10 High-Protein Low-Carb Vegetarian Foods (Protein Charts)

Becoming a high protein low carb vegetarian can be tricky.

PLUS you can choose from over 30 easy high-protein low-carb vegetarian recipes.

PLUS there is a comprehensive guide of 33 protein sources for low-carb vegetarians and pescatarians to help you thrive on your low-carb diet.

Are vegetarians keto?

Vegetarians don’t eat meat but some vegetarian diets allow other foods such as:

• Pescatarians eat seafood, eggs, and dairy.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy and eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy.
• Vegans avoid everything that comes from a living creature, even honey.

Many vegetarian diets are by nature, high carb and low protein. Especially those who rely on vegetarian ready-meals, vegan products, and vegetarian snacks.

Traditional foods that many vegetarians eat do not fit into a low-carb diet such as grains, bread, pasta, rice, fruit, and legumes. These common vegetarian foods are high in carbs.

Quinoa for example – 1 cup of cooked quinoa provides 8g protein but 35g carbs which are more than the total daily carb allowance on a keto diet.

But you can be a high-protein low-carb vegetarian! It just takes a bit of planning and know-how. Whether your goal is to focus on weight loss or simply ensure you are getting enough protein in your daily diet, this is definitely helpful information for anyone who wants to be a low-carb vegetarian.

Is soy safe?

It depends.

Because of the lack of clear science to confirm or deny the safety of soy, it’s up to individuals to decide on what is best for them in their situation.

Soy is a classic vegetarian protein source, but it is generally avoided by many who are on a whole food diet, low-carb diet, keto diet, and clean diet due to the increasing research showing a link of soy’s phytoestrogens disrupting both male and female hormones.

The debate over the health benefits/harm from soy and tofu can be a polarising argument due to the conflicting research. Much of the research is biased in favor of who has funded it.

Soy, tofu, and many other types of vegetarian and vegan protein powder are highly processed, so you will need to decide whether you want to follow a clean vegetarian diet or a dirty keto diet.

So what are some healthy low-carb protein options that vegetarians can enjoy that are also low in grams of net carbs? And how can you formulate a balanced low-carb vegetarian diet?

How to start a low-carb vegetarian diet

To become a low-carb vegetarian, you will want a ratio of quality protein, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense carbohydrates that fit into your lifestyle.

What to avoid:

• You can begin by simply cutting back on the bread, pasta, rice, fruit, and dried fruit that many vegetarians rely on.
• Cut back on chocolate, candy, sweet desserts, cakes, and cookies.
• No more fruit juice, fruit-based smoothies, and dried fruit bliss balls. They are all high in natural sugars.
• If possible, try to moderate your consumption of carb-heavy beans such as pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans, to name a few.
• And cut back on your tomato passata sauce and pasta, which are nutrient-poor and high carb.

What to enjoy:

• Enjoy delicious colorful salads with protein such as cheese, nuts, eggs, and fish (if you are pescatarian and happy to consume this, I will write a post specifically for vegans in the future).
• Add some high-protein nuts and seeds such as chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds.
• Enjoy high-protein dairy such as natural yogurt, Greek yogurt, hard cheese, feta cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese.
• If your vegetarian diet allows eggs as your animal protein, this is a great portable high-protein low-carb addition to any meal or snack.
• To help you stay satisfied on a low-carb diet, you’ll also want to add plenty of healthy plant-based fats to your meals.

Read this article Ultimate Guide To Healthy Fats, and start using liberally – avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, macadamia oil, and mayonnaise (if you eat eggs).

Two vegetarian meal plans

Vegetarian meal plan (well-formulated) – fresh salad, high-protein nuts, avocados, full-fat dairy, natural yogurt, natural cheeses, seeds, vegetable smoothies, nut butter, tahini, fish, and eggs (if allowed) = balanced, lower carb, unprocessed meals. Diversity is the key.

Vegetarian meal plan (poorly-formulated) – vegetarian freezer meals, processed vegan snacks, gluten-free pasta, tomato sauce, tofu, bread, wheat crackers, bliss balls, fruit, dried fruit snacks, smoothies, protein powder, protein shakes, protein bars = high carb, high sugar, high processed meals.

10 high-protein low-carb vegetarian foods

A low-carb vegetarian recipe roundup can be found at the end of this post. Print or save and of the 31 recipes for delicious vegetarian breakfasts, lunch, dinner, and vegetarian snacks too.

1: Eggs

Eggs are packed with healthy fats AND quality protein! Eggs are versatile, filling, portable, and make for a great snack or meal.

13g protein per 100g (2 eggs) & 1g net carbs

2: Nuts

This protein in nuts and seeds chart shows you exactly how many grams of protein, how many grams of fat, how many grams of net carbs, and how many calories are in nuts and seeds.

Nuts are another great protein snack option. Keep some in your car for an on-the-go snack. There are so many options! Try macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

Nuts are perfect to be sprinkled over salads, into an avocado, or into vegetable-based smoothies. Nut butter, almond butter, and peanut butter are delicious on their own or added onto keto bread or into fruit smoothies.

