Being a carb-counting vegan is a tough job
Q. I'm attempting to maintain a 40-40-20 macronutrient balance with the assistance of your website's tools. As a vegan athlete, I eat more vegetables and grains than an omnivore, and it is nearly impossible to achieve the 40-40-20 balance without cutting down on either vegetables or carbs, which I believe would not be healthy for me. Is there a way for the caloric ratio pyramid tool to take into account the difference between vegetable carbs and cereal/grain carbs?
A. Not really--but I'm not sure how that would help. The Caloric Ratio Pyramid shows you how your calories are divided between carbohydrates, protein, and fat but doesn't distinguish between different sources of these macronutrients. So, your carbohydrate percentage will include the carbohydrates you get from grains, vegetables, dairy products and fruits.
But here's the thing: Although vegetables are almost 100% carbohydrate, most are still very low in carbohydrates. So cutting down on vegetables isn't going to change your macronutrient distribution nearly as quickly as cutting down on grains. A one cup serving of brown rice, for example, contains 216 calories and 45 grams of carbs. If you are eating 2100 calories a day, that would be 10% of your calories, right there.
A salad made with SIX CUPS of raw spinach, on the other hand, contains just 42 calories and 6 grams of carbs (or about 2% of your 2100 calorie diet). So, I'm not sure it makes much sense to try to the adjust the carbohydrates proportion of your diet by cutting back on vegetables.
You're absolutely right: Vegans usually end up consuming a diet that's higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein than omnivores. After all, some of the most common vegan protein sources--legumes--contain about as much carbohydrates as protein. Nonetheless, it's possible for a vegan to eat a lower carb/higher protein diet. Tough, but possible. (Whether or not its necessary or desirable is a subject for another post).
ND Tools for customizing your diet
Here on ND, you might want to start by setting your preferences so that results from meat, dairy, and egg categories don't show up in your searches. Then, try a search with our Nutrient Search Tool for foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Click on the various categories to refine your searches.
Or, use our super-cool Caloric Ratio Search tool!
Position your cursor on the pyramid to select a certain macronutrient ratio and click to see a list of foods that match that ratio. Keep in mind that in a 40/40/20 diet, very few individual foods are likely to be 40/40/20. But say your typical mealplan always seems to lean too heavy on the carbs and fat and too light on the protein. Put your cursor on the part of the pyramid that's high in protein and low in carbs and fat and click for a list of foods that can help you balance your diet.
Calling all low-carb and athlete vegans:
Seems to me we've had some low-carb vegans commenting on this blog in the past and I know we have some vegan body-builders. Anyone out there want to share some more strategies or resources?
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Posted by: Ben | Jul 10, 2009 10:00:28 PM
As a vegan there are many types of protein powders you could use to make yourself protein shakes or even protein soups, sauces, etc.
There are lots of Pea proteins, Hemp proteins, and of course soy proteins out there. You can get them all unflavored and pure as well.
I think a lot of people are afraid of protein powders and I don't understand why. There is nothing scary about them, especially if you read up on them and make sure there aren't any strange additives in the one you are buying. The Veggie proteins tend to contain a fair bit of fiber in addition to the protein.
I'm a complete omnivore so I stick to the Whey's and Casein proteins, but I've had soy/pea/hemp protein at various times and all are definitely viable options (Soy being the most common).
Posted by: worleyhimself | Jul 9, 2009 1:44:00 PM
A source that fits check out the 80/10/10 by doug graham, a fruitanarian. He is also very into sports& nutrition.
Posted by: Mike | Jul 3, 2009 12:49:52 PM
Monica,
I sorry that I forgot to check back here quickly. I have the menu. It is not perfect, since I have trouble raising pantothenic acid levels to recommended amounts. But it meets most nutrients. I even considered omega-3s, and suggest using DHA-fortified spectrum flax oil.
I also was conscious of the non-fermented soy quanitites.
Plus, vegans are well-advised to take a multivitamin anyway.
The amino acid profile was not available on some foods, which explains the score.
But, it has 2,435 calories (if more is necessary, then one could increase the amounts).
Posted by: Slav | Jun 30, 2009 8:51:53 PM
Susan:
You are a model of how all educated women should eat. However, don't fall into the marketing of various fat loss products such as antioxidant supplements and colon cleansers.
The human body is an amazing machine, able to cleanse itself without the need of detoxify. And looking at your refrigerator, you have no problem there.
In order to lose those last few pounds, you simply need to 'move' more. What is your activity level?
Posted by: Susan | Jun 29, 2009 8:07:28 PM
My Fridge consists of:
1. 94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, which can be made in two minutes or less)
2. Frozen vegetables
3. Bags of pre-washed greens
4. Canned diced tomatoes
5. Canned beans
6. Whole-grain wraps or pitas
7. Pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts
8. A few containers of pre-cooked brown rice
Within a few minutes this allows me to be able to toss together a healthy meal. I also read an article that said add Acai Berry Nutriburt and Power Cleanse Pro to the mix. I Found a place I can get them from helensdiary dot com but was wondering if anyone has good results with either of these?
Posted by: Pete Ryan | Jun 23, 2009 5:17:27 AM
The way to achieve your goals is to focus most of the time of fibrous carbs (green leafy), then complex carb can be eaten pre-workout & simple carb after workout. That way you easily stay within your goals.
Obviously it is harder for a vegan than a meat eater to easily achieve these goals, but it is certainly possible to achieve this with some pre-planning
All the best
Pete www.veganbodybuilding.org
Posted by: Mike | Jun 23, 2009 1:27:51 AM
The key thing is to eat PLENTY of nuts and nut butters, take flax oil for omega-3s.The nuts provide valuable protein, without much attending carbohydrate.
Then, obtain most carbs from legumes. For fat, use olive and canola oil.
Use moderate amounts of soy protein (especially fermented such as tempeh, which are not very controversial healthwise).
Eat some fruit and plenty of low carb vegetables.
I am not yet vegan (only vegetarian) and do not follow a low-carb diet (in fact, I love sweets), but am simply very interested in the issue.
Monica, I really want to see you plan a menu according to what I have suggested.
Monica's Response: I have a better idea! Why don't YOU plan the menu and post it here for us? Enter it in as a recipe and you can post the URL of the nutritional analysis.
Posted by: Slav | Jun 23, 2009 1:13:40 AM
One application of reducing your carbohydrate intake for vegans is fat loss.
By manipulating the carbohydrate intake in such a way that you supply the body carbohydrates during two times of the day when they are most easily obsorbed, you can achieve greater fat loss. The two times are in the morning, when the glycogen stores in the liver are depleted overnight, and post-exercise, when the body begins to repair itself with the help of protein.
Being a 'carb-counting vegan' is easy in my opinion, you simply need to understand which foods are carbohydrate-rich. Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories, thus low in carbohydrates. Most grains, on the other hand are calorie rich, thus, high in carbohydrates. By consuming more of the calorie-dense foods, vegetables and fruits, you eliminate the need to count carbs. These foods will stretch your stomach so you feel fuller after meal.
Combine calorie-dense foods with a properly structured fitness program that focuses on metabolic stimulus via weight-bearing exercises, and you will experience natural fat loss.
