What to eat on a low-carb vegan diet?

I'm a vegan and I'm deciding to switch to a low-carb vegan diet because I eat a lot of pasta. I'm not overweight at all but I want to get more nutrition and less carbs, what can I eat?What to eat on a low-carb vegan diet?
steamed veggies and "meat"

or beans :D

or a nice veggie soupWhat to eat on a low-carb vegan diet?
It's pretty hard to be on a low-carb vegan diet, simply because our sources of protein (beans and lentils) are also good sources of carbs also. Instead of "low-carbing" it, go "quality carbs" instead. Go with ancient grains (so...no wheat, just rice, quinoa, barley, millet, buckwheat) and bean/lentils/nuts, and see where that takes you.



Or, if it's because you eat a lot of pasta, just stop eating pasta.



I know that some vegan body builders only take in rice and quinoa as their grains (and yes, I know quinoa is a grass, not a grain), so you can do that also.What to eat on a low-carb vegan diet?
"My friend Terri is probably the most careful eater I know. She eats an organic, vegan diet, with food as local and fresh as possible. Grains in her diet are always whole grains, and she eats very little processed food, or refined sugar. In short, she eats in a way which many nutritionists would hold up as the ideal. And yet, a few years ago she found that eating too much carbohydrate was having negative effects in her body. By experimenting, she found a way of eating that worked for her. To me, in addition to being a model of someone who truly lives her goals of “walking lightly on the earth”, her story shows 1) that contrary to popular opinion, one doesn’t have to eat meat, or even animal products, to eat a low carb diet, and 2) an example of figuring out how to adjust one’s diet to the changing needs of our bodies as we age. Many people find that as they go through midlife they do better with more protein and less carbohydrate in their diets (as well as fewer calories). Here is how one woman made that adjustment, even eating what many would consider to be a very restricted diet.



I analyzed Terri’s sample menu. It has about 130 grams of effective carbohydrate, plus 46 grams of fiber(!), 63 grams of protein, and 1500 calories. Almost half of her daily calories come from fat, about a third of it saturated. A little over a third of her calories are from carbohydrate, and 17 percent from protein. It meets or exceeds (usually far exceeds) essentially all the minimum daily requirements of vitamins and minerals, except for vitamin B12, niacin, and selenium. Interestingly to me, it contains almost 1200 mg of calcium.



[Update: Terri tells me she doubts she only eats only 1500 calories per day. She might grab some nuts here and there, for example.] Terri’s diet has about the amount of protein usually recommended by nutritionists, (though less than most low carb diet writers). It has much less carbohydrate, and much more fat than traditional nutritionists would recommend, but is consistent with most reduced-carb plans. Research shows that substituting healthy sources of fat for carbohydrate is a healthy way to eat.



Although many would find this diet restricted, note that Terri has found a way to work in her beloved chocolate twice a day! She is clearly sensitive to wheat (but has tested negative for both wheat allergies and celiac disease), and has changed her diet to accommodate that also. Obviously, this diet works for Terri and to me says loudly that even on a restricted diet, it’s possible to eat well while eating low carb, and that all of us should watch our bodies for signs of their changing needs."What to eat on a low-carb vegan diet?
I personally eat very little grain/cereal/flour foods, and zero gluten ones. I opt to replace them with more portions of different vegetables, nuts, seeds, and to a lesser degree legumes/beans and lower-sugar fruits. I have been doing this for over 25 years now (my normal daily calorie breakdown is 45-50% balanced natural fats of all types, 25-30% net-carbohydrates, 20-25% protein). That is part of how I easily maintain a lean 8-9% body fat ratio, never been ill/unhealthy my entire adult life, and appear 20 years younger than my 46 years.
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