Maybe you’re a vegan that wants to try out the Keto Diet, or maybe you’re on the keto diet and you want to go Vegan. Either way, both diets are quite different but they also both contribute to a lot of health benefits. So good on you for living in both the vegan and the keto lifestyle!
On the other hand, you are probably here because you were looking for fast food. Just like the rest of us, you definitely sometimes just have that fast food itch.
Let’s take a look at the possibilities when you’re looking for some vegan keto friendly fast food.
Overlap between vegan and keto
So first of all, let’s talk about the overlap between vegan and keto – or rather the lack thereof.
Vegan, by definition, is a diet that avoids any kind of animal products or ingredients that come from animals. While the ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb diet that basically avoids anything that is high in carbs (and therefore also avoids a lot of sugar).
So at their core these diets don’t really overlap at all. This actually makes it harder to find foods that are compliant, so to speak, for both of these diets, especially when we’re talking about fast food, as you will see later in this article.
Protein is important
One thing that should be noted is the importance of protein. As vegans avoid any kind of animal based products, they should make sure that they have another source of protein to turn to, to make sure they get at least the minimum recommended amount of protein for a healthy balance in their diet. There’s a lot of options to achieve this, there’s a lot of vegan protein sources. So while it should not pose a problem, it should be kept in mind.
Keto, on the other hand, is a diet that does not really focus on protein too much. It’s more of a moderate protein approach. But if you have to choose between carbs and protein, it’s always going to be protein.
General rules for fast food restaurants
If you’re looking for a keto meal at a fast food restaurant that is also vegan, we’ll have to keep in mind the basic rules. So starting with keto, that means no carbs in the form of no buts, no fries or any other potato dish nor rice. Pay attention to avoiding most sauces as well, because some sauces, condiments and dressings contain quite a lot of sugar. Like ketchup, for example, which also means they are high in carbs and should be avoided when following the keto diet.
Besides all these things, as a vegan, you’ll also want to avoid any kind of meats, egg based ingredients, chicken and cheese. This means that on your average fast food burger, you’re left with… the pickles. Quite a bummer, as this can barely be called “fast food”, right?
That being said, there are still some options, for example in the form of salads. But again, you’ll have to stick to salads that do not contain any kind of meat, fish or chicken, while also making sure that they don’t contain any kind of fruit because a lot of fruits are actually high in carbs and therefore not keto friendly.
So you’re really going to be focusing on greens and lettuce. Also, again, be wary of any possible salad dressings that are high in sugar because they’re not to a friendly.
At places like Chipotle and Taco Bell, they have a bowl option, which you can use to your advantage by customizing the bowl and basing it around lettuce and some fajita veggies, some green salsa, some guacamole. However, obviously, any rice or beans should be excluded to make it to keto approved. The same goes for cheese and things like sour cream, as they are not vegan-friendly.
Still, this meal still has quite the fast food feel to it and it’s a good option for both keto and vegan diets.
The verdict: Mission Impossible?
Besides this very short list of options, there isn’t really all that much that you can eat when looking for a vegan keto fast food meal. It’s not completely impossible, but it’s quite rare.
If you’re truly looking to stick to your vegan keto lifestyle, it might be the best idea to just whip up something yourself or go to another restaurant that isn’t based solely around fast food. Still, if your friends are heading out to a fast food restaurant, you’ll be able to order something if you’re applying the basic rules of vegan and keto, but your options will be fairly limited. Keep that in mind.
Vegetarian Keto Fast Food
If you’re not strictly vegan but more of a vegetarian, your options to find some keto fast food quickly multiply. This means that you can actually include egg based stuff and cheese or sour cream, and that basically opens up a lot more options.
For example, you could bake a keto-friendly pizza at home.
Besides that, there’s also a lot of fast food places that have specific veggie options. So if you order one of these veggie dishes and then apply the rules of keto by removing the bun or the fries, you would have a perfectly fine vegetarian keto fast food meal. Obviously, if you’re looking for something truly vegan, the above solution is not for you.
If you have any suggestions for vegan keto fast food or you’d like to share some ideas, then make sure to let us know in the comments below!