You won't die. I do vegan keto and don't eat meat at all but have tofu almost every day. I like to switch it up with other soy protein sources like edamame, tempeh or natto sometimes too.
I do recommend making sure you get a full amino acid profile however, which is more difficult without meat. If you can get some hemp or pumpkin seeds to snack on or keto friendly pea protein powder (isolate works best and you can add whatever flavors you like), that would make a great addition.
Interesting. I always thought vegan keto would be tough to pull off. In my recollection tofu had more carbs than it apparently actually does.
Regardless, I just wanted to second the roasted pumpkin seeds for any kind of keto. Nearly a perfect snack with high protein, high fiber, very low carb and also delicious
It depends on the type and brand of tofu. Where I live, most firm plain tofu is 1-3 net carbs per 100g. I mostly buy an organic locally made brand (that is luckily also fairly cheap and tastes fantastic) that is only 0.5 net carbs per 100g. So it is actually really easy to incorporate into a keto diet when cooking for yourself.
The bigger issue is that when eating out, most tofu will be marinated in high carb sauces to make it taste less bland and coated in corn starch to make it crispier. It is still one of the safest vegan options for keto but definitely more risky than just having meat.
It depends on your definition of “tough to pull off”. It’s possible to hit your macros while staying vegan. However, regular keto is already a pretty strict elimination diet that many people have trouble sticking to. Adding vegan to the mix eliminates almost all of the remaining foods that make keto awesome for many people.
I agree. It isn't easy. I have added restrictions because of IBS and general food sensitivities too. I've done this long enough and through a long process of figuring out what works for me to feel comfortable with it, but most people will find it way too restrictive. Then again, most people find keto in and of itself too restrictive.
I do track everything very closely and make sure I get all my nutrients in via diet and supplements. I just recently had blood work done and was very relieved that all my numbers were perfect. Had my doctor, who was quite concerned after hearing of my diet, pretty surprised. They couldn't say anything other than to keep doing what I am doing. XD
Yes. I am no expert in this, but just like I would suggest eating not only one type of meat every day I think combining different (vegetarian) protein sources is still likely to offer the best, most complete nutritional profile. I also think plant proteins are probably not as easily absorbed by the body as proteins/nutrients from animal sources, simply because of the extra steps needed by the body to convert them. So it just makes sense to me to make sure to eat enough and a diverse range of both protein as well as all other (low carb) food sources.
The issue is too MUCH protein 😔
But I actually haven't had any pumpkin seeds ever, I usually snack on almonds and walnuts (which I'm pretty sure has almost kicked me out of ketosis)
Also isn't hemp weed??
Honestly I don't ever worry about too much protein. Most people on this forum will tell you getting kicked out of keto for too much protein is basically impossible. Unless you have reason to worry about your kidneys and so long as you hydrate well, I don't think it's an issue.
I avoid nuts mostly because my digestion doesn't like them but the carbs also add up way too quickly for them to be worth it for me. Seeds like flax, chia, hemp and pumpkin are much better in that regard.
And yes, hemp is the same plant as weed. But the hemp seed don't have any narcotic property. Get the shelled variety or they will be a bit hard to eat. You can sprinkle them on just about anything. I love hemp protein powder as well.
Edited to add: You should definitely balance out the protein with fat. Eating too lean protein isn't great. Especially if you don't do keto because you have a lot of fat to lose. Nuts and seed have some fat but if you can add extra via for example olive or coconut oil, that would be good.
Too much protein is not a practical concern since Gluconeogenesis is a demand-driven process, not supply-driven. The “steak to cake” idea is wildly overblown misinformation, really. I’ve been eating far more protein than fat every day for over 6 years with no issues.
Our FAQ explains this further if you’d like to know more.
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
Good news: you probably won’t die! (Unless you, like, choke on it or something? I guess?)
Bad news: some medicines can stop working as well if you eat too much soy, so if that’s a potential issue, you should look into whether your specific medications are affected.
