Low Carb Dieting for Vegetarians

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If you're a non-meat eater, you obviously face a unique challenge in attempting to start a low carbohydrate diet. After all, most of the foods in the average vegetarian's daily meal plan are high in carbs. 

After losing 45 pounds on a low carb diet herself, DeMello wrote The Low Carb Vegetarian, a cookbook to help other vegetarians plan low carb meals. "Tofu, seitan and a lot of the different fake meat products" make good staples, she suggests. "For the hot dog and hamburger products though, you do have to look at the ingredients because some do have a lot of carbs." As far as vegetables, "carrots are out, and potatoes are out," says DeMello, "but I include a ton of the different kinds of greens, and cauliflower is a good substitute for potatoes or rice."

Get your greens

Anthony Leone agrees on the benefits of green leafy vegetables. Leone is the founder and owner of New York City-based low carb eatery Energy Kitchen.

"The best vegetables that are low carb are the ones that are low on the glycemic index, such as spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cucumbers with the skin on, etc," he says. "The vegetables you would want to stay away from are carrots, beets ... and potatoes."

Advantages of Soy

Jason DeMoranville, the author of The Core of a Balanced Diet, believes strongly in the benefits of soy. "As a staple food for vegetarians, you can't beat soy as the number one vegetarian source for good digestible meat and low carbs every day," he says.
But what about beans? Vegetarians commonly know beans as a great source, but most varieties of beans tend to be high in carbs.

"Beans definitely have a place," says Les Harris, executive chef of the South Glastonbury, Connecticut-based Glastonbury Gourmet LLC. But since people tolerate different levels of carbohydrates in trying to lose weight, "the early stages of a low carb diet plan may require the abstinence of beans for a limited amount of time."

Chef Jacki Pearson of St George, Utah-based Green Valley Spa agrees. "Beans also, provide a healthy alternative in moderate portions of half a cup," she says. "Even though a 1/2 cup serving of kidney beans has about 20 grams of carbohydrates, eaten in moderation of no more than one 1/2 cup serving of beans a day, the overall carbohydrate count can be kept down." A half-cup of kidney beans also contains about 7g of fiber.