10 years ago I embarked on the journey of becoming vegetarian during my freshman year of college. Last year, I discovered the keto diet while attempting to slim down for my wedding and have been on/off it ever since. As a young adult and a registered nurse, I live a pretty fast paced life. With extremely long work hours and two jobs, just finding time to spend with my family, manage my small business, attend church regularly, sleep and travel can be a challenge. To make matters worse, being a vegetarian and keto usually isn’t something you can do on the whim. It’s something you need to plan for. Thankfully, there are some fast food options out there that can make a vegetarian keto diet easier when you’re on the go.
- Starbucks
My favorite breakfast when I’m late to work is the Sous Vide Egg White & Red Pepper from Starbucks. I like to pair it with Grande Iced Coffee with a light splash of Heavy Whipping Cream and 4 Pumps of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce for a total of 14 Carbs. This is a pretty heavy breakfast (carbohydrate wise) for someone trying to maintain under 35 carbs for the day. However, it is definitely possible with lower carb options for lunch and dinner.
- Smoothie King
Smoothie Kings smoothies that are fruit based and filled with sugar are not appropriate for the keto diet. However, The Gladiator Vanilla totals to 6 net carbs for 20 ounce drink and is quite filling due to the amount of protein.
- Chipotle
Chipotle gives you the option to build your own salad bowl, which can be made keto. Ask for a salad bowl with lettuce, easy (VERY EASY) on the beans, fajitas, cheese, mild or medium salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Skip the rice and the vinaigrette because both are heavy in carbs. This meal can be under 10 carbs if you put just a sprinkle of beans or skip them altogether.
- Panera Bread
Since bread is in the name of this fast food restaurant, you already know that keto options may be limited. A Caesar salad without the croutons is one of the few keto-vegetarian friendly items on the menu. Adding a cup of their Ten Vegetable Soup is 8 net carbs.
- Noodles and Company
When you substitute regular pasta for Zoodles (zucchini noodles) in the Penne Rosa at Noodles and Company, it totals out to 9 Net Carbs. I live to add the seasoned tofu to mine, which increases the net carbs to 12. The Penne Rosa sauce is a red tomato-based sauce with a hint of spice, topped with feta or parmesan cheese. It’s a perfect vegetarian dinner for a keto-vegetarian on the go. Their Wisconsin Mac and Cheese with Zoodles is an even lower carb option and with tofu is also very delicious.
The Take Away…
Yes, being a keto-vegetarian takes planning! However, it doesn’t mean you can’t enough the luxury of stopping somewhere after work to pick up something quick to eat. I hope to see more options on the fast food menus as more people decide to choose the keto-vegetarian lifestyle.
Photo Source @FoodBeast
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