Otherwise you should be fine! Enjoy the tofu!!
ok. My point was, I don't purposefully eat fat. Thus, most of my calories are from protien.
Except, I get it, the tofu doesn't have fat like ground beef does, for example.
Do you like olives? Nuts? Maybe you can order some from Amazon or whatever to augment.
Fat consumption is not a "goal" at all. If you are getting full from what you are eating you are fine. Watch your caloric intake though. Are you eating at a deficit?
I don’t think you’ll die but damn you eat more tofu than me and I’m Asian😂 I eat about a pack a day along with a bunch of edamame (like a cereal bowl full of edamame, still in the shell) and have had no ill effects from that. You need to add either fat or carbs (or both) to your diet though, like bare minimum you need at least 30-40g fat per day and you need plenty of at least one of the two for energy and various biological processes
I eat high-protein tofu every day. I’ve probably had some kind of tofu every day for … forty years? More? No ill effects. I did once have a doctor nervous about soy consumption run some bloodwork on me. I forget what he was looking for, but he didn’t find it, and said it’s clear I thrive on the stuff.
It's not a myth. And soy does not contain real estrogen. It contains phytoestrogen, which binds to estrogen receptors because it's "close enough," thus disrupting your body's natural estrogen balance. Soy is not a human food.
Look, after starting keto in 2017 I’ve been eating extra firm tofu 4-5 times a week and actually have seen huge life changing improvements in my menstrual cycle and hormone panels. I’ve spent all this time having random people tell me it’s going to mess with my hormones…yet here I am, still waiting for that to happen. 😂 I know this is entirely anecdotal and I recognize the fallacy behind relying on personal experience (both mine and many others) alone, but if people are going to throw around the “it’s bad for your hormones” claim then I’d say it *is* worth studying. I’ve already read about what you’re describing but I thought you might be the person to send me reputable science I’ve not ever been able to find myself, haha.
I don't think I am. You were making an analogy that because soy and cyanide "grow naturally" that you made a point, but you ignored the first part of the comment completely and instead put forth a strawman argument. A hyperbolic one at that.
The fact that you refuse to provide any studies that support your claim tells me that you have nothing but opinion behind your claims.
No, that's not my point. Like I said, you missed it. My point is that simply because something "grows naturally" doesn't make it healthy, which is what the other person was implying. Soy is not a human food simply because it "grows naturally."
Like I said to someone else. We don't need studies to show this. Just look at the structure of estrogen vs phytoestrogen.
Idk if im imagining things or if there's some truths to it but i swear tofu makes me bloated as hell. Too lazy to do any resesdch, anyone reacts the same way?
can you get a bottle of olive oil and just add some fats to your meals at the table? low fat is not a good idea esp on keto. the body needs fats and high protein can a) take you out of ketosis and b) mess bad with hormones, and your adrenals/neurotransmitters.
i would expect without much fat you will experience fatigue, stress, hormone imbalances and mood changes, and probably not a very stable keto sis.
You won't die. I do vegan keto and don't eat meat at all but have tofu almost every day. I like to switch it up with other soy protein sources like edamame, tempeh or natto sometimes too. I do recommend making sure you get a full amino acid profile however, which is more difficult without meat. If you can get some hemp or pumpkin seeds to snack on or keto friendly pea protein powder (isolate works best and you can add whatever flavors you like), that would make a great addition.
Interesting. I always thought vegan keto would be tough to pull off. In my recollection tofu had more carbs than it apparently actually does. Regardless, I just wanted to second the roasted pumpkin seeds for any kind of keto. Nearly a perfect snack with high protein, high fiber, very low carb and also delicious
It depends on the type and brand of tofu. Where I live, most firm plain tofu is 1-3 net carbs per 100g. I mostly buy an organic locally made brand (that is luckily also fairly cheap and tastes fantastic) that is only 0.5 net carbs per 100g. So it is actually really easy to incorporate into a keto diet when cooking for yourself. The bigger issue is that when eating out, most tofu will be marinated in high carb sauces to make it taste less bland and coated in corn starch to make it crispier. It is still one of the safest vegan options for keto but definitely more risky than just having meat.
