While not commonly followed, you can absolutely follow a keto diet and still be vegetarian or vegan. It can be a little challenging when combining two very restrictive diets, especially if you’re new to both of them, but fortunately there are tons of products available today that can make overcoming dietary changes much more difficult.

In this article, I’ll be diving into a new type of vegan-friendly ‘meat’ that’s entirely plant based, and see if it’s a decent option for those trying to stick to a low carb diet.

What Is Beyond Meat?

Beyond Meat is one of the fastest rising vegan meat companies based out of the United States. In 2019 they’ve partnered with hundreds of grocery stores and markets, restaurants like Del Taco and Carl’s Jr, and have launched an IPO as a publicly traded company.

The company prides themselves on creating a plant based ‘meat’ that “looks, cooks, and satisfies like beef”, without any a added GMOs, soy, or gluten. This makes it one of the most allergy-friendly types of meat substitutes available today.

They produce chicken, beef, and pork substitutes all derived from pea protein, created from a patented system of heating and cooling that allows them to get plant materials to cook and even ‘bleed’ like real meat does when cooking.

Their primary competitor right now is Impossible Foods, who also have a famous plant based patty known as ‘The Impossible Burger’, which is soy based.

They also recently changed the formula to a more meatier patty to help replicate the texture of meat, which is made up of a combination of pea, mung bean, and rice, in order to more accurately deliver protein that mimics the juicy taste of cooked beef.

With vegetarianism and veganism on the rise, Beyond as a company are growing at a pretty impressive rate, and most vegans and vegetarians are thrilled with the product.

While it is tough (but not impossible) to go at the keto diet as a vegetarian, not all meat substitutes are inherently keto friendly. Rice, soy, and black beans can quickly tally up your net carb count if you aren’t being too careful. That’s why in this article I’ve set out to see just how keto-friendly the Beyond Burger really is.

Beyond Burger Nutrition Facts?

The nutrition breakdown for beyond beef is fairly simple, as it’s all plant based. Essentially, per patty you’ll be getting:

• • 250 calories
  • 18 grams of fat (6 grams of saturated fat, zero trans fat)
  • 3 grams of carbohydrates (2 grams of fiber, zero grams of sugar)
  • 20 grams of protein
  • 390 milligrams of sodium
  • 8% of the RDA for Calcium
  • 25% of the RDA for Iron

The ingredient list that comes with these patties is also short, which is always something you should hope for when following a ketogenic diet. The ingredients include:

“Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Pomegranate Fruit Powder, Beet Juice Extract (for color)”

Their other products outside of burgers can be a little different too. The beyond sausage for example is a little bit heavier on the carbs, with the following nutrient breakdown per sausage link:

• • 190 calories
  • 12 grams of fat (5 grams of saturated fat, zero trans fats)
  • 5 grams of carbohydrates (3 grams of fiber, zero grams of sugar)
  • 16 grams of protein
  • 500 milligrams of sodium
  • 6% of the RDA for Calcium
  • 22% of the RDA for Iron

As you can see, Beyond foods are pretty high in fat and protein, and relatively low in net carbs thanks to all that plant fiber they have. The other products hold up similarly, and you can check and compare all of their different meats’ nutrition facts over here.

Are Beyond Burgers Keto-Friendly?

As you might be able tell from those nutrition facts above, Beyond Burgers as well as sausage, beef, and chicken substitutes are all perfectly keto-friendly, as they are low in carbohydrates and sugar while being high in fiber.

Typically with a lot of types of veggie burgers, you’ll encounter ingredients like black beans , rice, quinoa, and even carb-dense vegetables like eggplant and corn. However with Beyond’s scientific concoction, it appears none of those risks are present thanks to pea protein isolate.

While many people who follow the keto diet are all about eating meat (myself included), I have a lot of respect for the ethical decision to abstain from animal products, and it’s always great to see when a producer gets it right, and makes something healthy, affordable, and versatile for restrictive diets like this one.

If you’re interested in experimenting with Beyond meat for yourself, keep reading for some keto-friendly and cruelty-free recipes.

Keto-Friendly Beyond Meat Recipes

Beyond has a lot of great recipes for their different types of ‘meat’ available on their site. They’re all quick and easy, and with a little bit of keto hacking, can be made perfectly low carb. I’ve included some of my favorites (all keto-friendly versions) below.

• Beyond Spring Burger (Protein Style)

Ingredients:

• • 4 beyond burger patties (2 packets)
  • 4 large romaine lettuce leaves
  • Caramelized onions
  • 3 cups of arugala
  • 4 slices of smoked cheese (Daiya or any dairy cheese of your choice)
  • Garlic Aioli

Directions:

• • Cook Beyond Burger according to the package’s instructions instructions.
  • Wait approximately two to three minutes before the patty is finished cooking add a slice of smoked cheese and allow it to fully.
  • Add your burger and cheese to your romaine, wrapping it protein style
  • Spread your low carb garlic aioli over the patty and enjoy

• Beyond Nacho Burger (Protein Style)

Ingredients:

• • 4 Beyond Burger Patties
  • 3 cups of fresh guacamole
  • 6 slices of vegan bacon
  • Half a head of iceberg lettuce
  • (Hold the tortilla chips, or use low carb tortilla chips)
  • Sliced pickled jalapeno
  • Vegan (or dairy) nacho cheese

Directions:

• • Cook Beyond Meat Burger Patties according to package directions, flipping every two to three minutes
  • Top the burger with lettuce followed by a low carb Pico de Gallo salsa, burger patty, low carb tortilla chips, nacho cheese, vegan bacon, jalapenos and guacamole.

• Beyond Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• • 4 Beyond Sausage Brat links (1 package)
  • 1 four ounce can of green chilis
  • 4 Diced cherry tomatoes
  • Half a cup of plant based (or dairy) shredded jack cheddar (I use Daiya)
  • Half a teaspoon of chili powder
  • Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 6 bell peppers, tops cut, stemmed and seeded

Directions:

• • Preheat your to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the green chiles, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, cilantro, cumin, garlic, onion and chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
  • De-case the Beyond Sausage links.  In a pan, crumble the links and cook for around four minutes. The links will continue to cook in the oven
  • Spoon the filling with the ground sausage into each bell pepper cavity. Place filled pepper in the prepared baking dish, cavity side up, and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through about 25-30 minutes
  • Serve with vegan (or dairy) sour cream or a side dish of your choice

Some other quick ideas and spins on common dishes include:

• Beyond Sausage Veggie Pasta
• Beyond Sausage and Egg Scramble
• Beyond Beef Keto Letuce-Wrapped Tacos

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Beyond meat is a great brand for those trying to stay away from meat but still follow the ketogenic diet. While keto is measurably much easier when eating grass fed, healthy meats full of fat, protein and iron, there’s still enough ways to get those vital nutrients without raising your net carbs or causing any harm to animals.

As with most select foods, you’ll always want to keep an eye on what they come with when it comes to the keto diet. Even though Carl’s Jr serves Beyond Burgers, you’ll still have to watch out for the bun, and any potential inflammatory oils that the burgers may have been cooked in.

Are there any other vegan burgers and meats that you’ve been using on keto? Drop a comment below and stay tuned for our next review of Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger soon!