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Low carb doesn't have to mean lots of meat, cheese, and fat. Most people would have positive outcomes from a diet that is 75% whole-food, plant-based no matter

Low carb doesn't have to mean lots of meat, cheese, and fat. Most people would have positive outcomes from a diet that is 75% whole-food, plant-based no matter what the remaining 25% is.

ardit33 6y ago
Plants are mostly carbs yo... well, some have more complex carbs... and some have more fat (avocados) and some have protein, but still "plant based diet" usually means complex carbs... Healthier for sure, but it can't be considered 'low carb diet'
- gshdg 6y ago
  Not a ton of carb calories in lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, etc. They’re mostly composed of insoluble fiber (from which ruminants can extract calories but humans can’t) and water. A “low carb” diet doesn’t exclude high amounts of insoluble fiber. It excludes high amounts of carbohydrate calories.
  - ardit33 6y ago
    This is not getting through... If you are consuming your 2000 calories diet, and it is coming from plants, you are still ingesting 2000 calories worth of carbs..... 1 kg of feathers, and 1 kg of iron, weight the same.... The feathers will be large and take more volume, while the iron will be small and more dense. Same with foods.... if your plant based diet you are consuming 2000 worth of bio-available calories, then that is still mostly carbs... It is healthier for sure than consuming 2000 calories through processed foods such a muffins, chips and other crap. But, still your 2000 CALORIES will come through CARBS, but they will be digested slowly due to the fiber. But if you are ingesting 2000 bio-available calories through plants, it is most likely mostly carbs (plus some fats and protein). Insoluble fiber just goes towards your poop, and it is usually not counted under 'carbs'.
    - heavyset_go 6y ago
      Tofu, seitan, tempeh made without rice, etc are plant-based, high protein and low carb. Various fungi fall into the same category, although they aren't plants. Make a dish with vegetable oil and you'll have a high fat and protein meal with minimal carbs that is plant-based.
      - ardit33 6y ago
        Makes sense, so are avocados, olives ect... (mostly fat), but you are essentially eliminating 90% of plants out there... When you say Plant based diet, people assume lettuce, beans, tomatos, carrots, olives, broccoli, etc.. etc...
        heavyset_go 6y ago
        You eat those on the side, particularly lettuce, spinach, broccoli etc in as large of quantities as you'd like because they're low in carbs.
    - gshdg 6y ago
      Nope, in a low carb plant based diet, most of your calories tend to come from fats with some from protein. There are plenty of fats in nuts and legumes, which are compatible with a low carb (even if not a zero carb) diet. Seeds are also rich in fats (and are the source of many vegetable oils).
crazygringo 6y ago
Sorry but you're just completely factually wrong. Potatoes, rice and bananas are whole-food, plant based, and are pretty much the highest carb you can go. And plants without starches and sugars simply don't have many calories at all. You can't survive on broccoli alone. If you're doing low-carb and getting the calories you need, there's no physically possibly way to get those calories except through protein and fat -- they're literally the only other 2 macronutrients. So yes, low carb always means lots of meat, cheese and/or fat. Or else you'd basically just be fasting.
- chillwaves 6y ago
  The way you frame the third choice as "and/or fat" is disingenuous and undermines the whole comment. Yes, vegetables are less calories dense. That doesn't mean meat/cheese/bacon have to be eaten. Just an easy example, avocado's are extremely calorie dense, and yes this means fat. The issue I have is that you just categorize meat, cheese and fat together as if the only way to get fat is via those items, or as if fat itself were unhealthy. The second is just a myth, the first is a myth the person you are responding to is directly opposing. It's not a great surprise that a diet restricting one of the three food macros will lean heavily on the other two groups.
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NotHereNotThere 6y ago
How could you possibly eat 75% whole-food plants on a low carb diet? Most of them (grains, legumes, fruits and nuts to a certain extent) would fall under high carb when eaten in those quantities For me (and generally I'd say), low carb is <50g of carbs per day.
- nordsieck 6y ago
  > How could you possibly eat 75% whole-food plants on a low carb diet? It's basically not possible. If you really want to eat a low carb plant based diet, you'd have to eat almost exclusively processed food like olive oil and Seitan.