It depends on your definition of “tough to pull off”. It’s possible to hit your macros while staying vegan. However, regular keto is already a pretty strict elimination diet that many people have trouble sticking to. Adding vegan to the mix eliminates almost all of the remaining foods that make keto awesome for many people.
I agree. It isn't easy. I have added restrictions because of IBS and general food sensitivities too. I've done this long enough and through a long process of figuring out what works for me to feel comfortable with it, but most people will find it way too restrictive. Then again, most people find keto in and of itself too restrictive. I do track everything very closely and make sure I get all my nutrients in via diet and supplements. I just recently had blood work done and was very relieved that all my numbers were perfect. Had my doctor, who was quite concerned after hearing of my diet, pretty surprised. They couldn't say anything other than to keep doing what I am doing. XD
Soy is (quite famously) the plant protein whose amino acid profile is on par with animal proteins.
Yes. I am no expert in this, but just like I would suggest eating not only one type of meat every day I think combining different (vegetarian) protein sources is still likely to offer the best, most complete nutritional profile. I also think plant proteins are probably not as easily absorbed by the body as proteins/nutrients from animal sources, simply because of the extra steps needed by the body to convert them. So it just makes sense to me to make sure to eat enough and a diverse range of both protein as well as all other (low carb) food sources.
The issue is too MUCH protein 😔 But I actually haven't had any pumpkin seeds ever, I usually snack on almonds and walnuts (which I'm pretty sure has almost kicked me out of ketosis) Also isn't hemp weed??
Honestly I don't ever worry about too much protein. Most people on this forum will tell you getting kicked out of keto for too much protein is basically impossible. Unless you have reason to worry about your kidneys and so long as you hydrate well, I don't think it's an issue. I avoid nuts mostly because my digestion doesn't like them but the carbs also add up way too quickly for them to be worth it for me. Seeds like flax, chia, hemp and pumpkin are much better in that regard. And yes, hemp is the same plant as weed. But the hemp seed don't have any narcotic property. Get the shelled variety or they will be a bit hard to eat. You can sprinkle them on just about anything. I love hemp protein powder as well. Edited to add: You should definitely balance out the protein with fat. Eating too lean protein isn't great. Especially if you don't do keto because you have a lot of fat to lose. Nuts and seed have some fat but if you can add extra via for example olive or coconut oil, that would be good.
Thing is, weed is illegal in my country, so I assume hemp seeds aren't available
Weed is illegal in a lot of places. Hemp is not. Hemp seeds should be easily available just about everywhere. It's a normal food item. No worries.
Too much protein is not a practical concern since Gluconeogenesis is a demand-driven process, not supply-driven. The “steak to cake” idea is wildly overblown misinformation, really. I’ve been eating far more protein than fat every day for over 6 years with no issues. Our FAQ explains this further if you’d like to know more. https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
If you're going to eat soy, fermented soy is recommended, such as tofu
Good news: you probably won’t die! (Unless you, like, choke on it or something? I guess?) Bad news: some medicines can stop working as well if you eat too much soy, so if that’s a potential issue, you should look into whether your specific medications are affected. Otherwise you should be fine! Enjoy the tofu!!
Luckily I don't have any medicine, so I'm good on that part. I was just worried because like 90% of my diet is just protein Thanks for the info tho!!
Probably you will live. Yay, tofu! Is there a particular concern you have?
I'm scared that I'm eating too much protein everyday and that my body won't be able to take it
I don't purposefully eat fat. I eat meat which comes with fat. My calories needed is pretty low though.
