vegetarian and vegan low carbers

[Spiral]

I'm a vegetarian and I'm reducing my carbs and I'd like to get to know the other vegetarian low/reduced carbers

However, before we start, I want to be very clear about my definition of vegetarian. I know that other vegetarians will understand. By vegetarian I mean people who don't eat any animal flesh (fish and shellfish are animal products) or slaughterhouse products like gelatine, secreted away in so many products. If you eat those things you are not a vegetarian. I mean lacto-ovo vegetarians (like me) or vegans, or anybody who reads the labels in supermarkets and asks questions when eating out to make sure there are no unacceptable animal based products in what you eat.

When I posted my original "Vegetarian diabetics?" thread I found I wasn't the only one and that some veggie diabetic low carbers have had some excellent results 8)

Since my diagnosis I have been cleaning up my dietary act and I'm probably eating better than I have eaten for years I started by stopping eating anything with added sugar, and adding more fresh and raw and a couple food supplements (chromium and vit E).

I am steadily losing weight (11 kilos in 2.5 months so far) and my fasting blood glucose is down from 8.7 at the end of January to 6.9 in mid-April and my HbA1c from 7.7% in early March to 7% a couple of weeks ago.

I have also begun to take more regular exercise, spending about 30 minutes on my exercise bike at least 5 times a week. I am amazed at how much impact exercise has on my readings.

Anyway... I'm trying to reduce my carbs as I want to be able to prepare the same meal for my rapidly growing 12-year-old son. I want to see how far I can go with my existing diet and then review it if that isn't working. So at the moment, I'd call myself a reduced carber rather than a low-carber, as I'm not counting carbs and, to be honest I'm not totally sure how many carbs I eat in an average day.

I've been reducing my carbs for over a month now by not eating rice, pasta, bread or potatoes and adding carb and protien content to my label reading activities, that has been a bit of an eye opener. I have still been eating oats (almost daily porridge, which does not make me spike, and rye breads, heavy german rye bread and crispbread). I have been testing my BG for just over a week and I can see my 7-day average reducing 8)

I had a lovely veggie fry-up with my son this morning with sausages, eggs, mushrooms and beans. Yum! And I'm enjoying strawberries and blueberries and double cream, and the lovely cheese I have not eaten that much of for quite a while. I'm snacking on almonds and walnuts. I have also found that I have reduced my portion size considerably and I'm not hungry :mrgreen:

I have increased my egg consumption, but I'm begining to get a bit fed up with that, I have never been a huge fan of eggs, but I have enjoyed some lovely frittata so will probably limit eggs to a couple of times a week.

I certainly don't feel deprived or restricted and I'm trying other things, having found a couple of lovely low-carb veggie cooker books. Do you have recipies to share?

Are you a veggie/vegan reduced or low carber? If so, how do you do it? And how do you manage to eat out, choice is already limited?

I'd really like to find out more about vegan low carbs, I'd prefer to eat less dairy and eggs, my consumption of both these things has gone up over the last couple of months, but my priority is reducing those numbers.

 

[Funky Mum]

Hello!
I can't be of any help as I'm waiting for my GTT results but it looks like that I will probably need to follow this way of eating.
Will be watching the thread for replies

 

[Spiral]

How lovely to meet you. I started this one a few days ago and just watched the views mount up. I was about to bump it up, but you have saved me! If you are interested, I did start another thread for veggie diabetics in the Discussion forum... This one is because I'm low(er) carbing

What kind of vegetarian are you? What do you eat?

 

[Spiral]

Dinner this evening was an omelette (which can also be made in the oven, when it becomes a fritatta).

Locally laid free range eggs, chopped onion, green beans (frozen), fresh asparagus and a generous tablespoon of sour cream.

Gently fry the veg until the onion begins to go transparent, then add the beaten eggs and sour cream. Cook gently on both sides - I usually finish it under the grill.

There was enough for my evening meal and probably 2 more meals, I expect it will be my lunch on Monday, with a little salad. Yum.

I have developed several omlettes and fritatta over the last couple of months thanks to original inspiration from Rose Elliot (vegetarian cookery writer).

 

[Funky Mum]

Hi!
That sounds lovely, I'm not overly keen on eggs but I think I could manage an omlette and build up. I want to cut down on carbs as I need to lose weight so I'm figuring an omlette would be good for breakfast.
We eat alot of quorn and I love lentils, I just need to be less lazy and get back to cooking more. I don't like milk/cream etc but eat veggie cheese.
Off to check out your thread, I hope I can add some recipes too.
Thanks for the book recommendations.

 

[Spiral]

Dinner this evening was ratatouille. Delicious, and very colourful for anyone eating the rainbow. I'm usually heavy on the garlic and leave my veggies quite chunky. I'm not one precise quantities and tend to throw in whatever combination of the following veg I happen to have. You need a large heavy bottomed pan to make this.

Olive oil
Large onion, roughly chopped
garlic to taste, crushed
2 courgettes, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 large aubergine, cubed
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
herbs - I usually use bay leaves, rosemary and mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 free range eggs per person

gently fry the onion and garlic until softened
add the other vegetables and tinned tomatos and herbs and simmer gently until the vegetables appear cooked.
just before serving add the eggs and allow them to poach gently, serve immediatly.

I must admit, the first time this was made for me I was a bit sceptical about the eggs :shock: but it is my preferred way to consume rataouill these days. It reheats well and often tastes even better the next day. You can add cheese if you don't want to try the eggs.

I used to eat this with pasta, rice or a baked potato. I have not missed them at all, and neither has my 12-year-old son.

Breakfast this morning was creamy Greek yoghurt with a little double cream added, a handful of fresh blueberries and some flaked almonds. I am going to try the same tomorrow, but with frozen raspberries instead of the blueberries.

