As a sidenote, I have looked into low-carb/keto diets and I've found that those are rather hard for vegetarians; reducing carb intake from some sources (rice, pasta) is easy, but even staple vegetarian foods rich in protein (tofu, lentils, beans, quinoa) are 1:1 when it comes to protein:carb content.
Another thing to mention is that being vegetarian in a central European country limits you to a very few number of restaurants you can eat out with friends; I do not know of any place around that would serve vegetarian low-carb food. This would imply that I always bring my own food from home to work, socially exclude myself by not eating anything when we go out eating with friends, and so on.
Specifically: Soy Protein Isolate, TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein - it does have carb so don't overdo it), and Seitan (Wheat Gluten), if you are not a vegan then add eggs to that - perhaps as egg whites (i.e. more processed food).
Nuts are reasonable too. Then add in a bunch of low carb vegetables (i.e. no root vegetables), and avoid fruits for the most part.
A sample breakfast: TVP soaked in egg white with some nutritional yeast for flavor, fried as an omelet.
Snack: A cup of protein shake with as little sweetener as you can manage to handle. (You would have to buy pure soy protein isolate powder and add the sweetener yourself - most places put in a ton.)
Lunch: Seitan - fried or baked, and salad (watch the dressing - most have sugar, make your own).
Dinner: Vegetable stir fry such as zucchini, mushroom, and onion plus oil for satiation.
It's easier to be a meat eater, but if you are not a picky eater it can be done.
PS. Tofu is not 1:1, it's closer to 4:1 so it can probably be used. TVP is about 2:1.
That brings me to a second point; as a vegetarian, one of my best investments was a simple reusable yoghurt strainer. Natural yoghurt has a lot of carbs in the form of lactose, but straining it into greek-style yoghurt removes these sugars, leaving protein and fat (which you can control by choosing no/low/full fat yoghurt). Add some stevia to it, and you've got a healty breakfast, snack, and/or dessert without any carbs.
I think it should also be said that relying solely on soya protein is not the best idea. It's a complete protein, yes, but there's very little we understand about nutrition--one of the few things we do know is that variety is better. That being said, the firmer the tofu, the fewer carbs--plus it's easier to cook (fries up nicer). If you get sick of tofu, paneer is a good alternative, and easy to make as well.
Finally, chia seeds can be a useful addition. They don't have a taste (but they absorb an incredible amount of liquid, so you can soak them overnight to make pudding), but are packed with fat, protein, and fibre (approx. 32% fat / 16% protein / 35% fibre / 7% net carb by weight).
It's destroying our planet and causing untold, horrific amounts suffering to animals just because people get a kick out of chewing on other beings.
PS. I've been around other European countries most my vacations and never had the problem. Worst case you get salads and omelettes.
You may be interested in this article:
http://anthonycolpo.com/ordering-the-vegetarian-meal-theres-...
Its arguments, in short, are:
Published figures suggest that, in Australia, producing wheat and other grains results in:
–at least 25 times more sentient animals being killed per kilogram of useable protein
–more environmental damage, and
–a great deal more animal cruelty than does farming red meat.
Now I'm not saying it's certainly right or wrong, but it may give a new perspective.
Animals do provide high quality fertilizers and ecosystem services. I'm trying to cut out factory farmed meat. Hence, budgetary constraints cause me to choose less meat and more pastured eggs.
Soy is insanely toxic. Until recently, Asians didn't consider it edible, except for monks who used it to decrease libido.
About the questionable facts: the 25x claim is not substantiated in any way. It doesn't in any way substantiate why use of fertilizers to grow plants for human consumption would be worse than growing grass for the equivalent nutritional value of cows.
Lastly, even if you ignore the irrelevance and the bad claims, it concludes that ethically you should only eat rangeland grown meat and kangaroos, a clear counterargument for the usual meat eater diet!
Yes, though not intentionally - this is just an article I read recently so it came up in my memory. I believe, though, that a lot of small animals die because of farming grains everywhere in the world, not only in Australia. Other factors, indeed, may vary greatly.
Lastly, even if you ignore the irrelevance and the bad claims, it concludes that ethically you should only eat rangeland grown meat and kangaroos, a clear counterargument for the usual meat eater diet!
I agree - if one's aim is to minimize the number of animal deaths or the amount of suffering, that seems to be the answer.
Destroying the planet and suffering of animals are worthy causes, but still unrelated to quality of personal nutrition.