Photo by Oleg Magni
I describe myself as a high carb low fat (HCLF) vegan. I eat whole fruits and veggies and never add fat, oil, or salt to my food.
High carb means I focus on eating as many carbohydrates as I care for, as carbs are our main source of energy.
Low fat means I keep my fat intake to a minimum. Occasionally I’ll eat nuts or a Nakd bar as a treat (or several, if I’m completely honest). While you do need trace amounts of fat to be healthy, you will still consume plenty of fat in your diet even if you completely avoid overt fats like oil or nuts. Fruits and veggies naturally contain small amounts of fat. All these small amounts add up at the end of the day.
I also keep my salt intake to a minimum. You never need to add extra salt to your food because veggies naturally contain trace amounts of salt. Our palates are so messed up from eating overly salted processed food and meals from restaurants. It will take time for your palate to readjust to salt-free cooking, but once you go salt-free at home, you won’t even miss it.
Currently, my diet consists of:
- blueberries
- raspberries
- red, green, or black grapes
- clementines or oranges
- kiwis
- bananas
- sweet potatoes
- potatoes
- mushrooms
- asparagus
- green beans
- sweetheart cabbage
Eat without restriction
When I say diet, I don’t mean that I’m eating a certain number of calories intending to lose weight. I eat as much food as I care for. I eat the fruits whole or in smoothies. As for the veggies, I eat them steamed (15-30 minutes in a steamer depending on the veggie) or baked. Line pans with parchment or baking paper when baking them in the oven. This allows you to skip oil entirely because the veggies won’t stick to the pan.
Check out High Carb Low Fat Basics to learn more.
Do you have any questions about HCLF veganism?
I’ve been high carb low fat vegan for about a month consecutively now ( two months on and off – my transition stage!) but I seem to have put on weight. I have a summer holiday in 3 months and would like to get fit and toned,any help?
Hi there– Without knowing the details of what you are eating on a day to day basis, it’s difficult for me to judge what could cause you to gain weight. If you are eating primarily whole fruits and veggies with minimal fat (no overt fats added) you shouldn’t gain weight unless you were previously underweight. If that were the cause, you will gain some weight as your body weight normalizes back to a healthy weight. Your physical activity level is immensely important as well. The high carb low fat lifestyle isn’t a panacea for weight loss, but it does set you up for success when it comes to fitness and overall health. I always recommend that we focus less on a number on the scale. Instead, we should pay attention to how well we feel. That is a better indicator of health than a number. Good luck!