While researching plant-based recipes to make for the week (yep, that's what I love to do on Saturday nights because I'm cool like that), I came upon a YouTube channel about eating high-carb, low-fat (HCLF) vegan. I got sucked in and watched a ton of videos, because I loved the idea that I could eat all the fruit and whole grains I wanted, especially in this low-carb-obsessed world we live in. If being healthy and losing weight eating pasta, potatoes, and bananas seems awesome to you, keep reading to learn all about the HCLF vegan lifestyle and how it can offer health benefits as well as help you lose weight.
HCLF vegan is a whole-foods, plant-based diet that involves eating mostly carbs and limited fats, explained registered dietitian Jessica Levings, MS, RD, of Balanced Pantry. The macro breakdown is about 75 to 80 percent carbs, 10 to 15 percent protein, and 10 to 15 percent fats.
There are several ways people can follow this diet, including only eating raw fruits and veggies, eating mostly raw fruit and veggies with a small amount of cooked food like whole grains, eating Raw Till 4 (meaning eating raw, unprocessed foods until 4 p.m.), or eating a starch-rich diet including tons of foods like potatoes, Winter squashes, whole grains, and whole-grain pasta and bread.
Jessica said here's a list of all the foods you can eat on an HCLF vegan diet. If you are going all raw, you obviously would not eat the cooked foods listed below:
When eating HCLF vegan, you should avoid or severely limit:
This is a whole-foods, vegan diet, so basically you don't eat animal products, and you limit processed foods and sugar.
Here are some reasons to try an HCLF vegan diet:
You may be wondering what a person would eat on an HCLF vegan diet. Here's an example of a day:
Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit (a tiny bit of nuts and seeds on top is OK).
Morning snack: apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped dates.
Lunch: kale salad with bell pepper, celery, cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, sliced strawberries, chickpeas, quinoa, and baked sweet potato.
Afternoon snack: overnight oats banana smoothie.
Dinner: whole-wheat pasta with lentils and tomato sauce.
Dessert: frozen cherry nice cream.
Your first question may be, "Wait, I thought eating too many carbs caused weight gain? Isn't that why so many people eat a low-carb diet to lose weight?," but what sets the HCLF vegan diet apart from other diets is that you're focusing on whole-food sources of carbs such as fruits, whole grains, and veggies, and these contain fiber. Fiber in these foods will fill you up more than eating refined carbs like white bread or cookies.
Aside from avoiding refined grains and sugar, here are some other things to consider if you want to avoid weight gain when eating an HCLF vegan diet:
Research has shown that the high-carb low-fat vegan diet can help people who are already overweight lose weight, said Jessica. In addition to being lower in calories than the traditional Western diet, the HCLF vegan diet is high in soluble and insoluble fiber, which both increase feelings of fullness and help to reduce hunger, which typically causes you to eat less.
However, research on which this diet is based includes a fat intake of only about 20 to 30 grams per day. Jessica said that current recommendations for dietary fat intake suggest a higher level — between 44 and 78 grams for someone eating a 2,000-calorie daily diet. Leslie adds that fat is also satiating so it helps keep you full. Registered dietitian Sarah Rueven, RD, MS, CDN from Rooted Wellness adds that not eating enough fat could lead to nutrient deficiencies from not getting enough fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
She added that protein needs start at about 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily and trend upward depending on gender, activity level, bodyweight, and other factors. As far as carbs go, a general range for intake is 45 to 65 percent of calories, which is about 225-335 grams of carbohydrate daily.
The bottom line is eating a more whole, plant-based diet is a healthy way to eat, since it encourages a person to eat vitamin- and fiber-rich fruits, veggies, and whole grains. But Whitney said that "eating a balanced diet with moderate amounts of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates at each meals" is essential for optimal health. For a general macro breakdown for meals, Leslie recommends dividing your plate into half plate low-carb veggies, one-quarter plate protein, and one-quarter plate carbs plus fat.
Everyone has individual needs and goals, so if you're looking to lose weight, have more energy, or gain muscle (or all three!), both Jessica and Leslie agree that the best thing to do is to meet with a registered dietitian to figure out the best nutrition plan for you.