Keto Vs. Macros: What's The Best Diet For Vegans?

The ketogenic and macro diets are two of the most popular diets today. The keto diet involves eating more fats, a moderate amount of protein, and cutting down on carbohydrates to 50g or below daily. On the other hand, the macro diet involves tracking the three primary macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and adjusting them based on fitness and health goals. Both diets have their pros and cons, and it is up to the individual to decide which diet suits their body and lifestyle better.

For vegans, in particular, there are some considerations to make to ensure a well-balanced diet. A vegan diet has the potential to be high in micronutrients and can support excellent health, body composition, and performance. However, it is important to monitor protein intake as the most abundant and readily available form of protein comes from animal sources. Tofu and soy-based products are good options, as are plant-based 'meats' and protein powders. Additionally, as plants tend to be a source of multiple macronutrients, it can be tricky to categorise foods into the correct macro category.

Ultimately, the decision to follow a keto or macro diet depends on individual preferences, requirements, and goals.

Pros and cons of keto and macros diets

Pros and Cons of the Keto Diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein diet. It was initially developed to treat epilepsy in children, but it has since become a popular weight-loss diet.

Pros

• Faster weight loss, especially for people with obesity.
• May help with blood sugar management in type 2 diabetes.
• May starve cancer cells of energy, potentially weakening them and making them more susceptible to treatment.
• May reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cons

• Can cause nutrient deficiencies, especially of vitamins A, E, and B6, as well as folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
• May cause digestive issues such as constipation, slow digestion, diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and stomach upset.
• Could be bad for heart health, especially if sources of saturated fat are consumed, such as meat, cheese, and butter.
• Hard to stick to, requiring a lot of meal planning and food preparation.
• No long-term data on its safety.

Pros and Cons of the Macros Diet

The macros diet involves tracking your intake of the three primary macronutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. These are adjusted based on your fitness and health goals.

Pros

• Can be helpful when starting your fitness journey, allowing you to see what you're consuming daily.
• Can help with burning fat, gaining muscle, and optimising training and recovery.
• Can be adjusted to individual needs and goals.

Cons

• Can be tedious and regimented, taking away from the simple pleasure of food.
• May not be necessary for everyone, especially those who already know what to eat for their body.

Macronutrients and calories

Macronutrients, or 'macros', are the three nutrients required to fuel the body and maintain healthy functioning. They are protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each of these macronutrients plays a unique and vital role in the body. A calorie is a unit of energy; in nutrition, it refers to the energy the body gains from eating, digesting, and using food as fuel. Each macronutrient has a corresponding calorie amount.

On a vegan keto diet, the recommended macronutrient ratios are 75% dietary fat, 15-20% protein, and up to 10% carbohydrates. The amount of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fibre) in a single food item should not exceed 25 grams.

Protein

Protein is crucial for muscle growth, maintenance, and recovery from workouts and injuries. It is more challenging to obtain sufficient protein on a vegan diet because the most abundant and readily available form of protein comes from animal sources. However, vegans can obtain protein from plant-based sources such as tofu, tempeh, and other soybean-based products, quinoa, amaranth, and other pseudograins, and certain vegetables like broccoli and leafy greens.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source. They are essential for daily activities and are stored in the body as glycogen. Plant-based carbohydrates also contain fibre, which is critical for digestive and heart health. On a keto diet, carbohydrates are typically reduced to 20-50 grams per day to reach and maintain ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.

Fats

Dietary fats support healthy brain function, vitamin transport, and cardiovascular, hormonal, and joint health. They are also essential for flavour and satiety. On a keto diet, fat intake is generally around 75% of total intake. Vegan sources of healthy fats include nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, avocados, coconut products, and oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, and nut oils.

Calories

Determining daily calorie needs depends on various factors, including age, gender, height and weight, and activity level. Calorie requirements will differ for each individual, and these requirements can be estimated using online calculators or tracking apps.

High-protein foods for vegans

Vegan diets can be high in micronutrients and support excellent health, body composition, and performance. However, because the most abundant and readily available form of protein comes from animal sources, it is important to know which plant-based foods can help vegans meet their protein needs.

Plant-Based Proteins

Plant-based proteins are usually less bioavailable than animal-based sources. They are also typically a source of carbs or fat as well. So, when looking for plant-based proteins, it is best to opt for those with relatively low carbs and fat, such as:

• Tofu and other soy-based alternatives
• Seitan
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Lentils
• Beans
• Nutritional yeast
• Hemp seeds
• Green peas
• Spirulina
• Quinoa
• Ezekiel bread and other sprouted grain breads
• Oats and oatmeal
• Chia seeds
• Nuts and seeds
• Buckwheat
• Brown and wild rice
• Amaranth
• Teff
• Sorghum
• Vegetables such as asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, and sweetcorn

Complete Proteins

Most plant-based protein sources are considered incomplete proteins as they do not contain all nine essential amino acids. However, soy is an exception, and there are several combinations of plant-based foods that can be made to create a complete protein, such as:

• Whole wheat pasta with peas and peanut sauce
• Lentil or bean soup with whole wheat crackers
• Black beans with brown rice or quinoa
• Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread
• Spinach and arugula salad topped with seeds
• Oatmeal with pumpkin seeds
• Lentil soup with whole wheat pitas

How to count macros on a vegan diet

Counting macros is a detailed way of counting calories. It involves tracking the number of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins you eat. This can be done by hand or by using an online macro calculator or app.