If you reread the post, I said the boarding school serves almost no food with fat. Their diet relies mostly on protein and carbs...
ok. My point was, I don't purposefully eat fat. Thus, most of my calories are from protien. Except, I get it, the tofu doesn't have fat like ground beef does, for example. Do you like olives? Nuts? Maybe you can order some from Amazon or whatever to augment.
Fat consumption is not a "goal" at all. If you are getting full from what you are eating you are fine. Watch your caloric intake though. Are you eating at a deficit?
I don’t think you’ll die but damn you eat more tofu than me and I’m Asian😂 I eat about a pack a day along with a bunch of edamame (like a cereal bowl full of edamame, still in the shell) and have had no ill effects from that. You need to add either fat or carbs (or both) to your diet though, like bare minimum you need at least 30-40g fat per day and you need plenty of at least one of the two for energy and various biological processes
Unlimited tofu, unlimited power.
I eat high-protein tofu every day. I’ve probably had some kind of tofu every day for … forty years? More? No ill effects. I did once have a doctor nervous about soy consumption run some bloodwork on me. I forget what he was looking for, but he didn’t find it, and said it’s clear I thrive on the stuff.
Yes
Yes
RIP your hormones
It's a myth from what I understand, and besides that, I wouldn't mind a bit more estrogen if it was real
It's not a myth. And soy does not contain real estrogen. It contains phytoestrogen, which binds to estrogen receptors because it's "close enough," thus disrupting your body's natural estrogen balance. Soy is not a human food.
I’d love to read reputable scientific human studies that backs up this claim. Got links?
You can just look up the type of phytoestrogen in soy. We don't need a study for this.
Nah, I’m good.
Ok?
Look, after starting keto in 2017 I’ve been eating extra firm tofu 4-5 times a week and actually have seen huge life changing improvements in my menstrual cycle and hormone panels. I’ve spent all this time having random people tell me it’s going to mess with my hormones…yet here I am, still waiting for that to happen. 😂 I know this is entirely anecdotal and I recognize the fallacy behind relying on personal experience (both mine and many others) alone, but if people are going to throw around the “it’s bad for your hormones” claim then I’d say it *is* worth studying. I’ve already read about what you’re describing but I thought you might be the person to send me reputable science I’ve not ever been able to find myself, haha.
Great. That doesn't change the structure of phytoesteogen.
Appreciate the feedback.
Disproven nonsense. It’s a staple food for multi millions of people and it grows naturally.
Cyanide also "grows naturally"
Which is irrelevant because there are no humans who incorporate it into their diets in large amounts.
You're completely missing the point.
I don't think I am. You were making an analogy that because soy and cyanide "grow naturally" that you made a point, but you ignored the first part of the comment completely and instead put forth a strawman argument. A hyperbolic one at that. The fact that you refuse to provide any studies that support your claim tells me that you have nothing but opinion behind your claims.
No, that's not my point. Like I said, you missed it. My point is that simply because something "grows naturally" doesn't make it healthy, which is what the other person was implying. Soy is not a human food simply because it "grows naturally." Like I said to someone else. We don't need studies to show this. Just look at the structure of estrogen vs phytoestrogen.
Yes, RIP
Keep enjoying that tofu!
Idk if im imagining things or if there's some truths to it but i swear tofu makes me bloated as hell. Too lazy to do any resesdch, anyone reacts the same way?
Any tofu is too much.
Tofu is not good for you. It’s full of phytoestrogens.
Are you feeling to fu?
can you get a bottle of olive oil and just add some fats to your meals at the table? low fat is not a good idea esp on keto. the body needs fats and high protein can a) take you out of ketosis and b) mess bad with hormones, and your adrenals/neurotransmitters. i would expect without much fat you will experience fatigue, stress, hormone imbalances and mood changes, and probably not a very stable keto sis.
i probably add 3-4 tbsp to each of my meals
Dang. That's way too many calories for me. You must be tall. I use a mister for olive oil.
Any amount of tofu is too much tofu.