7 Day Vegetarian Keto Diet For Diabetics (+ Recipes)
From LeBron James to the Kardashians, there are many who have tried and tested the Ketogenic diet. It is a high fat, low carb diet popular among those looking for weight loss and better looks. Today’s question, however, is – would a Keto diet for diabetics work?
Globally, the WHO estimates that 422 million people have diabetes. And it’s also directly responsible for 1.5 million deaths per year. (1)
Some believe that following the Keto diet can help reduce these numbers.
Is that true? If yes, which recipes in the Keto diet can help with diabetes? What diet plan should a diabetic follow?
Stay tuned as we answer all these questions in the article today.
Is Keto Good For Diabetics?
Short answer – Yes. Keto is safe and good for diabetics.
You see, the benefits of following a Keto diet for diabetics are many. Not only does it help reduce weight, but also lowers triglycerides – a bane for diabetics.
A Keto diet also helps with insulin resistance and increases good cholesterol levels that can otherwise take a toll if you are a diabetic.
A Keto diet is a boon for diabetics that is not likely to disappoint you. The reason is simple. With little-to-no carbs in the body, your body doesn’t produce insulin. This makes the body utilize the already produced insulin, thus fighting the insulin resistance that causes diabetes in the first place.
Now, for most people, a regular Keto diet plan would work. But diabetics have a lot to take care of. That’s why here we are helping you with a ready-to-follow plan.
Here Are Four Must-Try Vegetarian Keto Recipes For Diabetics
1) Paneer Veg Sandwich
Ingredients:
- 200 grams cottage cheese (paneer), cubed or crumbled
- 2 tablespoons yogurt (unsweetened)
- 1 pinch each of turmeric powder and cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon each of red chili powder, coriander powder, amchur powder (dry mango), and Indian garam masala.
- Salt, as you please
- Keto bread
- Butter
- Chutney or sandwich spread
- Sliced onion
- Sliced bell pepper
Instructions:
- Take the paneer in a bowl and add all the spices to it.
- Add yogurt.
- Top it with salt as you like and mix well to finish the stuffing.
- Apply butter and sandwich spread on Keto bread slices.
- Put some onion and bell pepper slices on them.
- Place the paneer stuffing between the slices.
- Put the sandwiches in a sandwich maker until they are crisp.
- Serve with your favorite sauce or pickle. (Yes, pickles are Keto-friendly)
2) Keto Avocado Sandwich
Ingredients:
- 2 Keto-friendly bread slices
- Guacamole (1/2 cup)
- 1 thinly sliced tomato
- Loosely packed 1/4 cup baby spinach
- Optional – 1 piece of cheese
Instructions:
- Toast the Keto bread of your choice lightly.
- Put the Avocado, tomato, baby spinach, and cheese on one slice of toasted bread.
- Serve with the second piece of bread, sliced in half.
3) Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients:
- 200-gram fresh tofu, cubed
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped each of ginger and garlic
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon chopped celery stalk
- 5 – 6 green beans, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup each of red and yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup zucchini, cubed
- 4 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste.
Instructions:
- Prepare the stir fry by heating the remaining oil in a Chinese wok and swirling it around to coat the pan.
- Add the ginger, garlic, red chili, celery stalk, and red onion. To release the aroma of herbs, stir fry for 10–20 seconds.
- Then, one by one, add the vegetables and stir-fry on high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sauces and stock when the vegetables have a gleaming coating and have softened a little. To blend, stir everything together.
- Toss in the crisp tofu pieces. Mix. Cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the vegetables from the fire once they’ve reached your desired state.
- Garnish with spring onion leaves and sesame seeds if desired.
4) Keto Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients:
- 3 zucchini (medium-sized)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- Onion and garlic chopped.
- Crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper and salt
- 1 and a half cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 5-6 basil leaves
Instructions:
- Remove the zucchini’s ends, then slice it lengthwise using a mandolin (not too thick and not too thin).
- Arrange the zucchini strips side by side on the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200°F and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Allow cooling completely before serving.
- To make the sauce, start by combining all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic, then add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, and pepper after a couple of minutes.
- Cook for 5 minutes before removing the sauce from the heat.
- Combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing basin for the filling.
- Begin building the lasagna in a 9-inch baking dish by spreading two tablespoons of pasta sauce on the bottom.
- Layer pre-baked zucchini slices on top.
- Add 1/3rd cup ricotta mixture, 1/4th cup tomato sauce, and 1/4th cup shredded mozzarella to the pan.
- Repeat the first two steps for a total of three layers.
- Finish with zucchini strips and the rest of the cheese on the last layer.
- Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Allow 10 minutes for the zucchini lasagna to cool before slicing and serving while it is still warm.
A high-fat, low-carb diet like Keto isn’t the standard in many homes, which makes it difficult to follow. HealthyStripe brings you everything you need to know about Keto, including tips and tricks to make following this diet, stress-free. Sign up for our free newsletter today and get ready for all the Keto rewards.
7 Day Vegetarian Keto Diet For Diabetics (From Breakfast to Dinner)
Day 1
Breakfast: Green tea + Nuts + Multigrain Dalia + 1 cup unsweetened yogurt
Lunch: Mix vegetables/ Any daal (pulses) + 2 Keto flour chapati/ Ragi chapati (with ghee or butter) + salad
Dinner: Fried paneer/ pulses + mix veggies salad
Day 2
Breakfast: A fruit + nuts + coconut water + a bowl of sprouts/ coffee/ black tea
Lunch: Palak paneer + 2 multigrain chapati (with ghee or butter) + salad
Dinner: Mix veg soup/ multigrain dalia
Day 3
Breakfast: Cheese pancake + nuts + almond milk/coffee
Lunch: Soybean curry + 2 Ragi chapati (with ghee) + salad
Dinner: Sauteed veggies + Daal
Day 4
Breakfast: Paneer veg sandwich + nuts + soy or almond milk/ chai/ coffee
Lunch: Tofu/ yogurt (unsweetened + topped with ground flax seeds) + 2 multigrain methi parantha (with ghee)
Dinner: Brown rice + mix veg
Day 5
Breakfast: Oat Porridge + almond/cashew smoothie + 1 avocado
Lunch: Black Chickpea curry + chapati (2) + salad
Dinner: Sprouts + cauliflower / mix veg soup
Day 6
Breakfast: Avocado sandwich + Nuts + seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin) + Fenugreek water
Lunch: Keto zucchini lasagna + salad
Dinner: Tofu salad
Day 7
Breakfast: Nuts+ green tea/ coconut water + paneer salad
Lunch: Tofu Stir Fry + Keto flour chapati/ multigrain chapati (2)+ salad
Dinner: 1 cup sprouts + seeds (flax, chia, hemp)
While following this diet, you may experience Keto flu symptoms at any point in time. To combat these symptoms, consider drinking Keto-friendly energy drinks.
Over To You
Ready to follow the Keto diet for diabetics? Try getting your doctor’s consent to this beforehand, as some foods may not suit you for different health reasons.
If you have never tried it before, make sure to go into it slowly. You should take care of all the benefits and risks of a Keto diet like diarrhea, dehydration, and insomnia.
If all these are making the Keto diet troublesome for you, try Ketones drinks instead to get Keto’s benefits.
Lastly, don’t forget to share it with your diabetic friends too.
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