What Is a Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet?

A vegetarian low-carb diet is a diet that has been designed for people who have chosen to not eat meat products. The highest sources of protein are in meat products, including various different meats and fish products and by-products. When vegetarians need to go on a low-carb diet, the intake of protein must increase, while the basic carbohydrates will be decreased. There are numerous different ways to accomplish this, and no matter what the personal tastes of the person going on the diet has, it can be accomplished by simply adding specific foods and eliminating others.

There are a number of protein rich substitutes that can effectively replace a regular intake of meat and fish products for those on a vegetarian low-carb diet. Depending upon the degree of the diet, and the chosen eating habits, items such as eggs, cheese, butter, tofu, beans, and numerous other items can give an amble amount of protein without increasing the carbohydrates that are ingested. Eggs, when eaten in proper proportions with the yolks removed, are one of the best protein substitutes, but many vegetarians refuse to eat them since they are an animal product. One food product that needs to be avoided, not only because of the high amounts of carbohydrates in it, but numerous other medical reasons as well, is sugar, and anything that contains either natural or manufactured sugars. Some common vegetables that have vast amounts of natural sugar are beets and carrots, so in order to maintain a vegetarian low-carb diet these should be avoided.

There are vegetables that can be ingested that have a high amount of vitamins and minerals, but little if any carbohydrates and sugar. Onions, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, and peppers are just a few of the vegetables that will need to be increased within the vegetarian low-carb diet. Spinach is a great addition for this type of diet because it is extremely low in carbohydrates, and gives loads of beneficial vitamins and minerals for the body to maintain its health.

The final group of foods that will be added into a vegetarian low-carb diet are nuts, berries, and fruits. Fruits and berries can give the person on the vegetarian low-carb diet necessary vitamins and minerals, but a limited amount of carbohydrates and sugar. Nuts are also a great addition to this diet because they help increase the intake of proteins. The only problem with some of these items, is that they can be high in carbohydrates, depending on what they are and how they are processed. Care has to be taken when purchasing these products to ensure that they are low in carbohydrates, as well as fat.