I feel so very deprived and restricted. Please help me!

 

[descartesmum]

Hi!

I think as veggies we normally eat low carb as long as we stay away from pasta and bread, hard to do sometimes.

Have you tried Dreamfields pasta? It's a good carb for us diabetics and once a week makes it taste even better.

I do a lot of stir fries during the summer. I've realised that eating the already prepared chewy cabbage is not my thing so I buy the red pepper, mushrooms, red onions, baby sweet corn and slice and dice them myself. I put them in a plastic bag and have enough for several meals.

I also love the marinade from the 'Moosewood' cookbook for my roasting veggies.

In the winter I make up channa dal in my slow cooker and add that to things or I make roasted stuffed vegetables (thanks to Antonio Carluccio).

I have to be careful with what I eat thanks to the Byetta that I take twice a day. Right now milk and cheese are huge no nos for me. Avocadoes are also not good for me at this time.

It does get frustrating not being able to eat what I want but I think I'm almost used to it by now.

Carol

 

[inwales]

Hi Everyone

I am on a vegan diet with a high raw content. Low GL is the way to go, amazing how avoiding anything processed lowers blood glucose levels. I want to control this without metaformin.

I wonder how enlightened doctors really are? I have been diagnosed just over a month with type 2.
My fasting blood sugars are down to the sevens now.

I cycle everyday now and will start to jog/run soon. I think this has helped my insulin resistance.

I am still learning, but it seems not enough folk take control of their lives to combat this problem.

Si in Wales

 

[Spiral]

Dinner this evening was a needs must recipe as I needed to reduce the quantity of white cabbage in the house :roll: Anyway...

This was based on a quick trawl through my Madhur Jaffery veggie cookbooks and a Rose Elliot low GI cookbook looking for cabbage recipies.

Sliced onions, cooked in sunflower oil until soft
Added a selection of spices, including a teasponful each of mustard seeds, tumeric, hot Bolsts curry powder and a cinamon stick (not a good move :? )
Then shredded cabbage and some dessicated coconut and about a tablesponful of water to steam the cauliflower and prevent the spices from sticking. It took about 10 minutes once everything was in teh pan.

This was served with a quorn and green bean yogurt curry
sliced onions, fried until soft with fresh ground cumin and corriander, a spoonful of red chilli paste and a teaspoonful of tumeric
then add the beans and the quorn and a small tub of natural yogurt and cooked over a low heat until everything is cooked through.

It was very nice, although I think I need to work on the colour scheme, it was all a bit yellow! My son enjoyed it.

 

[ShyGirl]

Hi Spiral,

I am trying to follow a low carb

 

[dipsticky]

Hey shygirl.

This Spiral she sure is a real cool gal. What she don't know about veggie stuff 'aint worth a rat's a*s !

Spiral, when they gonna give you a big spread all of your own. You deserve it babe. :wink:

D.

 

[Funky Mum]

I'm doing something with chickpeas today, had a tin of chickpea dahl in the cupboard which I finally got around to using, and I'd forgotten how good they are.

 

[Spiral]

I love chickpeas. I have recently stopped buying them in tins and started cooking them in my pressure cooker and freezing them.

I make hummus, various curries, pop them in to salads, and a lovely morrocan style stew with fresh spinach and apricots (if you can manage apricots).

 

[cugila]

I'm doing something with chickpeas today, had a tin of chickpea dahl in the cupboard which I finally got around to using, and I'd forgotten how good they are.

Hi.

Here is the nutrition information for a 240g drained weight can of Chick Peas.

Calories.............290 kcal
Protein..............17.2 g
Carbohydrates.....38.6g of which sugars 1g
Fat...................7g of which saturates 0.8g
Fibre.................9.8g
Sodium/Salt........Trace.

If you are a low carber I don't think Chick Peas are advisable. Not sure if being a vegetarian allows you to consume this amount of carbs.

Ken.

 

[Spiral]

I had notice their carb content when I first stared reading the carb section of labels, but chickpeas don't make me spike and I'm a regular chickpea eater in various forms. To be honest, I wouldn't cope well without a regular supply of hummus :?

 

[Funky Mum]

Wow that is high, but I'm not a 'strict' low carber (as in having to count them) - just cutting right right back through choice. I haven't been told to count carbs but I feel so much better when I don't eat lots, so hopefully will find lots of inspiration here.
As for the chickpeas, they are so good for you in other ways I guess I can get away with eating them for now, as long as I don't go mad :lol:

 

[inwales]

I'm doing something with chickpeas today, had a tin of chickpea dahl in the cupboard which I finally got around to using, and I'd forgotten how good they are.

Hi.

Here is the nutrition information for a 240g drained weight can of Chick Peas.

Calories.............290 kcal
Protein..............17.2 g
Carbohydrates.....38.6g of which sugars 1g
Fat...................7g of which saturates 0.8g
Fibre.................9.8g
Sodium/Salt........Trace.

If you are a low carber I don't think Chick Peas are advisable. Not sure if being a vegetarian allows you to consume this amount of carbs.

Ken.

I always find that if the ratio of carbs to protein in pulses etc is 2:1 I am okay eating them.

 

[theziggy]

Chickpeas are low GI/GL and release the sugars slowly into the body thus avoiding spikes. I do low GI low GL not low carb, and it seems to be working for me.

 

[inwales]

Patrick Holford and his Low GL book also The Low Glycemic LOad Diet by Rob Thompson MD

Really opened my eyes, amazing how little I need to eat to feel full even with lots of excercise.

 

[Spiral]

I think the glyceamic index has quite a lot to offer veggie low carbers. We have to take in some carbs to ensure we get some variety, but I think a lot of those carbs are pretty indigestible.

edit to add
But the bottom line in getting control of BS is to reduce carbohydrates.