Low Carb Egg Free Vegetarian ?

want_to_be_well_ said:

Hi There. I have got rid of most Grains Potatoes and Sugar from my diet and my latest HBa1c test is 39 which to my way of thinking is too close to the 42 pre-diabetic level. I am egg free vegetarian and am frustrated by my limited diet. I also want to get my sugar levels down still further. I am now doing Intermittent Fasting as well.

Any further ideas would be welcome !

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Get rid of ALL grains, potatoes and sugar. But you are definitely on the right track.

Fantastic results so far so what you’ve been doing obviously works for you. The vegetarian section might be able to help you more for ideas if you want to stick to vegetarian/egg free for ethical or allergy reasons. Fundamentally it’s about reducing carbs for most of us, all of them, not just sugar, grains and potatoes. Which ones are you eating still?

If you eat this way because you have been told it’s more beneficial healthwise, sadly for type 2 the opposite of lots of meats, dairy and eggs tends to be true. Vegetarian whilst doable with dedication is harder to avoid high carb options and reduces choices more than some are happy for. Meat/fish and or eggs would significantly widen your options of what to eat whilst reducing and maintaining bg levels.

Hello, @want_to_be_well_ , and welcome to the forum!
Have you found the vegetarian sub forum alredy? https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/
It's not specifically egg free, but a lot of the recipes are, and of course all vegan foods are egg free.

@Marie 2 or @Walking Girl could have some suggestions.
I’d be voting for tofu, cheese, lots of veg, low carb noodles, low carb egg free cakes, soups, stews, salads....

want_to_be_well_ said:

Thanks for that. I am / was eating whole grain organic porridge. but I have recently stopped that, and also cut down on my fruit as well. My Blood sugar levels went from 37 in December 2018 to 39 in July.2019 so I stopped the porridge and reduced eating fruit. I have another test in November. I am also trying to do more exercise. I have been a vegetarian since since being 7 years old, and I could not bring myself to eat meat again after all these years. I am also now fasting on a regular basis as well and am down to 14 stone 7lbs. I was 17 1/2 stone back in October 2017 when I was first diagnosed. I feel that there is something more I should be doing but not sure how to do it. I am also having a scan to check if I am reversing my Non Alcohol Related Fatty Liver disease. I hope this has improved as well ! I will look in the vegetarian section. as well, Thanks for that .

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Understand completely. My father, sister and husband all vegetarian from young childhood and it becomes part of you even if there’s no strong moral or medical requirements attached to the choice. Does the same hold true for eggs though even though this would open up many more options?

It certainly sounds as though it’s working for you (I’d love to be in the 30’s) and wish you well for your next batch of tests.

Hi @want_to_be_well_.

Thanks for the tag @Diakat

I’m a vegetarian, and while I do eat eggs sometimes I’m not a big fan. Anyway, how low carb are you going for? I range as low as 50-60g carbs on my low days.

Breakfast often consists of chia seed pudding with mix-ins like nut butter and berries, or pumpkin and spices, or low-carb quick breads made with almond or coconut flour? I made a pumpkin loaf with almond flour recently that was wonderful. A slathering of cinnamon almond butter and I was good to go until lunch. How about tofu scramble? Do you eat meat analogous? Maybe a tofu stir scramble with veggie sausage? Or a smoothie. I’ll blend berries, ice, almond or coconut milk and add in like nut butters and spices like cinnamon or cardamom to make a very filling breakfast. I’m also hooked on refried beans with avocado and salsa - breakfast, lunch or anytime.

Lunch for me is usually a big salad or a “bowl”. My favorite bowl these days is cauliflower, falafel, feta cheese (easy to omit), cilantro pesto and tzatziki sauce. Very filling. My salads often have legumes, avocado, olives and nuts.

Dinner is often a soup or stew. I’m a huge fan of legumes, so bean stews with tons of different vegetables. I’m also a fan of varied flavor profiles, so one week may be a coconut curry, the next a tomato and basil based vegetable soup, next mole on vegetables and beans. During the summer, when it’s hot and I want a lighter meal, I may just do a mixed vegetable plate with hummus, carrots, artichoke hearts, olives, caper berries, etc.

I find using a variety of flavor profiles from around the world keeps it from getting boring.

