Hi there!
I’ve only ever followed this plan as a veggie and not a vegan. Now I am vegan I just wondered if anyone is currently following this 800 cal (50g carb) plan whilst being vegan. Have you got any useful tips or really good recipes?

Many thanks!

Bean 🙂

Hi Bean

I’m not a vegan, but I never cook meat at home and I’ve had a vegan household (both my kids were vegan for about four years).  I sort of end up with lots of vegan/vegetarian dishes. The following are my standards.  

Pasta Puttanesca
One zucchini spiralised, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, capers, olives, fresh and dried herbs, salt and pepper, ev olive oil.
Gently saute an onion with garlic in olive oil, add some herbs (oregano eg), then lots of different coloured cherry or grape or vine tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste and cook it down for about ten minutes.  You could add various other veggies like eggplant, capsicum etc.  I add fresh basil at this point and some capers and kalamata olives.  season with salt and pepper and add other fresh herbs (probs parsley and more basil for me).  You can add or subtract vegetables and adjust it to your taste.  I think tomatoes and onion have more carbs, so I eat this on a lower calorie / one meal day.

Stuffed capsicum
preheat oven to 200C
Cut one red (or yellow or green) capsicum in half and remove the seeds and white peel, place on baking tray or dish.  pop in tomatoes – any variety, garlic and capers and fresh basil.  add one tbspn of olive oil and season well.  Cook for about 20 minutes – but it depends on your oven, so check after 15.  It should be a bit blackened on the edges.  This is fantastic for entertaining.

Cauliflower soup
In a couple of tbspns of ev olive oil gently fry onion, garlic, celery and if you like some ginger.  The spices I use at this point would be dried bay leaf, coriander and cumin, but anything you like is good.  Add two chopped leeks and cook gently until soft.  Then add a cauliflower you have cut up – every recipe says to cut it into florets but I just chop it all up quickly as it gets blended anyway.  Add about a litre of veggie stock – I like massel and prefer the cubes or dried – I find the bought liquid one not so nice.  Cook this all (and season well with pepper and salt) until very tender and then blitz till a nice smooth consistency.  I use a stick blender in the pot – just be sure to keep the blade submerged or you will be wearing rather than eating the soup.  Add tons of fresh coriander to serve – and season of course.  
This is one of my very favourites!

I also make a vegetable soup with anything I have.  Start with onion or garlic as a base, add celery, a bunch of your favourite veggies and herbs or spices – I and a good litre and a half (or more) of stock.  Add a tin of tomatoes and some beans of choice if you like.  Sometimes I use ginger and a cinnamon stick instead of a bay leaf.  There are endless options.

Hummus
Blend chickpeas – use some of the liquid, called aquafaba to help it blend.  Add a tblspn of tahini paste, a clove of garlic and lots of fresh lemon juice and some coriander.  blend until smooth, place in an attractive bowl and if you like add some toasted pine nuts and fresh coriander. I used to add warmed olive oil as well – you swirl the hummus first so there are lovely places for the oil to collect, but it depends on your calorie allowance.  Have it with celery or capsicum or whatever you enjoy.
Babaganush is the same, but you use eggplant that you have roasted first.  This is crazy delicious.
Also can use artichokes on everything (pickled).

Other vegan faves – tabouli, a vegetable tagine, coconut yoghurt, Indian and Malaysian curries.  I like spinach instead of rice. I also love a scrambled tofu – crumble firm tofu and fry up with veggies and mushrooms – I use onion, garlic, zucchini, broccoli and eggplant and whatever else I have (it seems I use the same veggies a lot!) and add seasoning, herbs and nutritional yeast. You can also make a curried version.

I’ve made the cauliflower pizza and baked ratatouille (my fave from the 800 recipe book so far) from here as well.  Right now I have hummus, veggies and falafel in my fridge.  I also make huge salads with lots of mint and coriander and basil – used as an ingredient not just a garnish, different types of lettuce, all kinds of tomatoes, capsicum, celery, asparagus, cucumbers, fennel, radishes, red onions, kale, cabbage, carrots (but I don’t use them much as they are high in carbs). lots of baby spinach, avocado etc. Can add chopped green part of spring onions, nuts and / or seeds,  too.
Guacamole made with avocado and coriander, cumin, salt and pepper and lemon juice, with salsa with coriander and garlic and red onion. Tofu tacos using lettuce leaves instead of taco shells.  Almond milk is my fave for tea and coffee.
Fried not-rice (I just made that up haha) using riced cauli or broccoli and tons of herbs and spices. Pesto with spiralised / riced veggie / tofu of choice
I use a lot of Asian style dishes dressings and also Middle Eastern and Mexican style food – all fabulous and tons of vegan recipes  I also add lemon or fresh lemon juice to everything – it makes any food better.  You just have to adjust or use the low carb versions.

Okay, now I’m drooling!

Note on aquafaba (I think it means water of life) – you can use it as a substitute for egg whites in baking.  You can’t tell the difference, its amazing.

You probable know most of these already, but they are my faves. 

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so very much! xx

You’re very welcome – let me know if you try any!