Snacking on nuts is so much better than snacking on high-carb junk food, and groundnuts such as almond flour are brilliant for low-carb baking. But the volume you may be consuming and the high carb contents of some nuts can be the number one saboteur of weight loss.

So let’s take a closer look at the most common nuts and seeds with their carb values. These keto-friendly nuts can all be enjoyed from time to time, but you’ll soon see that some will take up much more carbs than others.

Nuts provide a wonderful plant-based protein, but you have to know which are the highest protein nuts, and which are the lowest carb nuts.

3: Cheese

Who doesn’t love cheese? And there are endless high-protein cheese varieties to choose from. Full-fat cheese is the easiest way to add protein and healthy fat to any meal.

You can also simply sprinkle your favorite cheeses onto salads. Any kind of shredded cheese works, as well as goat cheese, or feta cheese.

25g protein per 100g Edam cheese & 1.4g net carbs

4: Greek yogurt and cottage cheese

10g protein per 100g and 3.6g net carbs

Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are packed with protein, which makes them a much better option over regular yogurt. We all know protein and healthy fats keep you fuller for longer.

So enjoy some Greek Yoghurt for breakfast alongside grain-free granola with added coconut cream, nuts, and berries for a fantastic high-protein low-carb vegetarian breakfast.

Cottage cheese is another versatile source of protein. it can be sprinkled onto salads, spread on toast, and even made sweet for a quick and easy high-protein dessert.

10g protein per 100g and 4.8g net carbs

5: Chia seeds

Chia seeds contain healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium and are an excellent source of protein for low-carb diets or a low-carb vegan diet.

Sprinkle some chia seeds into your salad, in your smoothie or yogurt, or into your water.

Or how about a chia breakfast 4 ways – mocha, berry, cinnamon, and chocolate. Just throw everything together the night before, and breakfast is sitting ready for you in the fridge when you are bleary-eyed and half asleep.

34.7g protein per 100g chia seeds and 2.2g net carbs

6: Nut butter

If nuts are a great snack then nut butter is even better! You can buy single-serve packets that are perfect for spreading over vegetables like celery.

Nut butter is a quick and easy dip, especially if you mix them with cream cheese or yogurt. Add some spices such as chili, and you’re set. Or, simply swipe onto your favorite low-carb bread like my 3-seed bread.

Just make sure to check the ingredients and avoid varieties with added sugar to keep your blood sugar in check.

6.6g protein per 2 tbsp almond butter & 2.7g net carbs

7: High protein vegetables

Did you know which low-carb vegetables can contain high amounts of protein?

• Kale contains 3 g of protein per 100g
• Brussels sprouts contain 2.6 g of protein per 100g
• Fresh spinach contains  2.9 g of protein per 100g
• Mushrooms contain 2.2 g per 100g

Plus there are a lot of other benefits to consuming fresh vegetables such as fiber for digestive health and vitamin c for healthy skin!

8: Seeds

Many seeds are high protein, just choose wisely and don’t overeat them (which is so easy to do).

Take a look at this article and a full infographic showing The Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Nuts And Seeds.

Seeds are the perfect go-to for snacks, salads, and low-carb baking flours.

10g protein per 100g pumpkin seeds and 4g net carbs

9: Legumes

Vegetarians rely heavily on legumes because they are touted to be high in vegetable protein. Unfortunately, along with the protein, legumes are incredibly high in carbs. In fact, generally, they are 1:2: protein: carb values.

Because legumes are the main source of protein for many vegetarians, to start living low carb, it is imperative to cut back on other obvious high carbs foods first.

• Peas – 1 cup cooked will yield 8.2g protein, with 17.2g net carbs. So peas are to be limited.
• Lentils – 1 cup cooked yields 17.9g protein & 28.3g net carbs
• Chickpeas – 1 cup cooked yields 14.5g protein but a whopping 32.5g net carbs

10: Fish

Strict vegetarians don’t eat fish, but if you’re a pescetarian, then you can enjoy the many benefits of fish! It’s an excellent source of complete protein and healthy omega 3’s.

Need a quick on-the-go snack? Try canned tuna or salmon. Add it to your salad and voila, you’ve got a delicious, low-carb meal.

Why not pour a tin/can of tuna into an avocado, sprinkle with some seeds and nuts, drizzle over some macadamia oil – and you’re done.

78.4g protein per 14oz/308g fillet & ZERO carbs

While vegetarians might feel like their low-carb options are limited, they truly do have many alternatives!

There are so many low-carb protein-packed foods out there, it simply takes a little planning and fun cooking. Try these vegetarian recipes, it’s easy to plan a weekly meal plan from them.

31 easy high-protein low-carb vegetarian recipes

All of these recipes are perfect for the low-carb vegetarian diet. How much protein you need will depend on whether you are following a low-carb diet, keto diet, low-fat diet, or high-protein low-carb vegetarian diet.

Low-carb vegetarian breakfast recipes

Low-carb vegetarian smoothie recipes

Low-carb vegetarian snacks

Low-carb vegetarian meals

Low-carb pescatarian recipes

High-protein low-carb vegetarian FAQ

Vegetarian protein charts

You can see the full vegetarian carb charts and protein chart with net grams of carbs and grams of protein per serving.