Low carb doesn't have to mean lots of meat, cheese, and fat. Most people would have positive outcomes from a diet that is 75% whole-food, plant-based no matter what the remaining 25% is.

ardit33 6y ago

Plants are mostly carbs yo... well, some have more complex carbs... and some have more fat (avocados) and some have protein, but still "plant based diet" usually means complex carbs... Healthier for sure, but it can't be considered 'low carb diet'

gshdg 6y ago
Not a ton of carb calories in lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, etc. They’re mostly composed of insoluble fiber (from which ruminants can extract calories but humans can’t) and water. A “low carb” diet doesn’t exclude high amounts of insoluble fiber. It excludes high amounts of carbohydrate calories.
- ardit33 6y ago
  This is not getting through... If you are consuming your 2000 calories diet, and it is coming from plants, you are still ingesting 2000 calories worth of carbs..... 1 kg of feathers, and 1 kg of iron, weight the same.... The feathers will be large and take more volume, while the iron will be small and more dense. Same with foods.... if your plant based diet you are consuming 2000 worth of bio-available calories, then that is still mostly carbs... It is healthier for sure than consuming 2000 calories through processed foods such a muffins, chips and other crap. But, still your 2000 CALORIES will come through CARBS, but they will be digested slowly due to the fiber. But if you are ingesting 2000 bio-available calories through plants, it is most likely mostly carbs (plus some fats and protein). Insoluble fiber just goes towards your poop, and it is usually not counted under 'carbs'.
  - heavyset_go 6y ago
    Tofu, seitan, tempeh made without rice, etc are plant-based, high protein and low carb. Various fungi fall into the same category, although they aren't plants. Make a dish with vegetable oil and you'll have a high fat and protein meal with minimal carbs that is plant-based.
    - ardit33 6y ago
      Makes sense, so are avocados, olives ect... (mostly fat), but you are essentially eliminating 90% of plants out there... When you say Plant based diet, people assume lettuce, beans, tomatos, carrots, olives, broccoli, etc.. etc...
      - heavyset_go 6y ago
        You eat those on the side, particularly lettuce, spinach, broccoli etc in as large of quantities as you'd like because they're low in carbs.
  - gshdg 6y ago
    Nope, in a low carb plant based diet, most of your calories tend to come from fats with some from protein. There are plenty of fats in nuts and legumes, which are compatible with a low carb (even if not a zero carb) diet. Seeds are also rich in fats (and are the source of many vegetable oils).

crazygringo 6y ago

Sorry but you're just completely factually wrong. Potatoes, rice and bananas are whole-food, plant based, and are pretty much the highest carb you can go. And plants without starches and sugars simply don't have many calories at all. You can't survive on broccoli alone. If you're doing low-carb and getting the calories you need, there's no physically possibly way to get those calories except through protein and fat -- they're literally the only other 2 macronutrients. So yes, low carb always means lots of meat, cheese and/or fat. Or else you'd basically just be fasting.

chillwaves 6y ago
The way you frame the third choice as "and/or fat" is disingenuous and undermines the whole comment. Yes, vegetables are less calories dense. That doesn't mean meat/cheese/bacon have to be eaten. Just an easy example, avocado's are extremely calorie dense, and yes this means fat. The issue I have is that you just categorize meat, cheese and fat together as if the only way to get fat is via those items, or as if fat itself were unhealthy. The second is just a myth, the first is a myth the person you are responding to is directly opposing. It's not a great surprise that a diet restricting one of the three food macros will lean heavily on the other two groups.

deleted 6y ago

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NotHereNotThere 6y ago

How could you possibly eat 75% whole-food plants on a low carb diet? Most of them (grains, legumes, fruits and nuts to a certain extent) would fall under high carb when eaten in those quantities For me (and generally I'd say), low carb is <50g of carbs per day.

nordsieck 6y ago
> How could you possibly eat 75% whole-food plants on a low carb diet? It's basically not possible. If you really want to eat a low carb plant based diet, you'd have to eat almost exclusively processed food like olive oil and Seitan.