I am not low carb, I just have go to meals when my Bg's are higher or just because I like them.
@Mel dCP is not a vegetarian, but she eats a pretty strict low carb diet and a lot of vegetarian meals. (she does eat seafood and eggs, cheese) she might have more ideas too

Usually the berry family, especially blueberries won't change your BG that much. There are also a bunch of the fake meats like tofurkey, beyond meat, Yves that are low carb. Tofu is great.

I like to eat veggie bowls. I love easy, so I buy the frozen mixes of veggies. The carbs are usually 12 in a whole bag, then I will take a protein, cubed plain tofu, flavored tofu, flavored seiten or one of the fake meats which adds 4-12 carbs. Then I will pick an extra flavoring, braggs aminos, gravy, cashews, parmegan etc (nutritional yeast and ground nuts, the recipe is on this site). then half it for a large bowl. I also love to have cauliflower rice with it and a whole bag of that is only 4 carbs.

Another few examples
Zucchini noodles (frozen bag 4 carbs) with spaghetti sauce and a fake meat etc, in this case I love Gardein meatballs, you could make your own too
Cauliflower rice or broccoli rice stir fried with coconut , or coconut milk, add veggies if you want.

I use sprouted tortillas, but there is low carb ones available
Make you own pizza, tomato sauce, oregano, olives, mushrooms and cheese(peppers, onions, etc)
Bake a tortilla and sprinkle with cinnamon (and stevia if you want sweeter) a great treat
Cream cheese and tomato sandwiches.

Making kebabs with veggies and tofu and marinating in a sauce you like and grilling or just baking
Marinating tofu and doing a slow bake to make it a chewier snack.

Sauces and seasonings change up the flavors of the same o same o

Here's some sites, but they vary on what they consider low carb and some have eggs, but it certainly should give you some ideas!

https://lowcarb-vegan.net/
https://www.staceyhomemaker.com/low-carb-vegan-recipes/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/15475/healthy-recipes/low-carb/main-dishes/vegetarian/
https://lowcarbyum.com/category/special-diet/vegan/
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/low-carb-vegetarian-meals/
https://www.veganatheart.org/high-protein-low-carb-vegan-foods/

want_to_be_well_ said:

I have just experimented with my diet. I made pastry using chick pea flour, olive oil and water. I filled it with spinach, fried onions, fetta and tomatoes. I have never made pastry with chick pea flour before and am hoping that it will not raise my blood sugar too much ! Does any one else use chick pea flour instead of wheat ?

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Chick pea flour is about 50% carbs so probably won't be great... sorry

want_to_be_well_ said:

I have just experimented with my diet. I made pastry using chick pea flour, olive oil and water. I filled it with spinach, fried onions, fetta and tomatoes. I have never made pastry with chick pea flour before and am hoping that it will not raise my blood sugar too much ! Does any one else use chick pea flour instead of wheat ?

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I make bread using almond flour:


2tbsps almond flour

1tbsp psyllium husk powder

1tsp baking powder

1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Seasoning to taste

2 eggs


Mix dry ingredients thoroughly in whatever container you want the bread to be the shape of - it rises quite a bit.


Break eggs into the tub and mix thoroughly into a good batter.


Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.


Slice, toast, treat like normal bread.


5g carbs

17g fat

16g protein

want_to_be_well_ said:

I have just experimented with my diet. I made pastry using chick pea flour, olive oil and water. I filled it with spinach, fried onions, fetta and tomatoes. I have never made pastry with chick pea flour before and am hoping that it will not raise my blood sugar too much ! Does any one else use chick pea flour instead of wheat ?

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Chick pea flour is definitely a lot higher carb than I'd ever use, but you need to check your glucose levels to see how you respond to it.

I'm not vegetarian though, and I regularly use ground almonds, hazelnut, and walnut meal for baking . Sesame flour and milled flaxseed are also useful ingredients for pastry, and you might like to investigate xanthan gum (which I sometimes use) or guar gum as alternative "binding agents".

I made something similar to your meal last week using a mix of sesame flour and milled flaxseed with sesame oil, a drop of almond milk, and a sprinkle of xanthan gum for my pastry base with a wilted spinach, fetta, and pine nuts filling.