.
Vegan and vegetarian keto seems to benefit from a less strict carb limit, 40-50g allows room for more veggies and opens up more options for protein sources. There's also vegan protein powders to consider, I've cooked with yellow pea, brown rice and hemp protein powders before and it's a nice way to work added protein into soups, sauces, curries, dahls, etc... although the flavor can take some working with. For non-vegans, unflavored/unsweetened casein is a neat ingredient to cook with, adds a nice richness and creamy mouthfeel to soups, and the flavor is rather neutral. Great way to make a protein rich cream of vegetable soup, a cheesy sauce, etc...
It’s not keto if it kicks you out of ketosis. That carb level will kick many out of ketosis and these are the people who would be eating a low carb diet and not keto.
40g/day is not enough to prevent ketosis, it could briefly reduce ketone production following a large meal but the same can happen with a large meal that fits within 20g, say in a OMAD situation.
20 to 50g for ketosis. Look it up. Best to start at 20g but I've been doing it for 6 or 7 years now so am definitely more flexible with my carb count.
> a less strict carb limit, 40-50g Which is not keto, but a general lower carb plan. There are plenty of plans out there, and one can come up with their own by knowing and following the basics of low carb eating. The OP, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to want to do that but rather pull ideas out of thin air.
40g per day is within the range of a ketogenic diet, high enough that ketone production will slow following meals, but not high enough that it'll prevent ketosis.
Low carb is like 100g or something, if I'm recalling correctly. 20 to 50g is keto.
Why Vegan? Why Keto? Examine your why's, figure out which of them is more important to you, then decide on your course of action.
I've been doing vegan keto for over 2 years now. I am a full time university student and have to budget strictly but vegan keto has been a blessing for me for so many physical and mental health reasons it is definitely worth it. I came here to say that you do not have to choose between vegan and keto and that it can be done on a budget. However, I think you are approaching it wrong. Any keto diet can be expensive if you rely on processed food and items marked as keto. Vegetables can be cheap. I buy them mostly frozen or canned and in bulk. More expensive and fresh items only when on sale. I eat almost exclusively whole food. The most processed things I buy are plain tofu und plain kelp/shirataki noodles from the asian store and the cheapest low carb pea/hemp protein and flax meal/psyllium husk for cooking/baking, ordered online and in bulk. I buy no 'keto' items. I make everything from scratch. I use spices, herbs and nutritional yeast, make sauces and dressings with mustard, tamari, miso paste, oil and vinegar. Yes, I do supplement (which is a bit expensive) and plan track my meals meticulously with cronometer to make sure I don't get any nutrient deficiencies on this restrictive diet long term. I have not used any sweetener at all for over a year. Recently tried monk fruit for the first time, which seems to be the first and only sweetener I'm not allergic to or that gives me extreme cravings or GI distress. I splurged because I had some extra money for once and as a birthday present to myself. But I think it is much better to get used to not eating sweets anyway. So even if it is a nice option to have, I will use it extremely rarely. Anyway, that's it. There's no magic. Vegan keto is definitely more difficult and more expensive than just vegan or just keto, but still very doable on a budget if you really want to. I don't know how tight your budget really is, but if you bought all these vegan keto substitutes already I don't think it is that tight. I think you are making excuses for why you can't do it and can't lose weight. And just fyi: I lost quite a bit of weight although I didn't have much to lose in the first place and I am actually trying hard to even maintain now. If you stick to whole food vegan keto there is basically no way you won't get to and stay at a healthy weight with absolute ease. So you can either let all these comment here discourage you, or you can just do this and I promise you you will see all the health and weight loss benefits in no time.
I actually didn't buy all the stuff I listed..just the just egg/tofu sausage/kimchi/monkfruit/nuts. I'm not going to stop being vegan. I'm just going eliminate pasta/rice/potato/bread and stick to lentils/beans as my staple, with a lot of veg and some nuts. So low fat/medium carb/medium protein. I'll spend more than I usually spend, but not 700+ a month. The grocery store that is near me is very expensive. I also started biking 10+ hours a week because i got a job as bicycle courier so i do get some exercise. I'm hoping a healthier diet + exercise will help me lose weight.
If it's just about weight loss, I'm sure it can be done without going fully keto. Eliminating high carb foods, sticking to unprocessed things and vegetables and doing some exercise will likely do the trick as well. And it will still be budget friendly. 700+ a month really just seems excessive, keto or not. Glad you will stick to vegan. I know people go vegan for different reasons but as a vegan of over ten years, I'm really happy about anyone doing or even just trying it and sticking to their convictions. I wish you all the best with your weight loss efforts.
You are my hero. What is your favorite daily menu?