Step 1: Calculate Your Macros

To calculate your macros, you first need to determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), or how many calories you need per day. This can be done using an online calculator, which will take into account factors such as your age, weight, height, and activity level.

Step 2: Understand Food Categories

Once you have your TDEE, you can break it down into grams of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. At this stage, it's important to understand which foods fall under which macro category. This can be tricky on a vegan diet because plants tend to be a source of multiple macronutrients. For example, nuts contain protein but also have a significant amount of fat.

Step 3: Meal Planning

Once you have a handle on the basics of counting and tracking your macros, you can start meal planning. It's commonly stated that vegans don't get enough protein, but this can be addressed by including foods such as tofu and soy-based alternatives, which are good sources of quality protein and have relatively low carbs and fat.

Step 4: Adjust and Monitor

You can then adjust your macros according to your goals. For example, if you want to gain muscle, a macro ratio of 40% veggies/fruit and 60% vegan protein mix is recommended. It's also important to monitor your progress, which can be done using an app like Trifecta.

Sample Vegan Macro Meal Plan

Rest Day:

• 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (1/4 cup raw)
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 scoop vanilla Vega protein powder (or similar)

Workout Day:

• 1 banana with 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 1 cup Campbell’s Organic Lentil Soup (or similar)
• Stir fry: Saute veggies in a nonstick skillet until slightly tender. Toss in the Seiten and seasonings. Stir till heated. Serve over cooked quinoa.
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• Garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to taste.
• 2 clementines
• 1 slice of whole-wheat toast
• 1/2 cup vegan refried beans
• 1/2 medium sliced avocado
• 4 cups spring salad mix
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• Vega protein shake (2 scoops) (preferably after your exercise)
• 3 mini sweet peppers
• Sauté the above with 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 ounces whole wheat pasta
• Top with 1 cup organic marinara
• 2 squares dark chocolate (72%)

Total:

• 1940 calories
• Protein: 119 g (25%)

Vegan macro ratios

Macros, or macronutrients, are the three nutrients required to fuel your body and maintain healthy functioning. The three macros are protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each plays a unique and vital role in your body.

Protein is crucial for muscle growth, maintenance, and recovery from workouts, as well as day-to-day muscle stress and injury. Carbohydrates are your body's primary fuel source, providing energy for daily activities. Dietary fats support healthy brain function, vitamin transport, and cardiovascular, hormonal, and joint health.

You can calculate your macros by hand or use an online macro calculator. You can also use a macro-friendly app like Trifecta, which does a lot of the hard work for you.

Vegan diets exclude common sources of protein like meat and dairy, so it can be more challenging to get sufficient protein. Tofu and soy-based alternatives tend to be good options, as they are relatively low in carbs and fat and provide quality protein.

Vegan meats should have roughly 40% of their calories coming from protein. Check the fat and carb content to ensure they fit within your macro range. Lean proteins will have less than 8g of fat per serving.

Other good sources of vegan protein include:

• Grains: lentils, quinoa, seitan, amaranth, chickpeas
• Legumes: black beans, green beans, green peas
• Seeds: hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds
• Soy: tofu, edamame, tempeh

It's important to note that most plant-based proteins are considered incomplete, as they do not contain all nine essential amino acids. However, this can be addressed by consuming a variety of plant-based proteins or complementary proteins to ensure a complete amino acid profile.

A commonly recommended macro ratio for vegans is 50% carbohydrates, 30% healthy fats, and 20% protein. This can be adjusted based on individual needs; for example, those who gain weight easily may want to reduce carb intake to 40%, while endurance athletes may perform better with a higher percentage of carbohydrates.

It's important to stay away from extreme macro ratios like the 80/10/10 diet (80% carbs, 10% fat, 10% protein), which is unfortunately popular in the vegan community. There is no clinical evidence that these extreme diets work, and they can be harmful.

A calorie is a unit of energy, specifically the amount of energy it takes to heat one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. When it comes to food, we typically refer to kilocalories (1000 calories).

The number of calories you should consume depends on your goals. If you want to maintain your weight, you need to consume your maintenance calories. To gain weight, you need to eat more than maintenance, and to lose weight, you need to eat less.

You can use an online calculator to estimate your maintenance calories, and then adjust based on your specific goals.

Remember, it's important to focus on getting a well-balanced vegan diet that supports your fitness, physique, and health goals.

Frequently asked questions