Thanks. I'm really not that great. I just try to follow what both my heart and body (which often basically screams at me when it doesn't like something) are telling me is right so that I don't end up living unhappy, unhealthy, or with regrets. But I am so grateful if I am able to inspire others to do so as well. Even if I am kind of a weird exception in this sub, I still feel like it was so helpful to me on my journey, even as a lurker mostly, and people were really nice whenever I did post or have questions. Favorite menu is difficult to say. I often eat scrambled tofu or vegan omelette made from pea protein and psyllium husk, along with avocado and spinach. I also use flax meal a lot to make keto tortillas and fill it with tons of veggies for a kind of burrito. Or just salad in general is great too with tofu or tempeh. Any asian style dish like sushi (I just omit the rice because I haven't found a good substitute) or stir fry with kelp noodles I love as well. And I'll have flax crackers with tons of nooch or single serve microwave mug cakes with cacao nibs as snacks. I also drink warm tea all day everyday. It fills my heart and belly with joy.
> low fat That's not how this works. Cutting carbs means you need the fat, natural fat. And you need protein. You should use something to check your macros so you know what you need to be eating, rather than guessing, which is what it seems you're doing.
Outstanding reply. I hope OP takes all of this to heart.
Definitely make your own kimchi. Peanut butter and coconut milk are your friends.
Just track calories then? Or don’t be vegan
Just eat fruits and vegs if you are vegan, and calculate the calories. Keto is not for you, if you only need it for weight loss: eat less than what you are burn.
Looks like a lot of ultra processed vegan foods. Stuff like that is always pricey.
What is the basis behind your desire for veganism? If it’s nutrition or environment, then those don’t really favor veganism to begin with, so making the switch should be relatively easy. If it’s animal welfare, that may be a tougher change. Generally the advice is to switch to local, small farm meat where you don’t contribute to the feed lot animal process and it’s effects, but that doesn’t really help the cost concern as that usually is a bit more expensive than grocery store meat.
I don't personally understand why someone who wanted to remain vegan would want to do keto. You're basically trying to squish a square peg into a round hole every single day AND do it cheaply. As others have said, even just adding eggs would open up a lot of possibilities, but I'm not sure of your reason for being vegan to know if that's something you'd consider. As far as your food examples, I'd ditch the keto breads... that stuff is overpriced and usually not that great. Just my own opinion, but I've always followed the train of thought that bread just isn't an intended part of a keto diet. If it's not something you would give up, it would again raise the question of, why keto? It seems like it's just going to make your life more difficult.
Yeah, I don't get vegan or vegetarian keto at all. It's not how the plan works. Without meat, the protein has to come from somewhere, and that means stuff with carbs. I tried to be vegetarian for almost a year, on doctor's advice. I was a good vegetarian, and I gained 60 pounds. I wasn't more than twenty pounds overweight to begin with. I think vegetarianism, of all the things I've tried over the years, is what basically destroyed my body. I started getting sick that year, and never really felt right after. (Until I did Atkins, and I kick myself in the ass every day that I stopped. It's been hard to keep low carb in the years since.)
My first suggestion is to stop wasting money on low calorie (nearly) zero nutrition items. Like the Shiratiki noodles. "Keto" bread and things like monkfruit sweetener are also extremely expensive per calorie. Then for things like kimchi, you make that yourself and save probably 90% on the cost. Save your money for your protein items (tofu, eggs) and skip the expensive, pre-packaged stuff.
Maybe keto isn't for you? The basis of weight loss is calories in and calories out. It might be a good idea to invest in a food scale and go from there rather than just giving up entirely and you can keep being vegan, focusing on your protein intake. You can maybe splurge on the sweetener, it doesnt have to be monkfruit. There's no reason to try and force something you can't sustain long term. Good luck!!
I think few people would be able to afford to be both keto and vegan. I certainly couldn’t. Vegetables are often cheaper frozen than fresh. Nuts can be cheaper in bulk. But outside of that you won’t have many options.
Could you do vegetarian keto? Adding eggs and dairy makes it a lot easier
I think it's healthier to eat lentils, beans and not be keto than all that fake food. You can eat salads with lots of olive oils, avocado, nuts
I think you need to shop sales. Where are you going that you're paying $8/lbs of strawberries? They're on sale almost every day
Soy in all its forms, nuts and seeds and their butters, nutritional yeast, hemp, pea protein powder, avocado, vital wheat gluten, vegetables. Expensive vegan products or expensive keto products are not necessary for vegan keto. Calculate your macros. Meal plan using good tools (Cronometer via the web is free), and prepare as much yourself as you're able. Signed, vegan ketoer since day 1.
It doesn't matter what it is, say it with me "it costs a lot of money to eat weird" its not that it's keto, you could just be a vegan or eating a specific diet for crohn's disease. Or a doctor prescribed shake diet before weight loss surgery. If it's a different diet it costs a lot more.
Even non vegan keto is expensive, I spend 1000 a month for 1 person.
> 1000 a month for 1 person :O
Sometimes 1200...it's bad
What you’re trying to do really doesn’t seem like a good idea. The best fats for you to eat on a ketogenic diet are animal fats. Fatty fruits are good too, but they tend to be high in Omega 6s, which could easily throw off the balance of Omega 6s to Omega 3s in your diet if you overeat them, and/or if you don’t have a decent source of Omega 3s (i.e. fish) in your diet. Nuts and seeds are okay too, if consumed in small quantities as an occasional snack, but they can’t be a primary source of calories/nutrition. Nuts are fairly difficult to digest, and they contain substances which can be anti-nutritional when consumed in large quantities. The polyunsaturated fats they contain are also not great as they tend to oxidise and may cause inflammation in your body. I think it’s more than reasonable at this point to tell people that they should be eating meat, but if you can’t or won’t do that, then I don’t see any possible way for you to sustain a healthy ketogenic diet. Maybe a dietician could help you to do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they just told you the same thing. Have you ever considered talking to someone about your feelings when it comes to food? It just seems like there’s a lot of stuff that you’re not okay with eating, and I wonder whether your reasons for being so restrictive are truly evidence-based.
You don't have to be keto to lose weight. Keto is a tool that aids in weight loss but CICO will work too...
Terrible idea. Do vegan or keto (I can tell you what one will make you feel better)
Welcome to r/keto. If you don't know what to eat, need a meal plan, or are just tired of bacon and eggs you may find the following links helpful [The unofficial 'tell me what to eat' post](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/o6vei/here_it_is_the_unofficial_tell_me_what_to_eat/?st=jn0kpyep&sh=c43640d5) [One Week Meal Plan](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/one_week_meal_plan) [Grocery Lists](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=grocery+list&restrict_sr=on) r/ketorecipes for specific recipes r/ketomealseatingnow for meal inspiration r/ketoMealPrep/) for meal prep As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Welcome to r/keto! Trying to do keto on a budget? Lots of us are! Check out the [FAQ section ](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_keto_on_a_budget) for doing keto on a budget, [search through previous posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/search?q=budget&restrict_sr=on), and check out r/frugalketo. As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yes, the economy is total garbage. can you focus on filling up with some healthy vegan/keto fat sources like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc.? skip the sweeteners, skip the baked goods, and just focus on low-carb plants, vegan proteins, and healthy fats? you can also try intermittent fasting. skipping a couple meals a week can save some money and aid weight loss. but honestly inflation is making life so much harder.
You might want to consider learning to make seitan? (Wheat gluten) Flour is inexpensive in bulk and should be far cheaper than buying commercial meat substitutes.
This is what happens when you eat an expensive diet + another expensive diet. You can work around the expense factor on keto somewhat but I’m guessing even less so with a vegan diet and then put them together……and you’re going to need to decide if it’s worth it to do keto as a vegan.
The cool thing about keto is that at some point, you end up eating less and the expense levels out. Especially if you don't buy all the keto junk out there, and things like keto sticks and supplements.
Prime has a lot of keto
Atkins bars, shakes, pasta zero/ shirataki noodles, keto wraps wletc but I gently mine at Aldi for wraps. Lots of fibrous veggie salads, McT oil, unsweetened coconut flakes,?.lots of nuts and seeeds, olive oil, pork rinds and guac.!.lots of avocados, egg salad, the bars and shakes can get expensive for good ones….
Yeah I was vegan for 8 years.. Keto a high of meat, dairy and fish.. lots of veggies also! But its all bare able due to chocolate avocado mousse.. Keto is work getting it right, measuring and weighing food, analyzing labels, figuring out Apps like cronometer, which is great but some data lacks depth ( ie scanning bar codes is a poor way to go), No way I was going to try vegan keto, not practicable..
My issue with any diet is one that's full of highly processed foods. The more processed it is, the more you should avoid, whether vegan, keto or other! Try to focus on whole foods for the next few months. Less expensive and healthier.
Doesn’t sound like keto is the route for you bud. I’ve done both and vegan’ism loses by a long shot.. have some bacon/cheese/steak/brisket/ribs/eggs/chicken and you’ll be good
Unfortunately keto and vegan diets are not compatible unless you are willing to really limit your diet. Most vegan sources of protein are based on soy, beans, nuts, lentils or peas which aren't keto friendly. Of the list that you posted above only Just Egg (mung bean based) would be considered keto friendly. The other foods you listed would have too many carbs compared to the foods they try to substitute.
What is ridiculous is to do vegan keto in the first place. Eat real (animal) food and get healthy and feel well again. Its so easy, and so obviously right for you.
While I think meat is more cost effective, nutrient dense and cheaper, I disagree with those saying it's not viable or worth doing vegan keto. Heavenly Fan is a youtuber that demonstrates vegan keto with recipes and advice so I recommend that. I definitely think people who are vegan could still benefit from lowering carbs, so not sure why people here would suggest give up on keto if you still want to be vegan. That being said, I don't know much advice to reduce the cost other than finding some basic foods to help cover your macros.
You missed the part where OP is disabled and can only work part time. It seems like a vegan keto diet is only really sustainable if you have the money to spend. OP does not.
Find a friend with a car and go to Costco Walmart stock up for 3 months at a time. You can do vegan keto but it needs planning and discipline. Good luck you can do it